Penywaun (also in ) is a

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

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 ...

and north-western

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and River Cynon, Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydf ...

in the

Cynon Valley Cynon Valley () is a former coal mining valley in Wales. It lies between Rhondda and the Merthyr Valley and takes its name from the River Cynon. Aberdare is located in the north of the valley and Mountain Ash in the south. From 1974 to 19 ...

within the county borough of

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff () and Ely valleys, ...

, Wales. At the 2011 census, the population of the ward was registered as 3,063.

Etymology

Penywaun derives from two common Welsh toponyms "Pen" meaning top or head and "Gwaun" meaning moorland. Writing in 1887, Thomas Morgan states that the toponym (which he spells "Penwaun") indicates the end of the moor known as the ''Hirwaun Gwrgant'' or Gwrgan's "Waun".

Background

Much of the local housing was built by the local Aberdare urban district council after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in several stages, starting with simple

pre-fabricated Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. Some research ...

houses. Shops and businesses trading in the village include a cafe, newsagents, hairdresser, a traditional fish and chip shop, and three

grocery A grocery store (American English, AE), grocery shop or grocer's shop (British English, BE) or simply grocery is a retail store that primarily retails a general range of food Product (business), products, which may be Fresh food, fresh or Food p ...

-type stores, one opposite ''the Colliers Arms'' (now closed)

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

. Most of the retail is in a retail precinct ('the Shopping Centre').

Schools

*Primary Schools **Penywaun

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 ...

, near Coed Glas, educates approximately 252 pupils, aged 3 to 11. *Main secondary education schools are: ** Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun a Welsh Medium

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 ...

, serving the village since 1995. ** Aberdare Community School **St. John's The Baptist High School Of Aberdare.

Culture

Saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

Winifred Church - see photograph - (

Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The position is currently held b ...

) is in the centre of the village. St Lleurwg Church in

Hirwaun Hirwaun (, ; ) is a village and Community (Wales), community at the north end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. It is NW of the town of Aberdare, and comes under the Aberdare post town. At the United Ki ...

is the sister church sharing (co-serving) the Parish of Hirwaun. Penywaun Workingmen's Club and Institute (PWCI) began in the village in 1959. Many successful singers and entertainers have performed here, including Sir Tom Jones shortly before his rise to stardom in the 1960s.

Politics

Penywaun is also an electoral ward for

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council () is the governing body for Rhondda Cynon Taf, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council headquarters are at the Llys Cadwyn development in Pontypridd. History The council was established on 1 Ap ...

. The County Borough Councillor until 2012 was Glyn Roberts (Labour), a long-serving Director of the

Tower Colliery Tower Colliery ( Welsh: Glofa'r Tŵr) was the oldest continuously working deep- coal mine in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world, until its closure in 2008. It was the last mine of its kind to remain in the South Wales Valleys. It was loc ...

company.

Sport, leisure and recreation

Penywaun F.C. plays soccer regularly in the Aberdare Valley Premier Division. Penywaun is also home to an award-winning

Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (; ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean martial art based on karate which can include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by ...

group which meet regularly at Penywaun Community Centre. Two allotments (for gardening) are managed locally by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. Aberdare Park and Dare Valley Country Park are within two miles.

Notable people

Kim Howells Kim Scott Howells (born 27 November 1946) is a Welsh Labour Party former politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontypridd from 1989 to 2010, and held a number of ministerial positions within the Blair and Brown governments. ...

- 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

External links

2001 Census dataPenywaun Online, the local community magazinePenywaun on Flickr, a photo sharing website
{{authority control Villages in Rhondda Cynon Taf Aberdare Communities in Rhondda Cynon Taf Wards of Rhondda Cynon Taf