Penywaun
Coordinates: 51°44′00″N 3°29′00″W / 51.733333°N 3.483333°W
Penywaun (Welsh: Pen-y-waun) is a north-western suburb of Aberdare in the Cynon Valley within the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.[1] At the 2011 census, the population of the ward was registered as 3,063.[2]
Background
Much of the local housing was built by the local Aberdare urban district council after the Second World War in several stages, starting with simple pre-fabricated houses.
A number of shops and businesses trade within the village, including a post office, a newsagents, a traditional fish and chip shop, and two grocery-type stores. Most of the retail space is located within a designated retail precinct (called the 'Shopping Centre'), although there is a grocery store situated opposite the Colliers Arms pub.
Schools
Penywaun is home to Penywaun Primary School with approximately 252 pupils on the school roll, aged 3–11 yearss.[3] The school is situated near Coed Glas, Penywaun.
Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun a Welsh Medium comprehensive school was opened in the village in 1995.
School children from Penywaun also attend Aberdare High School, Aberdare Girls' School, Bishop Hedley High School (a Roman Catholic secondary school in Merthyr Tydfil) and St. John's The Baptist High School Of Aberdare. The Aberdare College campus of Coleg Morgannwg situated in the next village of Trecynon is the principal provider for Vocational and Further Education courses for the village.
Culture
Saint Winefreds Church - see photograph - (Church in Wales) is situated in the centre of the village. St Lleurwg's Church in Hirwaun is the sister church within the ecclesiastical Parish of Hirwaun.
Penywaun Workingmen's Club and Institute was opened in the village 1959. Many successful singers and entertainers have performed at the Club over the years, including singer Tom Jones who was paid off shortly before his rise to stardom in the 1960s.
Politics
The current County Borough Councillor is Glyndwr Roberts (Labour). Councillor Roberts is a long-serving Director of the Tower Colliery company which ran the last deep mine in South Wales; the mine closed in January 2008.
Sport, Leisure and Recreation
Penywaun Football (soccer) Club plays regularly in the Aberdare Valley Premier Division.
Penywaun is also home to an award-winning Tang Soo Do group which meet regularly at Penywaun Community Centre.[4]
There are two allotment gardening sites at Penywaun, which are managed by the local Council.
Both Aberdare Park and Dare Valley Country Park are located within two miles of the village.
Notable people
- Kim Howells - Welsh Labour politician and MP for Pontypridd, born in Merthyr Tydfil, but raised in Penywaun
- Dai Young (rugby footballer) - Lived in Penywaun for many years with his parents
References
- ↑ Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Menna, Baines; Lynch, Peredur I., eds. (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 668. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
- ↑ "Population Density, 2011". Office for National Statistics. neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ First Draft
- ↑ Sian Moran. "Penywaun Martial Artists Tang impress the Chief European Instructor". Retrieved December 9, 2007.
External links
- 2001 Census data
- Penywaun Online, the local community magazine
- Penywaun on Flickr, a photo sharing website
