Crosskeys Inn Pontnewydd

Using the census enumerator's route, the original Cross Keys pub was situated between Ty Pwca cottage and the lock-keepers cottage, also known as Canal Cottage, in Five Locks.

On the 1861 census it was occupied by John Makeley, 44, who only gave his profession as that of a coal miner, so it may not have been serving drinks at this point.  John lived with his wife, Sarah, 42 and sons William, 18 and George, 15.

At the time of the 1871 census it was known as Cross Keys Beer House.  Again its occupier, Robert Hart, 30, only gave one occupation - that of a bolt maker.  He lived there with his wife Emma, 25 and son William, 2.

We know that alcohol was being served there in the mid 1870's because of an article in the Monmouthshire Merlin of June 1874 when a man called David Davies was charged with being drunk and refusing to leave the premises.  He was fined ten shillings.

The inn made the news in March 1883 when James Thatcher, a brewers haulier from Newport was summoned for leaving a horse and cart unattended.  Constable Davies gave evidence in support of the charge stating the horse and cart were unattended outside the inn for twenty minutes.  Mr Greenway, solicitor, appeared for the defendant and said he had not left it for longer than needed.  He had worked at the Castle Brewery for many years and had never been complained about.  The Bench said it would deal leniently with him.

By the 1901 census the Cross Keys was run by Thomas Jones, aged 35, a hammer man as well as a publican.  He lived with his wife Harriet, daughters - Ethel, 8, Dorothy,5, Elsie, 4 and Gladys,3.  They also had a 1 year old son - Ernie.

The Cross Keys was a five roomed property with seven people already living in it.  It is unknown whether the Jones family still occupied the inn in 1907 but what is known is that it took in lodgers.  One of these, Frank Rowlands, 33, was found drowned in the canal in November of that year.  He was seen in Pontnewydd late at night and it was assumed while crossing a lock, he fell in the canal.  He was found with two cuts on his head which he probably got from hitting the stone-work.

Betting was causing concern at the inn in September 1908.  Edgar Bowen from Pontypool was summoned for visiting a public place for the purpose of betting.  P.C. Hughes stated he saw two men reading a sporting paper on the canal bank between the Cross Keys and Cwmbran Gardens.  They wrote on slips of paper and when Bowen appeared he was handed something by one of the men.  P.C. Hughes followed Bowen to the Cross Keys and told him he was arresting him on suspicion of betting on the canal bank.  He was taken to the police station, searched and was found to have the sum of eleven pounds and three shillings.  There was nothing found however to suggest he had been betting and the case was dismissed.

William Nicholas was landlord in 1911.  He was 41, single with no family.  In January of that year he was summoned to Pontypool court for selling alcohol on Christmas Day during prohibited hours.  Two friends - Ivor Morgan and John Hibbs were also charged with being drunk on the premises.  P.C. Hughes gave evidence that around ten in the morning he heard a commotion from inside the house.  When the landlord opened the door he saw the two men sitting by a table with glasses half full of beer and some empty bottles.  When questioned the landlord said the two had stayed at the house until stop tap on Christmas Eve then later returned to sing carols.  They were not drinking alcohol merely ginger brandy and lemonade.  The court erupted into laughter as the two were asked if they had sung 'While Policemen Watched'.  All were fined twenty shillings.

The Cross Keys Inn was probably demolished with the building of new houses in the area with a new pub replacing it.  This too has now closed down and has been converted into a private house.

Pontnewydd Royal British Legion

George William Lennard was born in 1851 in Yorkshire.  In 1880 he married Lavinia Williams of Pontnewydd.  His occupation was a master mariner.  In the 1880's he built a ten room home for his family and called it The Laurels.

By 1891 George and Lavinia had two children - Evelyn aged 9 and Gertrude aged 6.  They also employed a servant, Caroline Morgan, aged 18.

