Penley

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Penley is a small village near Wrexham, in North East Wales, 3 miles from Overton-on-Dee. The village has a school, The Maelor School. It is part of the borough of Wrexham.

The town was, until 1974, in an exclave of the traditional county of Flintshire known as Maelor Saesneg (English: "Saxon or English-speaking Maelor"), sometimes called "Flintshire Detached", and was its administrative centre^[1]. Between 1974 and 1996, Penley was in the short-lived county of Clwyd.

Penley lies on the path of the long-distance walk, the Maelor Way^[2]

1 Penley Polish Hospital
2 Church and parish history
3 School
4 Notes

[edit] Penley Polish Hospital

Penley is home to the Penley Polish Hospital, which closed in March 2002. It was managed by the North East Wales NHS Trust. The hospital was founded following a decree from Sir Winston Churchill after World War II, to care for Polish ex-servicemen who fought alongside the Allies in World War II, as well as their families, who settled in the area^[3]. As a result of this influx, the population of Penley increased threefold. Residents at the hospital and camp included the Polish military commander, Wacław Przeździecki. At its peak, in the early 1950s, the hospital housed more than 2,000 patients and staff. By the time it closed, in March 2002, there were 6 patients, in one ward (the only one remaining open out of the original 30).

[edit] Church and parish history

Penley Church was originally built in 1538. The timber structure was replaced by a brick one in 1793. This was demolished in 1893, and the current church was completed in 1899; it was consecrated in 1902, and dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

Penley was originally part of the parish of Ellesmere, but it became a separate parish towards the end of the Commonwealth period. In early 1661, it reverted to being part of the parish of Ellesmere, after the Restoration of Charles II. In 1860, it again became a separate parish.

It was then in the diocese of Lichfield until 1920, when following the disestablishment and disendowment of the Church in Wales, it was transferred to the diocese of St. Asaph, where it remains^[4].

[edit] School

Penley has one school, The Maelor School. It was awarded the title of 'The most improved secondary school in North Wales' from the Curriculum Authority for Wales in 2006^[5].