Pontypridd

Pontypridd, town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, in South Wales, situated at the confluence of the Taff and Rhondda rivers, north-west of Cardiff. Engineering and light industries (electronics and chemicals, principally) have replaced the traditional industries of coal mining and chain-making. Chains for liners, such as the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, were made here. In 1992 the Polytechnic of Wales in Pontypridd became the country’s second university, the University of Glamorgan.

Pontypridd is famous for its arched bridge over the River Taff. At 43 m (140 ft), it was once the largest single-span stone bridge in the world. Built in 1775 by William Edwards, a local stonemason, it is no longer in use. In 1856 local weaver Evan James composed “Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau” (“Land of My Fathers”), which has since been adopted as the Welsh national anthem. Pontypridd is also the home town of singer Tom Jones and opera star and actor Geraint Evans. Population (1991) 28,487.