Graigwen

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Graigwen
Pontypridd, Graigwen Post Office - geograph.org.uk - 695790.jpg
Rhondda Cynon Taf UK location map.svg
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Graigwen
Location within Rhondda Cynon Taf
OS grid reference ST068907
Principal area
Ceremonial county
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PONTYPRIDD
Postcode district CF37
Dialling code 01443
Police South Wales
Fire South Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Rhondda Cynon Taf
51°36′43″N3°20′12″W / 51.61188°N 3.33658°W / 51.61188; -3.33658 Coordinates: 51°36′43″N3°20′12″W / 51.61188°N 3.33658°W / 51.61188; -3.33658

Graigwen (English translation = White-Rock) is the name of the large hill (Graigwen Hill) and the village or district located thereon, sited to the north of Pontypridd town centre and south of Glyncoch and Ynysybwl in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, and within the ancient parish of Llanwonno (Llanwynno). It falls within the Rhondda and Pontypridd Town electoral wards, and comprises the sub-districts of Pantygraigwen, Penygraigwen, the Whiterock Estate, and Lanwood. It is also bounded by the districts of Pwllgwaun and Hopkinstown.

Graigwen is characterised by a mixtured of the typical terraced housing to serve the nearby Tŷ-Mawr and Great Western collieries, substantial Victorian housing built originally to house the gentry and whitecollar workers of Pontypridd, modern housing estates, farms/rural land and woodland.

The main steep road running through Graigwen is called Graigwen Road, which continues on to Llanwonno, Ynysybwl and the Rhondda and Cynon Valley beyond. Graigwen was once home to the Daren-Ddu Colliery located in Lan Wood and numerous coal levels and stone quarries were cut into its hillsides. The large adjoining Craig-yr-Hesg quarry in neighbouring Glyncoch historically supplied much of Pontypridd's buildings with their finely dressed stone, and continues to do so today.

Graigwen is served by one pub - the Tŷ Mawr Hotel in Pantygraigwen, (which was used in the BBC Wales soap Belonging ), one club - the Pontypridd District Club, a garage and two news agents/grocery stores one of which previously served as Graigwen Post Office. It is also home to the Glamorgan Mission For The Deaf, Coedylan Primary School and until recently Coedylan Lower Comprehensive (now derelict) before it eventually moved to the Albion site alongside the Upper campus at nearby Cilfynydd to form Pontypridd High School. Lan Wood, Lan Park Road and Coed-y-Lan are so called because of their proximity to Lan Farm above.

Graigwen was also once home to one of the oldest chapels in the South Wales Valleys known as the Carmel Baptist Chapel built in 1810, however this was demolished some time ago [1] and is today occupied by the Plas Carmel retirement flats. Also in this area once was located the infamous Rhondda Cutting to the Taff Vale Railway which featured in the nearby rail accident at Hopkinstown in 1911. [2]

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Upper Boat Human settlement in Wales

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Llanwonno Human settlement in Wales

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Tonteg Human settlement in Wales

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Cilfynydd Human settlement in Wales

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Pwllgwaun Human settlement in Wales

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Ynysboeth Human settlement in Wales

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Trallwn District in Wales

Trallwn is the name of the ward and district within the town of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, sited along the banks of the River Taff and falling within the historic parish of Eglwysilan. Trallwn comprises the subdistricts of Coedpenmaen (Coed-Pen-Maen), Ynysangharad and Pontypridd Common. Until recently Trallwn was also home to the famous Brown Lenox (Newbridge) Chain & Anchor Works at Ynysangharad, which was recently demolished. Also at Ynysangharad are some of the last remains of the Glamorganshire Canal which was used to transport coal and iron from the South Wales Valleys to the city of Cardiff. In addition Ynysangharad is also home to Pontypridd's War Memorial Park - Ynysangharad Park.

Cefn Gwyngul is a long broad ridge to the east of the Rhondda Fach valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough in South Wales. Its 470m high summit is marked by an ancient cairn known as Carn-y-Pigwn, on which is a more recent trig point. Much of the hill is cloaked by modern forestry plantations though its southwestern flank between Porth and Ferndale has not been coniferised. The earthworks of a Roman camp remain on the ridge at OS grid ref ST 002982.

The Ynysybwl branch line railway, formally known as the Clydach Valley Branch, was opened by the Taff Vale Railway company in 1885 to serve collieries that were expected to open in the Clydach Valley, Glamorganshire, South Wales. The branch line made a junction with the main line of the Taff Vale Railway at Stormstown, between Pontypridd and Abercynon. In fact the colliery development was limited, but the Lady Windsor Colliery became productive in 1886 and had a large output.

References

  1. "Carmel English Baptist Church, Pontypridd". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)