(Due to the cost of constant translating - the What's On page is only available in English. Torfaen Museum Trust apologises for any inconvenience.)

 

Pontypool Museum has now completed its major over-haul and invites you all to come and visit. Over the past three years, nearly half a million pounds has been spent on renovating the outside of the Grade II* listed building and upgrading the exhibition areas inside. The museum now has full disabled access with an outside ramp and a lift next to the Barker Gallery enabling full access to the Library, Research Room and Training Room upstairs. Spend some time inside the freshly decorated reception area and coffee shop, after enjoying the new displays and exhibitions, mostly telling the story of your local history.

 

For information regarding opening times and admission costs, click here to visit our "About Us" page.

 

2012 - What's On?

Exhibitions

 

		All That Jazz January 24th - 15th April Barker Gallery A colourful exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Patricia Clifford & Aaltje Smith. Both artists, who are Newport based, bring their individual styles together, forming an alliance of colour and warmth that brings light to the exhibition. Small admission charge: £1 on Wed & Sun plus free entry for Torfaen Library Card Holders.
		New work by Bryony Hobbs January - February Café Art New young artist with a selling exhibition of landscape paintings.
		FREE FAMILY FUN 15th February Art & Craft based activies from 10am til 12pm. Suitable for children up to 12 years old! Lots of fun, make something to take home and look around the museum as well – gift and coffee shop open & free parking at rear of building. Children up to 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (up to 3 children to 1 adult).
		Prints by R T Taylor March - Apri Café Art Two month exhibition of well produced prints at very reasonable prices! Free entry to Coffee shop.
		FREE FAMILY FUN 4th April / 11th April Art & Craft Activities for Easter Holidays 10-12. Children up to 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (up to 3 children to 1 adult).
		‘Pooler!’ – the story of Pontypool RFC April 28th - September 30th Barker Gallery Major exhibition for the summer, with displays, photographs & memorabilia of the famous Pontypool Rugby Football Club. Small admission charge: £1 on Wed & Sun plus free entry for Torfaen Library Card Holders.
		Caroline Tremeer May - June Café Art Exhibition in the Café Art of work by artist, Caroline Tremeer! Free entry to Coffee shop.
		FREE FAMILY FUN Summer School Holidays Art & Craft Activities for Easter Holidays 10-12 Music based holiday activities, learning about music from all over the world and making basic musical instruments. Children up to 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (up to 3 children to 1 adult).
		Mary Challenger July - August Café Art Fine art work by this well known local artist.
		Olympiad Special July - September World music collection with musical instruments & dolls from all over the world + linked Summer School family fun activities.
		"Inside Welsh Homes" July - September Barker Gallery RCAHMW together with ‘Peoples Collection’ workshops – details to arranged.
		Torfaen Textile Artists with Jane Dorsett September - October Café Art a selection of textile work by leading textile artists.
		Pontypool Townscape Community Project Dates to be confirmed This exhibition is the culmination of a two year Project, funded by the Heritate Lottery Fund and in conjunction with Torfaen County Borough Council. The outcome is a detailed digital resource of the historic development of the Pontypool Townscape, gathered from the Museum's library & archive and local people, who have taken an interest to bring in their own documents and photographs, and to volunteer to help record this information for future generations.
		Winter Art November - December Café Art Members Selling exhibition to compliment Barker Gallery.

Permanent Displays

Torfaen Gallery - The Story of Torfaen – the history of the Torfaen Valley. This new gallery tells the story of Torfaen from earliest times to the present day. The gallery is a colourful display of artefacts, pictures and paintings, together with a new audio/visual display and an accompanying book 'The Story of Torfaen' on sale in the shop £7.50.

Oriel Barker Gallery - The Glyn Edwards Collection of Musical Instruments from around the World.
A stunning display of unique and unusual hand-made instruments, collected by the late Glyn Edwards on his travels over many years.

Japanware Gallery - following refurbishment of the Japanware Gallery, the museum now has a new exhibition of Japanware on loan from the National Welsh collection. This important collection highlights the close links between us as a small independent museum and the National Museum Wales.

Until 2012 in the Hanbury Room - 'The Poet & The Politician’ celebrating the lives of Myfanwy Haycock & Leo Abse, two of Torfaen's most famous citizens.

Activities Programme

Pontypool Local History Society meet every first Tuesday of the month at 2pm September - April
please ring for further details - £2 charge on the afternoon for non-members.

Pontypool Park Folly and Shell Grotto

 

Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays Monday

(Easter, Whitsun & summer)

2.00pm - 5.00pm Free entry

 

School Holidays

Free activities and fun for all the family featuring crafts for people of all ages!

Wednesdays & Thursday 10am - 12pm
Funded by Pontypool Regeneration Fund

Please ring the museum for further information nearer the time

 

Pontypool Townscape Community Project

 

An exciting, two year project to collect, catalogue and digitise documents and photographs of Pontypool town and its surrounding settlement areas.

With a Heritage Lottery Grant and in conjunction with Torfaen County Borough Council, two part time project officers, a team of volunteers and the people of Pontypool, we have embarked on this two year community project to make up a detailed digital resource of the historic development of the Pontypool Townscape.

To research the historically important evidence of the Townscape of Pontypool, we are asking local people to bring in any interesting pictures, documents, deeds, leases and even rent books, whether for business, shops or housing in the area. The museum would like to copy and record this information for future generations to use. We also aim to gather all this historically significant evidence to create an exhibition to be held in the museum at the end in 2012.