Cwmbran is a new town in Monmouthshire, Wales, established in the 1950s to provide new employment in the south eastern portion of the South Wales coalfield. Based around the villages of Cwmbran, Pontnewydd, Upper Cwmbran, Croesyceiliog, Llantarnam and Llanyravon, it has grown into a thriving and prosperous town of 60,000 people.
Sitting as it does on the corner of the South Wales coalfield it has a hilly aspect to its western and northern edges, with the surrounding hills climbing to over 1000 feet. The Afon Llwyd forms the major river valley; although the most significant water course is probably the remains of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. To the east of Cwmbran the land is less hilly, forming part of the Usk valley.
At the heart of the new town is a prosperous shopping centre, that sits close to an ancient farm, Llantarnam Grange, that was once part of the property of the monks of Llantarnam Abbey. The Grange now functions as an arts centre, principally addressing the visual arts whilst a theatre in the town centre, the Congress Theatre, provides a venue for moderately sized performances.
The town is perhaps most widely known now for its international sports stadium, home to international athletics events in the 1970s and 1980s. The stadium is also the home of the town's soccer team, Cwmbran Town. Separate grounds at Pontnewydd and Croesyceiliog house the town's two senior rugby teams, Cwmbran and Croesyceiliog, although many more of the town's residents owe their allegiances to the rugby sides in the older, adjacent town of Pontypool, and city of Newport.