In 1907 Gertrude married Engineer Lieutenant Vernon ver Teen.  The details of the wedding were recorded in the Evening Express of 1 August.  It described Holy Trinity Church as being prettily decorated for the big day.  The vicar was D I Mackintosh.  The bride groom was dressed in naval uniform.  The bride was given away by her mother as Captain Lennard was away in China.  She wore chiffon satin.  Her corsage was in the romany style trimmed with chiffon and silver tissue.  She woere a tulle veil over a coronet of orange blossom and myrtle.  Her train was of Carrickmacross lace draped over a full skirt.  She wore an opal and diamond ring and pearl and tourmaline pendant, gifts from the groom.  Sister Evelyn was bridesmaid and was dressed in ivory chiffon.  After the service a large party was held at the Laurels.

In 1912 Evelyn married Frederick J Hooper.  Unfortunately I could not find anything in the papers about their wedding.

George William Lennard died in 1930.  Lavinia continued to live at the house by herself and is registered there in 1939.  She died in the mid 1960's.

In the early 1970's The Laurels became the home of Pontnewydd Royal British Legion.  Community groups met there and it was also the meeting point for Remebrance Day parades..  I attended a dance school there when I was about 5.  The lessons were held in the big room at the back however it didn't look like it does today.  There was no carpet on the floor just tiles, no disco lights and no big screen.  The room to the side where buffets are now served was the same, tiled flooring, ideal for dance lessons.

Pontnewydd Legion is probably the friendliest club in Cwmbran, there's always something going on.  There are also rumours of ghostly activity - orbs caught on the security cameras, the front bedroom always feeling icy cold.  A presence has also been felt in the same room!

The Ghosts of Llanyrafon Manor

Llanyrafon Manor is a grade 2 listed building dating back to the early 1600's. It belonged to Walter Griffiths whose family had links to the Morgans of Tredegar House.

The manor once stood in a thousand acres of ground.  Inside there are fireplaces believed to have been brought from Tredegar House by Mary Morgan and a post and panel partition which holds graffiti by Charles Griffiths.

The house remained in the Griffiths family until 1886 when its final owner Florence Griffiths died a spinster.  It then passed to the Laybourne family.  It was bought as a wedding present by Richard Laybourne for his daughter Edith on her marriage to Alfred Pilliner.  They didn't live there though, the house was run down and in need of repair, so they built a new home, Llanyrafon House.  It was around this time the original staircase was removed from the manor and placed in this new house which was on the site of the future Commodore Hotel.

The manor remained in use though, it was divided up by Alfred Pilliner and became a farm. The east and west wings became cottages while the north wing was converted into quarters for unmarried workers.

From a map produced in the 1920's, we get a glimpse of what a busy and lively place the manor must have been.  There was a kitchen garden, a carpenters workshop, stalls for geese, a pigsty, sheds for wagons, a hay barn, stables for horses and extensive orchards.  Behind the large barn a waterwheel powered an elevator to stack the hay and there was also a grind stone to crush apples to be made into cider.

Alfred Pilliner died in 1932 but the house stayed with the family through wartime when land girls were brought in to boost the workforce.  During the 1950;s though with the birth of Cwmbran New Town the manor was sold to Cwmbran Development Corporation and later to Torfaen Museum Trust.

Llanyrafon Manor stood abandoned and decaying for many years but is now open to the public. Re-enactments have taken place and visitors can get a real feel of what life would have been like in past times.  It is also a pretty active place for ghosts too.  Staff have opened up in the mornings to find water thrown across the floor in the café.  Mediums have visited the building and reported an old lady placing herbs in the chimney of a fireplace.  In the buttery knocks have been heard in answer to questions and in the office a voice was heard to say 'no' when staff asked if they could open the door.  The ghosts are said to be children running around in the attic.  Outside in the barn footsteps have been heard crunching on the gravel when no one is around.  There are tales of a monk that wanders the grounds and a human like shadow has also been seen as well as a spectral cat.

As a volunteer guide I also witnessed some spooky goings on myself.  On my first day at the manor and before knowing anything of its past, I kept being drawn to the second floor window above the porch as if someone was watching me.  I later found out that a little boy used to stand watching and waiting for his mother to return home but she never did.  He is often felt to hold the hand of visitors in his room.  Another time when I was in the manor alone I heard footsteps coming down the stairs but there was no one there and on some occasions visitors would simply refuse to enter the house.

Origins of the Rose and Crown

The Rose and Crown Hotel, Victoria Street, was probably built sometime in between 1861 and 1863.  There is no mention of it on the 1861 census, however it is recorded in local newspapers in July 1863 as  one of the places the injured, of the rail crash of that month, were taken to.

It is next mentioned in the news in the December 28th 1867 issue of the Monmouthshire Merlin when three men, Jesse Sadler, David Harrison and Edward Harrison appeared in court charged with having assaulted a woman named Mary Parker.  Landlord, Charles Coles said that Mary and her husband had been drinking at the hotel from five thirty in the evening until eight thirty.  Eventually he refused to serve them further as they were drunk.  Mary's husband then caused a row by hitting one of the three men and by drinking out of a pint vessel that did not belong to him.  He also hit the landlord in the eye which prevented him from seeing for three days.  The three men were discharged while Mary and her husband paid the court costs.

We can never know if it was this incident that caused Charles Coles to give up the Rose and Crown but not long after it was taken over by Robert Sawtell, aged 38, from Poulton, Somerset.  He is seen on the 1871 census with his wife Catherine and four children, Charles, 8, Elizabeth, 6, Benjamin, 4 and James, who was five, months.  They also employed a servant, Ann Rodell who was 21.

In September 1872 an inquest was held by Mr Brewer, coroner, on an unknown man who had died on the 10th of the month.  Daniel James Baker, a police constable said he had called at the Rose and Crown at 10.35 p.m., staying until 10.52 p.m. when the landlord began to close up for the night.  He saw the man in the kitchen who remarked that he had asked Mr Sawtell for a pipe of tobacco half an hour earlier.  The P.C.  handed him some, the man put it in his pipe, lit it and walked out, perfectly sober.  The P.C. later passed him on the bridge over the train line, where he said nothing.  The P.C. heard nothing more until the man was picked up off the train tracks at 6.40 the next morning.  He was suffering from concussion and later died at Newport Hospital.

Many social gatherings were held at the hotel.  In January 1873, the puddlers of the Patent Nut and Bolt Works held their annual supper at the Rose and Crown where an 'excellent meal' was provided by Mr and Mrs Sawtell.  The workmen were also congratulated on their prosperity while those in other parts of the country could barely afford life's basics.

The census of 1881 records three more children for the Sawtells - Alfred, 7, Ada, 5 and Kate,3.  There is also a servant, Eliza Lear, age 15 who was Robert Sawtell's niece.

The Rose and Crown was in the news again the following year.  In May 1882, Thomas Stevens, a labourer was drunk and riotous on the premises and was refusing to leave, which led to a fine of ten shillings.  Then in 1883 it was in the news again, twice.  In May of that year, Mr Brewer held an inquest at the police station regarding the death of William Edwards who had died at the station on 17th April. On the day, Edwards had gone to the Halfway where landlord, Mr Brooker had told him to go home as he was drunk.  He didn't though, instead he went to the Rose and Crown where Mr Sawtell didn't notice and served him a quart of beer.  Edwards did not drink it all but gave some to a friend.  From the Rose and Crown he was then carried to a railway fence and left there, later being moved to the police station.  During the night he was visited a few times by P.C. Lawrence who found his condition to be worsening.  He sent for a doctor who requested that hot bricks should be placed on Edwards's feet but it was to no avail.  A post mortem was carried out on the 22nd and he was later buried.  The doctor said at the inquest Edwards had died from blood on his brain.
Seven months later the Rose and Crown was burgled!

A quiet period followed, as far as news stories go.  In May 1894 the men of the fire brigade held their annual dinner at the Rose and Crown.  So too did members of Cwmbran Football Club in 1896, in order to elect officers for the coming season.

