The John Capel Hanbury

This Wetherspoon pub is named after the last Squire of Pontypool, who was also a notable benefactor to the town.

Pontypool's development really began in 1588, when Richard Hanbury, a London goldsmith, bought land here for making iron. The interests of the Hanbury family, and Pontypool, fluctuated, until Major John Hanbury (born 1664) decided to move to the town and build Pontypool House. The 158 acres of enclosed parkland were purchased by the council, in 1920, from John Capel Hanbury, the last Squire of Pontypool. He was a notable benefactor, gifting the sites of Pontypool Hospital, the grammar school, the library, the market and St Hilda's Church.