Pontfadog
Encyclopedia
Pontfadog is a village in the Ceiriog Valley
west of Chirk
in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales
; it is part of the community
of Glyntraian
. Like the neighbouring village of Glyn Ceiriog
, the growth of Pontfadog is connected to the area's former quarrying industry.
The village's name translates as "Bridge of Madoc", taking its name from a bridge over the River Ceiriog
. Near to the village is an oak tree
, the Pontfadog Oak, reputed to be the oldest in the United Kingdom
, having been growing since the reign of King Egbert in 802.
The Glyn Valley Tramway
had a station in the village, which has now been preserved by the Glyn Valley Tramway Group. In addition to the Swan Inn, the village's pub, there is also a village shop with a post office
counter.
Ceiriog Valley
The Ceiriog Valley or Dyffryn Ceiriog is the valley of the River Ceiriog in north-east Wales. It is also the name of a ward of the County Borough of Wrexham Until 1974 the valley was part of the traditional county of Denbighshire; then it became part of the short-lived county of Clwyd, which was...
west of Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
in the county borough of Wrexham, 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 part of the community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
of Glyntraian
Glyntraian
Glyntraian is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
. Like the neighbouring village of Glyn Ceiriog
Glyn Ceiriog
Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.Glyn Ceiriog is a former slate mining village in Wrexham County Borough, in Wales...
, the growth of Pontfadog is connected to the area's former quarrying industry.
The village's name translates as "Bridge of Madoc", taking its name from a bridge over the River Ceiriog
River Ceiriog
The River Ceiriog is a river in north east Wales. It is a tributary of the River Dee. It rises on the south east slopes of Moel Fferna in the Berwyn Mountains, and flows through the Ceiriog Valley in Wrexham County Borough. It flows below Chirk Castle and the town of Chirk, where the Chirk...
. Near to the village is an oak tree
Sessile Oak
Quercus petraea , the Sessile Oak, also known as the Durmast Oak, is a species of oak native to most of Europe, and into Anatolia.-Description:...
, the Pontfadog Oak, reputed to be the oldest in the 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...
, having been growing since the reign of King Egbert in 802.
The Glyn Valley Tramway
Glyn Valley Tramway
The Glyn Valley Tramway was a narrow gauge railway that connected Chirk with Glyn Ceiriog in Denbighshire , Wales. The gauge of the line was...
had a station in the village, which has now been preserved by the Glyn Valley Tramway Group. In addition to the Swan Inn, the village's pub, there is also a village shop with a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
counter.