On the 28th June 1900, Robert Sawtell died and Catherine became landlady. The license for the premises was transferred to her in August.   The  1901 census shows she had three of her children still living with her as well as servant, Annie Payne.

Tragedy struck in September 1907.  Mrs Charlotte Davies of 64 Victoria Street was due to go away on a trip with her husband.  He left her to go to the station to get tickets while she went to the Rose and Crown to leave their house keys with the landlady for safe keeping.  When she did not arrive at the station to meet her husband, he went to look for her.  He found her in the yard outside, she was dead.  Dr Murphy was called and certified her death.  Strangely he thought no inquest was necessary as Mrs Davies had been suffering from heart disease.

Catherine Sawtell was in her seventies when Mr J. W. Everett of Pontypool applied for the transfer of the license, in 1909, to her son in law, George Waters, who had married her daughter, Ada.  It is George Waters who is head of the household on the 1911 census, with Ada assisting in the family business.  They had three children at this time - Robert, 6, Dorothy Catherine, 4 and Lilian, 2.  They had a servant, Emily Toms, 16 and Catherine Sawtell is also living with them, aged 74, as she would do until her death on 7th April 1916.

Victoria Street, Cwmbran

photo source - Wikimedia commons

Chartists at the Lower Cock Inn

The Lower Cock Inn was situated on the Highway in Croesyceiliog where the Tewdric Court bungalows are now.  It is unclear when it was built but it did play a part in the Chartist uprising of 4th November 1839.

It has been generally accepted in local lore that it was the nearby Upper Cock Inn that played host to the Chartists however an article in the South Wales Daily News from 21 April 1877, which reproduced letters written by one of the leaders, Zephaniah Williams, tells another story.

At the time of the Chartists march on Newport, the Lower Cock Inn was kept by Mrs Glazebrook.  For three days previous the inn had been exhibiting a boy from Carmarthenshire.  He was thirteen and known as the 'Porcupine Boy' due to him being covered in wart-like scales all over his body.  After his departure the village of Croesyceiliog returned to normal, blissfully unaware of the events that were about to unfold.

The night of the march was 'wet, dark and miserable'.  The only customer in the Lower Cock was a man named Absalom  from Pembrokeshire.  The landlady's son had gone to bed allowing his mother to close up the house.

Not long afterwards, a man named Barnabus, a brewer from Pontypool arrived along with another man, Thomas Watkins, also from Pontypool.  They knocked and asked where 'Glazebrook' was, explaining that their horses were 'completely knocked up', but as Glazebrook was in bed they decided they would try to carry on a bit further with their journey.  They next arrived at the Upper Cock Inn and called to the landlord, Joe Davis and left their horses there. After a few drinks they left and walked to Pontypool.

The first group of Chartists marched through Croesyceiliog without stopping.  Mrs Glazebrook was now in her bedroom, unaware of anything happening outside.  She was undressed and ready for sleep until someone knocked on the door.  The person shouted 'Glazebrook!' a couple of times and she in return shouted from her window  'Who is there?'  It was so dark though and the rain so heavy, she could barely see.  Her son heard her shouting and decided it was probably 'some old customer from the hills'.

Eventually though, Mrs Glazebrook received a reply.  The voice said 'A friend from the Varteg who wants a quart of beer'.  Mrs Glazebrook replied 'Well if you will drink it quickly, you shall have a quart of beer'.  She put on a gown, went downstairs, opened the door and handed the man a jug.
'Let me come in a minute out of the rain' he continued but as soon as he had set foot inside it was obvious he was not alone as a number of other men rushed in with him.

