Volume I · The Eastern Valley

TorfaenA Taxi Driver's Atlas

From Blaenavon's ironworks in the north to the gates of Llantarnam in the south — every village, hamlet and neighbourhood you'll need to know.

Torfaen runs as a long, narrow valley along the Afon Lwyd river. Three main towns are linked by the A4042/A4051 corridor: Blaenavon at the top, Pontypool in the middle, and Cwmbran at the bottom. Click any area below to highlight it on the map — or use the search bar to find places by name or by category (try "all hospitals" or "pubs").

The Borough

FIG. 01 · ORDNANCE
Edit mode off. Toggle on to drag pins.
Blaenavon (north) Pontypool (centre) Cwmbran (south) Landmark

Blaenavon

NP4 9 · North

Small market town and UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by upland and former ironworks/colliery settlements.

Pontypool

NP4 · Centre

Administrative centre of Torfaen — one of the earliest industrial towns in Wales, with iron smelting dating back to the 15th century.

Cwmbran

NP44 · South

Wales's first New Town, designated 1949 — built around a network of older villages. The largest urban area in Torfaen.

Memory Aids for the Test

№ 01
The Two "Ponts" Trap
Pontnewynydd sits north of Pontypool. Pontnewydd sits north of Cwmbran. Examiners love this confusion — get it locked in.
№ 02
North-to-South Spine
A4042/A4051 in order: Blaenavon → Cwmavon → Varteg → Garndiffaith → Talywain → Abersychan → Pontnewynydd → Pontypool → Sebastopol → Griffithstown → New Inn → Pontnewydd → Cwmbran → Llantarnam.
№ 03
Cwmbran Clockwise
From the north, clockwise: Pontnewydd, Croesyceiliog, Llanyrafon, Oakfield, Llantarnam, Hollybush/Two Locks, Coed Eva, Henllys, Ty Canol, Greenmeadow, Fairwater, St Dials, Thornhill, Upper Cwmbran.
№ 04
Key Landmarks
Pontypool Civic Centre (HQ), Pontypool & New Inn rail station, Cwmbran rail station, Cwmbran Shopping Centre, The Grange University Hospital, Big Pit, Pontypool Park.