Pencoed
Encyclopedia
Pencoed is a town
in the county borough
of Bridgend
, Wales
, United Kingdom
, mid-way between Wales's two largest cities of Cardiff
and Swansea
.
Lying on the Ewenny River
it has a population
of around 11,000 (latest figures show 11,832). It is believed that there was a Norman
castle
in what is now the town, but Pencoed did not develop until the late nineteenth century, around the coal mining
industry. The coal mines have now closed.
The town nestles in the Ewenny valley, straddling the M4 motorway
at junction 35. About a mile to the north of the town, lies the comparatively different relief of the South Wales Valleys
. To the south lies the rolling countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan
and the rugged north coast of the Bristol Channel
.
The town consists of three distinct areas, which were once four small hamlets. To the north is Penprysg ('end of the brush wood'), a hilly region backing on to the low ridge (100 m) of Cefn Hirgoed ('long wooded ridge'). To the west is Hendre ('old town') which rises from the railway line in the centre of the town to the common land at Ystadwaun ('flat moorland'). The central part of the town, which lies on the flat valley floor east of the railway, consists of Pencoed itself and Felindre (Mill Town). There are numerous streams rising and running through the town and two main river
s the Ewenny Fawr (the Big Ewenny) and the Ewenny Fach (the Small Ewenny). At the centre of the town, close to Pencoed railway station
, is the war memorial (known locally as the Monument), the shopping centre and the local Community Hall (Pencoed Miners' Welfare Hall). The town is well provided with sports facilities, schools, pubs and clubs. A new development 'Earlswood Parc' was announced in 2002 and now has been completed, incorporating various 'Westbury' built homes and Bocam business park.
The current Mayor
is Councillor
Jim Hancock OBE.
Pronunciation of the name Pencoed is always the cause of some argument within the town. The standard Welsh
pronunciation of the name is "Pencoyd", although many locals pronounce it "Pencawd" / "Pencode", this may be due to the standard "Valley Dialect" wher most O's are pronounced as Or's (as pronounced in Glamorganshire Welsh).
Pencoed hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1998.
arrangements with: Waldsassen
, Germany
Plouzané
, France
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Bridgend
Bridgend (county borough)
Bridgend is a county borough in the historic county of Glamorgan, south Wales. The county borough has a total population of 130,000 people, and contains the settlements of Bridgend, after which it is named, Maesteg, and the seaside town of Porthcawl...
, 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...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, mid-way between Wales's two largest cities 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...
and Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
.
Lying on the Ewenny River
Ewenny River
The Ewenny River is a small river in south Wales with a length of ten miles or sixteen kilometres. For most of its length it forms the border between the counties of the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend. It is a major tributary of the River Ogmore, which it joins over a mile upstream from the sea at...
it has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of around 11,000 (latest figures show 11,832). It is believed that there was a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in what is now the town, but Pencoed did not develop until the late nineteenth century, around the coal mining
Coal 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,...
industry. The coal mines have now closed.
The town nestles in the Ewenny valley, straddling the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
at junction 35. About a mile to the north of the town, lies the comparatively different relief of 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...
. To the south lies the rolling countryside of the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
and the rugged north coast of the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
.
The town consists of three distinct areas, which were once four small hamlets. To the north is Penprysg ('end of the brush wood'), a hilly region backing on to the low ridge (100 m) of Cefn Hirgoed ('long wooded ridge'). To the west is Hendre ('old town') which rises from the railway line in the centre of the town to the common land at Ystadwaun ('flat moorland'). The central part of the town, which lies on the flat valley floor east of the railway, consists of Pencoed itself and Felindre (Mill Town). There are numerous streams rising and running through the town and two main river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s the Ewenny Fawr (the Big Ewenny) and the Ewenny Fach (the Small Ewenny). At the centre of the town, close to Pencoed railway station
Pencoed railway station
Pencoed railway station is a minor railway station in Pencoed, Bridgend county borough, south Wales. The station is located at street level at The Square in Pencoed. It is a stop on the South Wales Main Line, served by trains on the Maesteg Line, and occasionally by the Swanline Cardiff to...
, is the war memorial (known locally as the Monument), the shopping centre and the local Community Hall (Pencoed Miners' Welfare Hall). The town is well provided with sports facilities, schools, pubs and clubs. A new development 'Earlswood Parc' was announced in 2002 and now has been completed, incorporating various 'Westbury' built homes and Bocam business park.
The current Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
is Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Jim Hancock OBE.
Pronunciation of the name Pencoed is always the cause of some argument within the town. The standard Welsh
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...
pronunciation of the name is "Pencoyd", although many locals pronounce it "Pencawd" / "Pencode", this may be due to the standard "Valley Dialect" wher most O's are pronounced as Or's (as pronounced in Glamorganshire Welsh).
Pencoed hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1998.
Twinning
Pencoed has twinningTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
arrangements with: Waldsassen
Waldsassen
Waldsassen is a town in the district of Tirschenreuth bordering the Czech Republic in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria.As of June 2005, Waldsassen had a population of 7,483....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Plouzané
Plouzané
Plouzané is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-History:The shores south of Plouzané are in a strategic location for the defense of the Goulet de Brest...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...