Hearing the commotion, the son jumped out of bed, hurriedly got dressed and ran downstairs to find the inn full of rain drenched men.
'Hello' he said 'What is up my lads?  Where are you all going to?'
'To Newport' they told him.
He observed a man named Parry held a stable pike in his hand.
'What are you going to do with that?' he asked
'This is to turn them over' was the reply.
The Chartists then insisted fires should be lit in all the rooms.  Mr Glazebrook needed to get coal for this and on going out through the back door to get some, observed an array of pikes, scythes and knives fastened to the end of long sticks.  He eventually learned of the Chartist rising and realised his house was full of them.

After warming themselves, drinking freely, the Chartists quietly went on their way.  Not long after, another group arrived demanding drink.  Mr Glazebrook thought it was wise to be civil and be as obliging as possible and in return the Chartists acted the same.  Some of them sought refuge at the inn.
'They took me as I was going to chapel' said one 'And I, as I was eating my super' said another.  Some hid themselves in the cellar, others in the bedrooms until it was safe to escape and return to their homes.

At six o clock the following morning, Jones the Watchmaker, dressed in a suit of black, walked into the Lower Cock.  He asked for a glass of brandy and sat down.  Mr Glazebrook approached him and confronted him.
'It appears to me that you are one of the leaders of this Chartist affair; depend upon it if so, you will either be hanged or transported'.
'Do you think so?' asked Jones
'Yes' was the reply 'for this going to Newport is a wrong idea altogether'.
At that point some more men arrived and on seeing Jones exclaimed, while holing a blunderbuss to his ear
'Jones! Damn me if he hasn't turned traitor!  You should have been in Newport hours ago!  If you don't come at once I'll blow your brains out!'
So Jones jumped up and went.  As the gang left one of them grabbed Mr Glazebrook and tried dragging him along with them, only releasing him after his protests that he needed to look after his mother.

On their return from Newport the Chartists again called at the Lower Cock, they were wet, tired and had their spirits broken.  A tragedy would have occurred here then, had it not been for Mr Glazebrook who thwarted the attempts of the Chartists to dry their wet gunpowder by the fire!

By the 20th century the Lower Cock Inn was no longer run by the Glazebrook family.  At the brewster sessions in March 1904 its license was refused as it was no longer deemed necessary.  The Lower Cock ceased to exist as an inn and the building fell into disrepair.  In February 1905 a Mr Corner submitted plans in court for the rebuilding of the inn but after deliberation the justices disapproved.  The Lower Cock was inhabited as a dwelling until 1949 until swept away by the Cwmbran new town plans.

William Jones, the Watchmaker

Cwmbran Gardens Hotel

A postcard of Cwmbran Gardens Hotel

Cwmbran Gardens Hotel used to be situated on the canal bank between Richmond Place and the recreation ground in Pontnewydd, which was originally part of the hotel.

The hotel building was first built as a depot for the Monmouthshire Canal Company but was purchased around 1873 by Richard Clarke.  He made an application at Pontypool police court in September of that year for a license for fruit and recreation gardens in Cwmbran.  Accompanying him was Mr Alexander Edwards who supported his application and stated that the house would not be open on Sundays.  The license was granted.

Described as a 'palace at the disposal of the working man' by the Western Mail, the gates to Mr Clarke's gardens opened in July 1874 with free entry for all.  Hundreds visited, mostly working class to whom a few hours in the gardens must have seemed like heaven compared to their work in the mines and other industries.  The gardens had been created with much expense by Mr Clarke, a much needed facility that was not equalled anywhere else in the county according to the Western Mail who went on to describe the gardens on that opening day as -
'elegantly laid out with beds and borders of flowers, rockeries, ferneries, fountains, alcoves and pavilions, also croquet grounds, green lawns and leafy trees for shade. A brook runs nearby crossed by rustic bridges.  Exotic plants in hot houses so large they require 3000 to 4000 feet of glass, seven feet wide.  A saloon has been fitted up for refreshments.  Good order is well preserved and only the well behaved can buy.There was also a Turkish bath and concerts held every Thursday evening.


In July 1878, a running track was added. The first race was one of 150 yards with the first prize of a silver watch, there were 17 entries.


