Traditionally Pontypridd is the market town of the Valleys and with excellent transport links by road, bus and train, shoppers still flock to the area every Wednesday and Saturday to pick up a bargain in the indoor and outdoor market.

There are rugs and carpets, shoes and shirts, crockery and curtains, leather goods and fancy goods, knick-knacks and bargains galore! In the indoor market, tables groan with fresh produce; and over the festive period sprouts and cranberries are stacked high, alongside local cheeses, butter fresh from the churn, and bara lawr, a Welsh speciality formed from healthy edible seaweed. Stretching alongside the River Taff for nearly a mile, Taff Street is open for all your Christmas needs and is crammed with greengrocers and bakers, card shops and jewellers, alongside well known names of the British High Street.

Pontypridd is benefitting from its largest regeneration cash injection thanks to Rhondda Cynon Taf Council by securing a financial package of £10.5million from the Welsh Government through the European Regional Development Fund and Targeted Match Funding, along with Council and private sector contributions. It is very much business as usual as currently a dramatic transformation of the street scene in and around Taff Street, High Street, Market Street, Church Street and Mill Street is taking place - although all work will cease over Christmas.

Many of the commercial traders are also taking advantage of the scheme with grants available to refurbish their properties, and fantastic new and exciting retailers are popping up throughout the town.




This regeneration comes alongside a whole host of other investments for the town, including the development of the Riverside Shopping Centre, a multi-million pound Sainsbury's store for the Brown Lenox site and the refurbishment of Pontypridd Railway Station. There's more to Pontypridd than just shopping. When the bustle of the town centre gets too much, cafés, pubs and hotels beckon.

Ynysangharad War Memorial Park, the jewel in the Pontypridd crown, links the shopping centre by an elegant footbridge over the River Taff, with tree-lined walks, gardens and majestic views of the surrounding hills.

On December 3rd a special Christmas event will take place in the park with an artificial ski slope, a miniature farm with farmyard animals, where pygmy goats and lambs will put a smile on childrens' faces and also a Christmas market for the mums and dads.



This time of year also marks the traditional turning on of the Christmas lights. A Christmas tree is erected in the town centre with plenty of activities to welcome the special season. On the week before Christmas, parking is free in Council-run car parks in the town.

Visits to Pontypridd can be combined easily with sightseeing or walking, cycling on the Taff Trail or a visit to the Museum next to the town's iconic Old Bridge. You can even catch a fantastic show at the Muni Arts Centre, which will be showing the magical Cinderella this Christmas.



So why not plan a full family day of fun in Pontypridd? It's a complete experience for resident or visitor alike.

For further information on the regeneration of Pontypridd: Telephone 01443 495155 Email pontypridd@rctcbc.gov.uk www.loveponty.com