Pontypridd is situated at the junction of the rivers Rhondda and Taff. Because of this location and its surrounding collieries, the town became an important location for the transportation of coal from the Rhondda valley and iron from Merthyr Tydfil, first via the Glamorganshire Canal and later via the Taff Vale Railway, to the ports at Cardiff and Barry. Because of its role in transporting coal cargo, its train platform was at one time the longest in the world.

Pontypridd is famous for the Old Bridge (Nprn 24145), a stone bridge across the River Taff built in 1756. This bridge was at the time of its construction, the longest single-span stone arch bridge in the world. Rising 35 feet (11 m) above the level of the river, the bridge is a perfect segment of a circle, the chord of which is 140 feet (43 m). The steepness of the design made it difficult to get horses and carts across it and in 1857 the Victoria Bridge (Nprn 24151) was built adjacent to the old one. Pontypridd was known as Newbridge from shortly after the construction of the Old Bridge until the 1860s.

Ynysangharad Park is a public park of the 1920s, laid out in Edwardian style and situated on level ground on the east bank of the river Taff in the centre of Pontypridd. The park was opened in 1923 as a war memorial park.

RCAHMW, 2009.