In September, Mr Greenway, on behalf of Richard Clarke applied for a seven day license. The gardens were open on Sundays and attracting around 800 visitors. He wanted to be able to provide them with refreshments, however the application was refused.

Races took place at the gardens regularly. In October, one took place between G. Thomas of Newport and Lot James of Swansea. The race attracted a large crowd and Thomas won by a few yards. Jones then accepted a challenge from a spectator from Panteg Steel Works, and beat him.


The gardens began to attract all kinds of different entertainment that enticed people from near and far. Hutchinson and Tayleurs Circus gave two performances there in the summer of 1879 which was enjoyed by many but for some unknown at present reason, in February 1880, an auction was advertised in the Western Mail for the sale of fruit and ornamental trees from the gardens. The catalogue was said to include thousands of trees and shrubs, some of a rare variety. It seems there had been a depression in trade in the area and it is possibly this reason the plants were sold off. Visitor numbers were also down as an article in the Western Mail of 1880 implies. A fete was held at the gardens on Easter Monday when 'a larger number of persons were present than has been the case since the good times which preceded that depression of trade from which the neighbourhood has suffered recently'.


From this point on the gardens fortunes improved and they became a popular tourist attraction and sporting venue. In November 1882 a race between J. Harrington and J. Cronan of Newport took place. The distance was 120 yards with stakes of five pounds a side. Harrington won by a yard and a half.



Richard Clarke died in 1885 but the gardens remained open and were run by his wife and their son, James. Works day trips often visited. In the Weekly Mail of July 1886 it was reported that the employees of Elliot and Jeffrey, proprietors of the Cardiff Engine Works visited and also enjoyed dinner provided by Mrs Clarke. It also provided further information about the site. It was set in nine acres of ground and laid out with romantic walks of a mile an a half, interspersed with flower beds and tiny fountains. In the mountain stream that ran through the grounds trout fishing was possible.


The following month, workmen and friends numbering sixty five, in the employ of Mr James, a builder from Penarth enjoyed a days outing to the gardens where dinner and tea was provided by Mrs Clarke in the hotel. A week later, two hundred school children from Nantyglo visited and enjoyed different games. The children then met in the large hall of the hotel to sing songs and also to thank Mrs Clarke and James for the attention they bestowed on them.


Cwmbran Gardens Hotel was a very popular attraction but for reasons unknown at present, it was mentioned in the property sales of the South Wales Daily News in September 1893. The highest bid it received was £2500, and was withdrawn from sale. It was advertised again in July 1896, this time only receiving bids of £2000, so again was withdrawn.


By the beginning of the twentieth century the site was eventually sold. Mr Treharne became the landlord of the Cwmbran Gardens Hotel but it is unclear whether he had anything to do with the actual gardens. He is mentioned in the Evening Express of 10th May 1902 for refusing entry to George Thomas, a local footballer, for disorderly conduct.


It is possible around this point in time that the hotel and recreation grounds became separate entities. In the Pontypool Messenger of 9 March 1907, Mr Hornby, on behalf of owners Lloyd and Yoreth were looking to remove the license from the hotel to a new premises that was to be situated on the road from Pontnewydd to Upper Cwmbran. It does not mention whether they also owned the recreation grounds but the fact that the owners wanted to remove the license and move business to a new building shows interest in the Cwmbran Gardens Hotel was fading. Removing the license at this time though was opposed by the police and not granted.


The last event recorded in the news I have been able to find concerning the gardens, is a race in August 1908. It was a 120 yards flat race for £10 between W. Davies of Pontypool and F. Hobby of the Tranch. It created a large amount of local interest as events at the gardens always did and Davies won by a yard and a half.


Cwmbran Gardens Hotel was demolished in the late 1960s and all that is left today are the recreation grounds, some fragments of ivy covered wall where the hotel used to be and the street name of Clarke Avenue serving as a reminder of Richard Clarke and his 'palace for the working man'.

Remains of the hotel

Site of Cwmbran Gardens Hotel

A Walk Around the Boating Lake