Kenfig
Encyclopedia
Kenfig is a village
and former borough
in Bridgend
, Wales
.
The borough contributed with other Glamorgan
towns to sending a member of parliament to Westminster
until the Reform Act
of 1832. The municipal ceremonial mace
is in the National Museum of Wales but a pewter
copy is on view in a public house.
The area was originally settled in the Bronze Age
, while the later mediæval town is now covered by the Kenfig Burrows sand dunes. The current village is a continuation of the mediæval one, built further inland. Other attractions include the ruins of Kenfig Castle
and a natural pool
popular with birdwatchers. This is one of the few places in Britain where the bittern
can be seen during the winter.
The area of sand dunes and the pool are a National Nature Reserve
, and the area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. There is a visitor and interpretation centre next to a car park. The dunes are home to a wide variety of rare and endangered species of plants and animals, including an exceptionally high concentration of fen orchid (or Liparis Loeselii). It makes up part of the largest active sand dune system in Europe
.
Kenfig is an area that is renowned in local legend
and folklore
, not to mention a novel, The Maid of Sker, by R. D. Blackmore
, Inspired by a combination of local legend and Sker House
itself. The Bronze Age settlement was originally situated around Kenfig Castle
, but the encroaching sand became too much for the inhabitants in around the 13th century CE, at which time they relocated the village further inland, thereby forming the current village of Kenfig and Marlas. The church was moved from the original village stone by stone and currently stands in the village of Pyle
, where the relocation is evident in the unusual fact that the smaller stones are at the bottom of the church, while the larger ones are at the top. All that remains now of Kenfig Castle is covered by the sand dunes, except for the top of its 50-foot keep, which was uncovered in the early 20th century.
opened a plant at Kenfig for the manufacture of automatic transmissions. In January 1976 the plant celebrated the completion of its two millionth gearbox, which was 'presented' to A B Volvo
. At that time a press release stated that Borg-Warner's UK plants at Letchworth
and at Kenfig were producing transmissions for use in more than fifty different car models, and that more than half the gearboxes produced were exported outside the UK. In 2001, the factory faced the threat of closure but was saved by a new contract from Korean car company Kia
. In December 2008, Borg-Warner announced that the plant would finally close by mid 2010 with the loss of all 110 jobs at the site; a statement from the company blamed the economic downturn for the decision.
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...
and former borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, 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...
.
The borough contributed with other Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
towns to sending a member of parliament to Westminster
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
until the Reform Act
Reform Act
In the United Kingdom, Reform Act is a generic term used for legislation concerning electoral matters. It is most commonly used for laws passed to enfranchise new groups of voters and to redistribute seats in the British House of Commons...
of 1832. The municipal ceremonial mace
Ceremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...
is in the National Museum of Wales but a pewter
Pewter
Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C ,...
copy is on view in a public house.
The area was originally settled in the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, while the later mediæval town is now covered by the Kenfig Burrows sand dunes. The current village is a continuation of the mediæval one, built further inland. Other attractions include the ruins of Kenfig Castle
Kenfig Castle
Kenfig Castle is a ruined castle in Bridgend County Borough in Wales that came to prominence after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Wales in the late eleventh century...
and a natural pool
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
popular with birdwatchers. This is one of the few places in Britain where the bittern
Bittern
Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...
can be seen during the winter.
The area of sand dunes and the pool are a National Nature Reserve
Kenfig Pool
Kenfig Pool is a National Nature Reserve situated near Porthcawl, Bridgend. Wild storms and huge tides between the 13th and 15th centuries are mainly responsible for creating the Kenfig dunes near Porthcawl, as they threw vast quantities of sand up over the Glamorgan coast. This buried the nearby...
, and the area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. There is a visitor and interpretation centre next to a car park. The dunes are home to a wide variety of rare and endangered species of plants and animals, including an exceptionally high concentration of fen orchid (or Liparis Loeselii). It makes up part of the largest active sand dune system in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Kenfig is an area that is renowned in local legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, not to mention a novel, The Maid of Sker, by R. D. Blackmore
R. D. Blackmore
Richard Doddridge Blackmore , referred to most commonly as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. Over the course of his career, Blackmore achieved a close following around the world...
, Inspired by a combination of local legend and Sker House
Sker House
Sker House is arguably one of the most important historical buildings in Wales. Originally built as a monastic grange of the Cistercian order over 900 years ago, it is situated just outside of the village of Kenfig, near Bridgend. The house later became a residential property and has been involved...
itself. The Bronze Age settlement was originally situated around Kenfig Castle
Kenfig Castle
Kenfig Castle is a ruined castle in Bridgend County Borough in Wales that came to prominence after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Wales in the late eleventh century...
, but the encroaching sand became too much for the inhabitants in around the 13th century CE, at which time they relocated the village further inland, thereby forming the current village of Kenfig and Marlas. The church was moved from the original village stone by stone and currently stands in the village of Pyle
Pyle
Pyle is a village and community in Bridgend county borough, Wales. Pyle railway station is on the Cardiff - Swansea section of the London - South Wales main line....
, where the relocation is evident in the unusual fact that the smaller stones are at the bottom of the church, while the larger ones are at the top. All that remains now of Kenfig Castle is covered by the sand dunes, except for the top of its 50-foot keep, which was uncovered in the early 20th century.
Industrial history
In 1968 BorgWarnerBorgWarner
BorgWarner Inc. is a United States-based worldwide automotive industry components and parts supplier. It is primarily known for its powertrain products, which include manual and automatic transmissions and transmission components, , turbochargers, engine valve timing system...
opened a plant at Kenfig for the manufacture of automatic transmissions. In January 1976 the plant celebrated the completion of its two millionth gearbox, which was 'presented' to A B Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
. At that time a press release stated that Borg-Warner's UK plants at Letchworth
Letchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
and at Kenfig were producing transmissions for use in more than fifty different car models, and that more than half the gearboxes produced were exported outside the UK. In 2001, the factory faced the threat of closure but was saved by a new contract from Korean car company Kia
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
. In December 2008, Borg-Warner announced that the plant would finally close by mid 2010 with the loss of all 110 jobs at the site; a statement from the company blamed the economic downturn for the decision.
External links
- Kenfig.org.uk
- Kenfig Society
- The history of the medieval town, its charter and governances, and its destruction by sand
- Bro Cynffig Chronicles, the story of Cynffig told by its children.
- Castle Wales pages
- BBC nature reserve page, including video footage.
- Glamorgan Walks suggested tour
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Kenfig and surrounding area