Bryncethin (which means dark hill or dun hill) is a small village and

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

in the County Borough of Bridgend,

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, located just north of Junction 36 of the

M4 Motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is the third longest motorway in the United Kingdom, running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh ele ...

and approximately 3 miles north of the county town of

Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...

. The population of the ward was 1,319 in 2011. Bryncethin is surrounded by the villages of

Aberkenfig Aberkenfig (, meaning "mouth of the Kenfig" (stream)) is a village located in the County Borough of Bridgend, Wales to the north of Bridgend town. It is in the community of Newcastle Higher. Location Aberkenfig is located in South Wales, just ...

, Sarn,

Tondu Tondu () is a village in Bridgend County Borough, Wales, located about north of the town of Bridgend, in the community of Ynysawdre. Tondu lies on the A4063 from Bridgend to Maesteg, and was established in the late 18th century as a coal mini ...

Ynysawdre Ynysawdre is a small community in Bridgend County Borough, south Wales. It is located to the east of Aberkenfig in Wales, and comprises the two villages of Tondu and Brynmenyn. The name Ynysawdre is also usually used for a small section of Tond ...

, and Abergarw,

Brynmenyn Brynmenyn is a small village located at the confluence of the Garw and Ogmore rivers in south Wales, around 4 miles north of Bridgend, and it also in the Bridgend County Borough council area. The village has its own primary school. Transport T ...

the last of which stands at the confluence of the

River Garw The River Garw (''Afon Garw'' in Welsh, meaning "rugged river") runs for about 12 miles from its source in the hills north of Blaengarw to the confluence with the River Ogmore and the River Llynfi at Aberkenfig. It is one of three main trib ...

(Afon Garw) with the larger

River Ogmore The River Ogmore () is a river in South Wales that is popular with Angling, anglers. It runs generally from north to south from the Ogmore Vale and Gilfach Goch, past Bridgend and Ogmore-by-Sea, Ogmore. The River Ogmore rises at Craig Ogwr (527 m ...

(Ogmore River).

History

The area was mainly farmland until its ample quantities of high quality clay and workable seams of steam coal led to the construction of a

brickworks A brickworks, also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock (the most common material from which bricks are made), often with a clay pit, quar ...

and the sinking of the Bryncethin Colliery by The Barrow-in Furness Iron and Coal Company. This led to an increase in the population of the village and to the construction of housing for the workforce. Both industries are now long gone and much effort is being made to provide recreational facilities on the site of the former

colliery Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. 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 extra ...

and

clay pit A clay pit is a quarry or Mining, mine for the extraction of clay, which is generally used for manufacturing pottery, bricks or Portland cement. Quarries where clay is mined to make bricks are sometimes called brick pits. A brickyard or brickwor ...

Governance

At the local level Bryncethin is a community ward to

St Bride's Minor St Bride's Minor () is a community in Bridgend County Borough, south Wales. Located north of Bridgend town it is made up of Sarn, a large housing estate, and the villages of Bryncethin and Abergarw. The southern border of the community is defi ...

Community Council, electing two of the thirteen community councillors. Bryncethin is also a

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

electing a county councillor to

Bridgend County Borough Council Bridgend County Borough Council () is the governing body for Bridgend County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales. History Bridgend County Borough and its council came into effect from 1 April 1996, following the '' Local Government (W ...

. Since 1999 the ward was represented by the Labour Party.

Education

There is a large

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, Bryncethin Primary, and a community college (

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

), Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, which operates on two sites, one of which is in Bryncethin. There is also a small nursery called Cylch Meithryn Bryncethin.

Sport and leisure

Bryncethin is home to

Bryncethin RFC Bryncethin Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Bryncethin, South Wales. Formed in 1890, the club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and presently play in the WRU Division Five South Central. Club history Formed in 1890, ...

, a rugby union club formed in 1890.

References

External links

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Bryncethin and surrounding area
Villages in Bridgend County Borough Wards of Bridgend County Borough {{Bridgend-geo-stub