Pontypridd is a large industrial town in Rhondda Cynnon Taff, South Wales. It is a principal town of the county and sits on the banks of the River Taff, which is formed by the confluence of the Taff Fychan and Taff Fawr just north of Merthyr Tydfil. The Taff then flows on through Merthyr Vale, Abercynon and Pontypridd before entering the sea at Cardiff Bay.
The town takes its name from the old stone bridge, which crosses the river in the centre of the town. A local man, William Edwards, built the bridge in 1755 at his third attempt at building a crossing over the river. At the time it was opened, it was the longest single-span stone arch bridge in the world. However, it wasn’t the best bridge to use for travelling—being so steep it was caused difficulties for horses and carts, and a new bridge, the Victoria, was built in 1857.