Sebastopol National School, South Wales

This school, erected in 1861, was the idea of Rev Dr David James who was located at St Mary's Church, Panteg. Funds were raised by a Bazaar held in the grounds of the house of the Hanbury family (later to become Pontypool Park).  The building was demolished during the 1960s and has been replaced by St Oswalds Close.  Children of all ages attended and were required to complete at least 100 hours of schooling.

It had been planned that the building, now St Oswalds Church, was to become part of the school located nextdoor, but this didn't happen.

The design is similar to a school to which the Reverend gave priority - Pontymoile - because of the high population of tinworkers there.   The Pontymoile school building was partly demolished a few years ago to make way for a pedestrian bridge near the Maesderwen roundabout.

Part of Pontymoile school, now a home.

In 1910 the Wern School Building was erected opposite the original Sebastopol National school and the older children were moved in. In 1949 this was to  become the Wern Secondary Modern School, with students from not only the village, but around the local area.  This was later closed and destroyed by fire.

St Oswalds Church, Sebastopol



Note how all the buildings have a similar layout.  Wern School, externally was also similar in plan to Sebastopol National School.

www.gwentarchives.gov.uk

Sebastopol, A Local History, by W.G. Lloyd, ISBN 0 9520543 0 2

Gwent Archives at Ebbw Vale has a collection of School Log Books, including Sebastopol National School.