Llanharry
Encyclopedia
Llanharry is a small village
in the county borough
of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales
.
Historically Llanharry has been inextricably linked with iron mining as far back as the Roman period and Elizabethan era
, and for a period in the 20th century it boasted the only iron
mine in Wales
.
was goethite
, which was used at the local ironworks
.
Since the closure of its mines and ironworks, Llanharry has been in economic decline, but this is an event that has occurred across most South Wales Valleys
villages once dependent on heavy industry. Llanharry's proximity to the M4 motorway
in Wales has allowed its residents opportunities to commute to work more easily rather than seeking work locally.
Llanharry contains a few small local amenities, such as a corner shop and a hairdressers.
Welsh
medium secondary school
which was built in 1974.
Illtud
's Church which was built in 1867.
There are presently two public house
s in Llanharry; The Bear Inn and the Fox & Hounds. Llanharry also has its own working men's club
.
Llanharry has a local football
team, Llanharry AFC. They play their matches in the South Wales Amateur League Division One after winning promotion from Division Two during the 2006/2007 season. The team play in blue shirts, blue shorts and blue socks. They play their home games at the recreation ground in Llanharry. There is also a 2nd team who play in the Bridgend League.
, to support projects and improvements in the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Historically Llanharry has been inextricably linked with iron mining as far back as the Roman period and Elizabethan era
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
, and for a period in the 20th century it boasted the only iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
mine in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Employment
Llanharry iron mine worked from the early 1900s but closed in 1976; its main oreOre
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
was goethite
Goethite
Goethite , named after the German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is an iron bearing oxide mineral found in soil and other low-temperature environments. Goethite has been well known since prehistoric times for its use as a pigment. Evidence has been found of its use in paint pigment samples...
, which was used at the local ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
.
Since the closure of its mines and ironworks, Llanharry has been in economic decline, but this is an event that has occurred across most South Wales Valleys
South Wales Valleys
The South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
villages once dependent on heavy industry. Llanharry's proximity to the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
in Wales has allowed its residents opportunities to commute to work more easily rather than seeking work locally.
Llanharry contains a few small local amenities, such as a corner shop and a hairdressers.
Education
Llanharry is home to Llanharry Primary School, built 1935 and Ysgol Gyfun LlanhariYsgol Gyfun Llanhari
Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari is a Welsh medium comprehensive school for 11-18 year olds situated in the village of Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.-Welsh medium education:...
Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
medium secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
which was built in 1974.
Transportation
Buses are the main transportation links servicing Llanharry, with no local railway network. The M4 motorway skirts the southern end of the village, but there is no direct local access to it.Social life
At the centre of Llanharry is SaintSaint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Illtud
Illtud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
's Church which was built in 1867.
There are presently two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in Llanharry; The Bear Inn and the Fox & Hounds. Llanharry also has its own working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
.
Llanharry has a local football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, Llanharry AFC. They play their matches in the South Wales Amateur League Division One after winning promotion from Division Two during the 2006/2007 season. The team play in blue shirts, blue shorts and blue socks. They play their home games at the recreation ground in Llanharry. There is also a 2nd team who play in the Bridgend League.
Regeneration schemes
Llanharry benefits from the Llanharry Action for Change Project which uses funds, including money from the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, to support projects and improvements in the village.