Pontnewydd neighbourhood covered 315 acres (127 hectares) to the north of the Town Centre. Falling topographically from 130 metres above sea level in the north-west to 61 metres in the south-east, it was sub-divided into three smaller areas by the canal and Eastern Valleys railway line.

The neighbourhood established in the Master Plan was named after the existing village of Pontnewydd that had a population of 4,220. In the nineteenth century this was focused around Commercial Street (originally High Street), Chapel Street and Richmond Road to the west and around Pontnewydd House, Conwy Terrace, Afon Terrace and Somerset Road to the east, the latter grouped around the Avondale and Edlogan tinplate works. Facilities included Holy Trinity Church, with adjacent parsonage, graveyard and school (Boys & Girls), a Baptist chapel and the two railway stations

The village of Pontnewydd grew slowly through the first half of the 20th century, including the building of the Tŷ Newydd Tinplate works, the White Rose Cinema, and a Public Hall. In the immediate post-war period development was focused around Lowlands, Five Locks and extending west along Cross Roads and Upper Cwmbrân Road, including 80 to 90 new council houses. A larger scheme for 300 new houses was developed shortly afterwards for this neighbourhood at West Pontnewydd, so named to distinguish it from the original village. The mix of dwellings consisted of 62 two-bedroom houses, 119 three-bedroom houses and 12 four-bedroom houses indicating the expected increase of family occupancy requirements.

The first 8 shops of the Pontnewydd unit centre (local shopping centre) was completed by 1955,a children’s play area was completed in early 1957 and the Yew Tree public house opened in December 1959. By 1959 the CDC hosuing scheme for Pontnewydd was largely complete, with forward work consistig of infilling schemes and improvement works.

Pontnewydd Primary school opened 1955, St Davids Catholic Church was built 1961, and the Avondale Industrial Estate was developed from 1959.

S Fielding RCAHMW April 2021