Pontyclun

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Pont-y-clun
Pontyclun (United Kingdom)
Pontyclun

Pont-y-clun shown within the United Kingdom
Population 5794 (2001))[1]
OS grid reference SS985832
Principal area Rhondda Cynon Taff
Ceremonial county Taff-Ely
Constituent country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PONTYCLUN
Postcode district CF72
Dialling code 01443
Police South Wales
Fire South Wales
Ambulance Welsh
European Parliament Wales
UK Parliament Rhondda
Welsh Assembly Rhondda
List of places: UK • Wales • Rhondda Cynon Taff

Coordinates: 51°33′N 3°22′W / 51.55, -3.36

Pontyclun (or Pont-y-clun) is a village in the principal area of Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales. It is served by the South Wales Main Line and has its own local rugby union club. Like other surrounding towns, it has seen a sharp increase in its population in the last 10 years as people migrate south from the South Wales Valleys, and west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.

Pontyclun translates from the Welsh language as : Bridge over the River Clun, the Clun being a river running through Pontyclun.

The village is served by Pontyclun railway station.

The village falls into the remit of Pontyclun Community Council. Pontyclun Community Council represents the communities of Brynsadler, Castell y Mwnws, Groesfaen, Miskin, Mwyndy, Pontyclun and Talygarn, which together make up the 'Community of Pontyclun'. The Community Council was formed in 1985 and consists of 10 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.

Contents

[edit] History

It was the influx of workers for the iron ore and coal mining industries, together with the coming of the South Wales Railway (in 1851) that changed Pontyclun from a 20 acre farm with just 4 to 5 households into a burgeoning Victorian 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 miners who had suffered from the collapse of the copper mining industry in Cornwall. 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.

[edit] 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 Llantrisant. In 1924, the new parish of Pontyclun and Talygarn was constituted from the parish of Llantrisant. Both Bethel Baptist Church and St Paul's Church are still active places of worship to this day.

[edit] Schools & education

Y Pant School is a secondary school 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, the school now has a pass rate of 72% which means is in equal 19th place in Wales, or in the top 10%. It is also the best performing secondary school in Rhondda Cynon Taff, just ahead of St. John the Baptist School (Aberdare). The village also houses Pontyclun Primary school which achieved above average results in all foundation subjects in the most recent Estyn reports.[2]

[edit] Sport

Pontyclun has both a football and rugby union team. Pontyclun Football Club were formed in 1896 and joined the Football Association of Wales in 1922. Pontyclun Rugby Football Club were formed in 1886 and joined the Welsh Rugby Union in 1887.

[edit] Crown Brewery

The South Wales & Monmouth United Clubs Brewery Co. Ltd. purchased the small family brewery 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 of 1881 had fuelled the expanding number of clubs that did not have to close on Sunday, as was the case with public houses.

By 1936 the brewery 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 1200 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 to form the Crown Buckley Brewery but then after 80 years of trading, the brewery closed in the Spring of 1999.

[edit] Famous residents

The village's most famous resident is BBC Wales weather presenter Derek Brockway.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Pont-y-clun (ward)2001 Census: Census Area Statistics: National Statistics. UK government. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
  2. ^ Contents
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