the house, and the Shell Grotto in the park. The stables, which now house the Torfaen Museum, are listed Grade II* on Cadw's historic buildings record. After the death of John Capel Hanbury in 1921, his daughter Ruth Julia Margarette Hanbury inherited the wider Pontypool Park Estate. After marrying on 18 December 1923 and deciding to raise a family at her husband's Anglo-Irish estate in County Monaghan, Ireland, Ruth sold-off parts of the estate, selling the gardens and park to Pontypool Urban District Council and giving the house to the Roman Catholic Church. The house continues as a school, and the park is maintained by Torfaen County Borough Council. Landscape Location The park occupies a large area to the east of Pontypool town centre. The main park starts at the Pontymoile Gates near New Inn and Pontymoile Basin, and finishes to the north close to St Alban's RC High School and Torfaen Museum. To the east the land rises to the tower and the grotto. Its western border follows the Afon Lwyd river and Pontypool Leisure Centre, and Italian Gardens are located close to the western periphery. There are landscaped areas such as the Italian Gardens (refurbished in 2006) and the Nant-y-Gollen Ponds (originally one large millpond used to power a forge downstream). Three main avenues divide the park; they all merge at the leisure centre near the park's centre. Features The park is set mostly to open grassland and mixed woodland with many old sweet chestnuts. One of the oldest, a 400-year-old hollow tree, was voted Welsh Tree of the Year for 2019. In 1923, the Gorsedd stone circle was created in time for the park to host the 1924 National Eisteddfod of Wales. The park is listed at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. Pontypool's main leisure centre is located within the park. A dry ski slope was constructed in the park in 1975 and remains in use. The park also has outside tennis and netball courts and a bowling green. Pontypool RFC also is based in the park, at its 8,800-capacity stadium. There is also a bandstand that forms part of the venue (along with nearby Torfaen Museum) for the annual Jazz in the Park festival. The Folly Tower is a three-storey tower near the eastern edge of the park. Originally constructed by John Hanbury in 1762,