Pontyclun
Encyclopedia
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 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...
. It is served by the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
and has its own local rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club. Like other surrounding towns, it has seen a sharp increase in its population in the last ten years as people migrate south from the 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...
, and west from the capital city of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
Pontyclun translates from the Welsh language
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...
as 'bridge over the River Clun
Afon Clun
The Afon Clun is a long tributary of the River Ely , in the counties of Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. Its bedrock is predominantly of sandstone...
', the Clun being a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
to the River Ely
River Ely
The River Ely is a river in South Wales flowing generally south east, from Tonyrefail to the capital city of Cardiff.-Course of the river:...
, that runs through Pontyclun. A bridge crosses the Afon Clun just before its confluence with the Ely.
The village is served by Pontyclun railway station
Pontyclun railway station
Pontyclun railway station is an unstaffed, minor railway station in Pontyclun, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The station is at street level, on Station Approach, Pontyclun...
.
The village falls into the remit of Pontyclun Community Council. Pontyclun Community Council represents the communities of Brynsadler
Brynsadler
Brynsadler is a small village situated in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is located just off Junction 34 of the M4 motorway.-Amenities:It has one pub, the Ivor Arms which for a brief period was named Y Draenog but took back its original name in November 2007.The main road to Cowbridge runs through...
, Castell y Mwnws, Groes-faen, Miskin
Miskin
Miskin is a village approximately 2 miles south of Llantrisant in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The origin of the village was a small hamlet known as New Mill, which grew up around New Mill farm...
, Mwyndy, Pontyclun, Talygarn, and recently the addition of Ynysddu (previously Llanharan) These eight areas together make up the 'Community of Pontyclun'.
History
It was the influx of workers for the iron ore and coal miningCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industries, together with the coming of the South Wales Railway
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
(in 1851) that changed Pontyclun from a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) farm with just four to five households into a burgeoning Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
industrial town. The Coedcae Colliery (first listed in 1856) and the Bute iron ore mine (which opened in October 1852) were the catalyst for the population growth. By 1871, the census returns record an influx of Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
miners who had suffered from the collapse of the copper mining industry in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. By 1870 the industries of the area had been expanded by the coming of the Ely Tin Plate Works, The Pipe Works and The Steam Joinery Company.
Administration
The Community Council was formed in 1985 and consists of ten elected Community Councillors who are all residents of the area. They act on behalf of local people to try and preserve the best aspects of the villages, while also encouraging and supporting developments that will benefit the whole community and ensure that it will continue to thrive. The Community Council monitors all local planning applications and, where appropriate, suggests amendments or submits written objections.Religion
Bethel Baptist Chapel was built circa 1876. St Paul's church, Pontyclun was erected in 1895 as a district church within the parish of LlantrisantLlantrisant
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The town's name translates as The Parish of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St...
. In 1924, the new parish of Pontyclun and Talygarn was constituted from the parish of Llantrisant. Bethel Baptist Church, Hope Presbyterian Church and St Paul's Church are still active places of worship to this day.
Schools & education
Y Pant SchoolY Pant School
Y Pant School is an English medium 11–18 mixed comprehensive school in the village of Pontyclun near Llantrisant, maintained by the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, serving the areas of Pontyclun, Talbot Green, Llantrisant and Llanharry, in Wales.Since the original school being built...
is a 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...
with approximately 1,060 pupils. In 2000 it was ranked 49th in Wales in terms of its GCSE results (based on 5 GCSEs, grades A-C). Since then, exam results have improved dramatically and according to the latest inspection report from Estyn
Estyn
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb meaning "to extend". Its mission is to achieve excellence for all in learning in Wales by providing an independent, high quality inspection and advice service to the Welsh Assembly Government and...
, the school now has a pass rate of 72% which means it is in equal 19th place 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...
, or in the top 10%. It is also the best performing secondary school in Rhondda Cynon Taf, just ahead of St. John the Baptist School (Aberdare)
St. John the Baptist School (Aberdare)
St. John Baptist Church in Wales High School, in Welsh Ysgol Uwchradd Ioan Feddydiwr, is a church secondary school close to Aberdare Park, Wales-Selected Alumni:*Rhys Shellard - Welsh Rugby Union player.*Owen Williams - Welsh [U20] Rugby Union player....
. The village also houses Pontyclun Primary school which achieved above average results in all foundation subjects in the most recent Estyn
Estyn
Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb meaning "to extend". Its mission is to achieve excellence for all in learning in Wales by providing an independent, high quality inspection and advice service to the Welsh Assembly Government and...
reports.
Sport
Pontyclun has both a football and rugby union team. Pontyclun Football ClubPontyclun F.C.
Pontyclun Football Club is a Welsh football club, founded in 1896 which plays its matches at Ivor Park, Pontyclun.In its early years, the club played in the Bridgend League and the Cardiff & District League. In 1922, it was then admitted to the Football Association of Wales, one of the few amateur...
were formed in 1896 and joined the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
in 1922. Pontyclun Rugby Football Club
Pontyclun RFC
Pontyclun Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Pontyclun, Wales. Pontyclun RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.-Early history:...
(otherwise known as the Pontyclun Badgers), were formed in 1886 and joined the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
in 1887. Pontyclun has produced at least one Welsh international
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, Tommy Rees
Tommy Rees
Thomas 'Tommy' Edgar Rees was a Welsh international rugby fullback who played rugby union at club level for London Welsh...
who later played rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, and Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
.
Crown Brewery
The South Wales & Monmouth United Clubs Brewery Co. Ltd. purchased the small family breweryBrewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
owned by D & T Davies in 1919. This Company had been formed to supply the expanding number of Workingmen's Clubs, which were having difficulties with supply of beer from the many local breweries throughout the area. The Sunday Closing (Wales) Act
Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881
The Sunday Closing Act 1881 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It required the closure of all public houses in Wales on Sundays. The Act had considerable political importance as a formal acknowledgement of the separate character of Wales, setting a precedent for future...
of 1881 had fuelled the expanding number of clubs that did not have to close on Sunday, as was the case with 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.
By 1936 the brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
was producing 500 barrels per week, which continued to increase to 900 in 1938. This growth was halted by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 but when the war ended in 1945 the growth took off again. By 1954 the old brewery had been replaced by a completely new building that was big enough to produce the 1,200 barrels per week that the clubs demanded at that time. In 1984 Bob Smith was head brewer for the company and was only the fifth in the 65 years the company had been trading. In 1988 Crown merged with Wales' oldest brewery, Buckley's of Llanelly
Llanelly
Llanelly is the name of both a village and its respective parish in Monmouthshire principal area, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, south-east Wales.- Situation :...
to form the Crown Buckley Brewery but then after 80 years of trading, the brewery closed in the Spring of 1999.