THIS photograph shows the Pontypool Park House stable block in a derelict state in around 1970.

Since 1980 the site has been refurbished as the Torfaen Museum Trust’s valley museum. The Trust was formed in 1978 from the former Torfaen Borough Council museum service.

Although originally established to provide a heritage trail with sites along the Torfaen Valley, including the Blaenavon Ironworks, Forge Row at Cwmavon, Junction Cottage at Pontymoile and Llanyrafon Farm, the Trust now has just one major site housing its collections, Amgueddfa Torfaen Museum here at Park Buildings (which was opened to the public as the Valley Inheritance Museum in 1981).

Torfaen Museum.

Torfaen Museum.

In 1993 the Trust achieved Registered Museum status under Phase I for The Valley Inheritance Museum and in April 2001, newly named Pontypool Museum, achieved the standards for full Phase II.

In October 2006 the museum achieved National Accredited Status and was highly commended for its access and research facilities. It has since achieved the second round of Accreditation in July 2013 and again in July 2018.

The museum name was changed to Torfaen Museum in 2018.

As well as displaying items from its 20,000 plus item collections, Japanware from the National Collection of Amgueddfa Cymru/National Museums Wales is currently on loan and on display in the museum, as well as loans of coal measures fossil specimens and the suite of dining room furniture originally from Pontypool town’s Glantorfaen House.

The Dobell-Moseley Library and Archive was established at the museum site in 1984 with sponsorship from the Pontypool County School Old Girls Association and dedicated to the development of a local studies library with facilities for students and researchers and to answer enquiries from the general public.

Currently only the gift and book shop of the museum is open but the Trust is looking forward to re-opening its galleries once again to the public from Tuesday, May 18.

Nostalgia is provided by Torfaen Museum.