A new scheme to highlight the hidden heritage of Pontypool has been launched by Torfaen council, Free Press community editor Tracy Cottrell found out more As a Pontypool girl, I wasn't exactly thrilled when a friend said she had booked us onto an architecture tour of my home town.

I felt that I knew Pontypool so well.

Meeting outside the Crane Street entrance of the market at 11am on Saturday, July 2, I really wasn't expecting very much, yet two interesting hours later I had a new pride in my home town.

I walk through town at least three times a week, but in my hurry to get on with my day, I had never before stopped and looked at the buildings I have seen all my life. I knew that there were several second storey bay windows in town, but I didn't realise how many there actually are, nor that they are a traditional feature of Pontypool architecture.

Buildings featured in the tour included the market hall, Crane Street Baptist Church, Crown building (now Iceland), Pontypool Park House (now St Alban's RC High School), the Co-Operative Society Store (now empty, formerly HyperValue) and the Town Hall.

As part of the tour we also met three local characters, dressed in traditional costume, who told us what life was like in Pontypool in the 19th century.

"Meg," who shopped regularly in Pontypool market in 1890s, had recently moved to the town from the Swansea area with her family.

With its thriving new industries Pontypool was seen as the place to live if you wanted to guarantee a good future for your children.

The population of the town was greater than that of Newport and Cardiff together, and still growing! "Meg" was very funny, particularly her derisive comments about the Hanbury family.

"William Jones" was a member of the Chartist movement and owned the Bath Beer House in the town in the 1830's.

He told us of the People's Charter and the fight to gain a vote, by ballot, for all adult males.

"Capel Hanbury Leigh" the local Ironmaster, lived in Pontypool Park House and greatly remodelled and extended both the house and the park.

His wife had the Shell Grotto built, although he denied the local gossip that the bones on the floor of this summer house were those of poachers who had been caught on his land!

I learnt a great deal about the town's history and the talks given by the historical characters were very informative.

I would encourage anyone, whether local or new to the area, to go on the free tour. The next one is in September.