The market town of Pontypridd lies just 12 miles north of Cardiff. 'Ponty', as its known to locals, is famous for its old bridge,which at the time it was built (in 1750) was the longest single spanning bridge in the world.
Porth is the gateway to the two Rhondda valleys as traffIc merges at this point. In common with much of Rhondda Cynon Taff Porth developed to service the coal industry.
Ystrad Mynach is a busy town with a population of over 10,000. Magnificent scenery latches on to the town with a number of deep valleys that plunge southwards from the Beacons.
Tredegar is a town rich in history and prides itself on many things including its famous son Aneurin Bevan, the founder of the National Health Service.
Abertillery is a former coal-mining town situated in the South Wales Valleys within the county borough of Blaenau Gwent which, together with the surrounding villages, has a population of about 20,000.
Abercynon lies in the Cynon Valley and changed significantly during the industrial revolution. The town is linked to Cardiff and Merthyr by train. Significant buildings in the town include the War Memorial, Workingmen's Hall where the famous political leader Kier Hardie addressed miners' in 1906.
Bargoed was a rural town until the railway arrived and the colliery opened in 1903. Within seven years the mine employed almost 2,000 miners. Today Bargoed is well established shopping centre with a popular weekly market. A £10 million reclamation scheme has removed many of the town's industrial scars and created a country park.
Blackwood (Coed Dduon) is a busy shopping centre, with a population of 23,300. It has an outdoor market, which opens three days a week. As the town has grown, it has almost merged with the neighbouring villages of Pontllanfraith, Cefn Fforest and Ynysddu.
Brynmawr (Big Hill), was originally known as Gwaen Helygen (Marsh of the Willow). A mere village in 1800, it was a market town in the county of Brecknock and was formed into an ecclesiastical parish in 1875. There were only a few farms and shepherd's cottages found in this area but soon when the iron works of Clydach, Blaenafon and Nantyglo arrived, this led to an increase in the population. A pre-cursor of the NHS was started up here as early as 1851,with the establishment of the first board of health in England and Wales.
Caerphilly is the principal town of the county borough with a population of approximately 30,000. People have visited the town for centuries to admire the town's immense Norman Castle which is the second largest in Britain - only Windsor is bigger. The town is also well known for its Caerphilly cheese (which is not made anywhere in Caerphilly these days but can be found in local supermarkets).
