Torfaen Museum

About the museum

Torfaen Museum was founded in 1978 by the Torfaen Museum Trust, a registered charity, with the aim of preserving and celebrating local culture. It is housed in the Georgian stable block of Pontypool Park House, once the home of the Hanbury family, and the arched entrances and cobbled courtyard still recall the original use of the building. The stalls and bays are now used for displays, and the courtyard is a quiet place for a cup of tea next to Pontypool Park.

The collections of around 25,000 objects follow the county from the early ironworking and tinplate industries of Pontypool to the mining communities of Blaenavon and the post-war new town of Cwmbran. Social history is a particular strength, with a focus on childhood and toys, and there are also an art collection and finds from Llantarnam Abbey and the surrounding area. Objects range from 1950s household goods to a nineteenth-century fire engine from Blaenavon.

The museum holds a national showcase of Pontypool and Usk japanware, the lacquered metal goods that were an outstanding local industry in the eighteenth century, including loans from Amgueddfa Cymru. A display on Pontypool RFC celebrates the club founded in 1868. The Dobell-Moseley Library and Archive, set up in the 1980s, holds books, photographs and back copies of the local newspaper for researchers.

Highlights

• Permanent display The Story of Torfaen, from prehistory to the present
• National showcase of Pontypool and Usk japanware
• Exhibit on Pontypool RFC, "the Pooler"
• Georgian stable block with cobbled courtyard in Pontypool Park
• Dobell-Moseley Library and Archive for local history research

Permanent exhibitions

• The Story of Torfaen – A permanent collection exploring the history of the whole county from Llantarnam in the south to Blaenavon in the north, from prehistoric objects and medieval hoards to the industrial revolution.
• Pontypool and Usk Japanware – A national showcase of lacquered metalware made in Pontypool and Usk, with items from the museum and from the collections of Amgueddfa Cymru.
• Pontypool RFC 'Pooler' exhibit – An evolving display of objects and stories about Pontypool RFC, founded in 1868 and famous for its Pride of Lions teams of the 1970s and 1980s.

Founded

1978

Operated by

Torfaen Museum Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entrance is free; donations are welcome. Research enquiries to the library and archive cost a small fee (£5 per query).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is described as fully accessible to wheelchair users, with a dedicated ramp entrance, a lift serving all floors and accessible toilets on the ground floor. There are no designated parking spaces at the front of the building; Blue Badge holders may park on the double yellow lines for up to two hours, or use the car park at the rear. A full access policy statement is available on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Torfaen Play offers free play sessions for under-fives with their parents or carers on Tuesday mornings in school term time. Visitors can borrow a Mini Explorer pack, aimed at ages 3 and over, to learn about nature in Pontypool Park; the pack is free to borrow against a £5 deposit.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Pontypool town centre on Park Road. Use NP4 6JH in a satnav.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The coffee shop serves tea, coffee and cakes and is open during museum opening hours, with last orders 30 minutes before closing. It has seating in the courtyard and under the covered arch of the stable block.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit