A Short History of Cwmbran

There is evidence that Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age tribes used the area that is now known as Cwmbran, until the Romans took it over from their bases at nearby Usk and Caerleon.

During the latter part of the 12th century, Hywel, Lord of Caerleon provided money and land to found a Cistertian Abbey at Llantarnam in Cwmbran. The dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VII saw the abbey being closed and bought by a succession of wealthy landowners. By the 18th century, it was owned by the Blewitt family. They were to become key figures in the early industrialisation of Cwmbran.

During this time, lime kilns, quarrying and coal mining were established, along with a canal to transport goods to the docks in nearby Newport.

The town of Cwmbran as we know it today did not come into being until 1949, when the Cwmbran Development Corporation was founded to provide new employment opportunities in the area. Construction began in 1951.

The area developed rapidly with residential and commercial properties alike being built. Building of the New Town Shopping Centre began in 1959. The completed centre remained very much the same, until a rebuilding strategy was implemented in the 1990’s, improving and enhancing the facilities. Most of Cwmbran’s older industrial sites have now been redeveloped for light industry or retail parks, providing further employment opportunities.

It is often joked that Cwbran has more roundabouts per square mile than any other town in Wales, giving rise to its nickname of ‘Home of the Roundabout’!