Abersychan is a settlement and community north of Pontypool in Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It has a population of 6,826. It lies in the narrow northern section of the Afon Llwyd valley. The town includes three schools, Abersychan Comprehensive School, Victoria Primary School and St. Francis' R.C. Primary School (although the latter is due to close, along with St. Alban's R.C. Primary School, to be replaced by the new Padre Pio R.C. Primary School in Pontypool) and various shops and other amenities.

Abersychan was the birthplace of the politicians; Roy Jenkins, Baron Hillhead, Don Touhig, and Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen, and the rugby footballers; Wilfred Hodder, Candy Evans, and Bryn Meredith

Blaenavon  is a town and World Heritage Site in south eastern Wales, lying at the source of the Afon Llwyd north of Pontypool, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The town lies high on a hillside and has a population of 6,349 people. Blaenavon means "river's source" in the Welsh language.

Cwmbran is a new town in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, and county borough of Torfaen. It was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means "valley of the crow" in the Welsh language. It is twinned with Bruchsal, Germany and Carbonne, France.

Based around the villages of Old Cwmbran, Pontnewydd, Upper Cwmbran, Croesyceiliog, Llantarnam and Llanyrafon, its population had grown to 47,254 by 2001. This makes it the sixth largest urban area in Wales