Cwmbran factfile

How to get to Cwmbran
Cwmbran is in south-east Wales between the towns of Pontypool and Newport.

Cwmbran through the ages
The first settlers in the area were Neolithic and Bronze Age tribes, before the region was taken over by the Romans. Cwmbran remained a small rural community for hundreds of years, but began to grow steadily during the Industrial Age.

Cwmbran became a centre for brick-making, lime kilns, iron ore, quarrying and coal mining, the products of which were transported to the docks of Newport via canal links.

After World War II, Cwmbran was developed as a New Town to provide employment for the south-eastern area of the South Wales coalfield. In a period of just 20 years Cwmbran went from being a small village to an urban area of over 33,000 residents.

Shopping in Cwmbran
Cwmbran is home to the largest single shopping centre in Wales. Built in the 1950s, The Cwmbran Shopping Centre, unlike most other large shopping centres, does not lie on the outskirts of the town but occupies the entire town centre. As well as the usual high-street stores, the centre is home to Cwmbran library, the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Congress Theatre.

Famous people from Cwmbran
Cwmbran has produced a number of talented sportsmen, including World Champion boxer Joe Calzaghe, Commonwealth Medal-winning boxer Jamie Arthur and West Ham United footballer Danny Gabbidon.

How Cwmbran got its name
Cwmbran means "valley of the crow" in Welsh.

Cwmbran's claims to fame
The world's oldest ever married couple, Thomas and Elizabeth Morgan, lived in Cwmbran. They were married for 81 years and 260 days until Elizabeth's death on 19 January, 1891 at the age of 105. Their combined age was 209 years and 262 days.

Cwmbran is also known as the "Home of Roundabouts" as it is said that it has the most roundabouts per square mile of any town in the UK. This maxim also prompted the release of car stickers reading, "Sorry if I'm driving in circles, I'm from Cwbran, the home of the roundabout".