Pentre Broughton
Encyclopedia
Pentre Broughton is a small, formerly industrial village in the community
of Broughton
in Wrexham county borough, Wales
. It is contiguous with the neighbouring villages of Moss
and Brynteg.
The village's name is derived from the Welsh word pentre ("village") along with Broughton, the name of the township
of the parish of Wrexham (later Brymbo
) in which it was located. The English place-name "Broughton" appears in the Domesday Book
survey of the area and probably means "brook town".
Much of the village dates from the later 19th century, after industrial expansion in the area, but it appears on the 1873 Ordnance Survey
of Denbighshire
as "Pentre" and "Pentre isaf" ("lower village"). These place names, rather than "Pentre Broughton", appear on maps until the second half of the 20th century, and the village is still often referred to simply as "Pentre" by local residents.
Pentre Broughton's church, St. Paul's, was built in 1888-89, though it was not consecrated until 1909, shortly before Broughton was made a separate parish in its own right. The church was designed by the architect Howel Davies of Wrexham.
Many of the villages' residents worked in coal mining, or in the Brymbo Steelworks which until its closure in 1990 dominated the view to the north of the village. The Cross Foxes on Pentre High Street was formerly the meeting place for the area's mineworkers' unions; at one 19th century meeting, over 6000 people gathered there for a demonstration.
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
of Broughton
Broughton, Wrexham
Broughton is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has an area of 469 hectares and had a population of 6,498 in the 2001 census.-History:...
in Wrexham county borough, 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...
. It is contiguous with the neighbouring villages of Moss
Broughton, Wrexham
Broughton is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has an area of 469 hectares and had a population of 6,498 in the 2001 census.-History:...
and Brynteg.
The village's name is derived from the Welsh word pentre ("village") along with Broughton, the name of the township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
of the parish of Wrexham (later Brymbo
Brymbo
Brymbo is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village situated in the hilly country to the west of Wrexham town, largely surrounded by farmland....
) in which it was located. The English place-name "Broughton" appears in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
survey of the area and probably means "brook town".
Much of the village dates from the later 19th century, after industrial expansion in the area, but it appears on the 1873 Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
of Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
as "Pentre" and "Pentre isaf" ("lower village"). These place names, rather than "Pentre Broughton", appear on maps until the second half of the 20th century, and the village is still often referred to simply as "Pentre" by local residents.
Pentre Broughton's church, St. Paul's, was built in 1888-89, though it was not consecrated until 1909, shortly before Broughton was made a separate parish in its own right. The church was designed by the architect Howel Davies of Wrexham.
Many of the villages' residents worked in coal mining, or in the Brymbo Steelworks which until its closure in 1990 dominated the view to the north of the village. The Cross Foxes on Pentre High Street was formerly the meeting place for the area's mineworkers' unions; at one 19th century meeting, over 6000 people gathered there for a demonstration.