Llangennech
Village
Capel Salem in the village centre
A welcome sign to the village
Llangennech is located in Carmarthenshire
Llangennech
Llangennech
Location within Carmarthenshire
Population5,153 [1]
LanguageWelsh and English
OS grid referenceSN560015
Community
  • Llangennech
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLLANELLI
Postcode districtSA14
Dialling code01554
PoliceDyfed-Powys
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

Llangennech ([ɬæn'ɡenƏx][2](Welsh pronunciationⓘ)) is a village and community in the area of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales, which covers an area of 1,222 hectares (4.72 sq mi).[3]

It is governed by Llangennech Community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council. Llangennech is also the name of the county electoral ward coterminous with the village. It falls in the Llanelli parliamentary and Senedd constituency. It lies in the Mid & West Wales region for regional Senedd members.

Llangennech was a coal mining community, with several local collieries mining steam coal. There is also a large Labour tradition in the village originating with the mine workers. There was a large Royal Navy depot in the village, which was closed in 2007 in Ministry of Defence restructuring.

Llangennech has a strong rugby union team, Llangennech RFC, that feeds many players into Llanelli RFC and then on to the Llanelli Scarlets regional rugby union team.

The town is served by Llangennech railway station on the Heart of Wales Line with trains to Swansea to the south and Shrewsbury to the north.

The community is bordered by the communities of Llanelli Rural, Llannon, and Llanedi, all in Carmarthenshire; and by Grovesend and Waungron and Gorseinon in the City and County of Swansea.

History

A Map of Carmarthenshire from c. 1607 – c. 1637 showing Llangennech as "Langenardh"

Etymology

The village has been known by many names over the years. These include Llangennydd, Llangennich, Llangenardh, Llangennach, Llangenarth, Llangenneth, Llangenyth, Llangennych and Langenardh.[4] The likely origin of the village's name comes from the parish church, known as both St. Cennech's or St. Gwynnog's. The church is believed to have been dedicated to the brothers St. Cennydd and St. Gwynog, the sons of St. Gildas. Documents reveal that the village has commemorated St. Gwynog since at least the 16th century.

After their education, the Celtic saints who studied in Wales would become missionaries and form Christian cells. If successful, these cells would become a "Llan", an early Welsh word for enclosure.[5]

Llangennech Estate

An oil painting of Llangennech Park House in 1832

The Llangennech Estate, covering around 4,000 acres of land, was formed between 1801 and 1803 when John Symmonds bought land from Sir John Stepney and various others. In 1804 it entered the hands of the Earl of Warwick and John Vancouver, brother of George Vancouver. After surrendering the estate back to Symmons in 1806, it was sold to the MP Edward Rose Tunno in 1821 or 1824. Tunno leased much of the estate. Thomas Margrave of the Llangennech Coal Company leased the "Llangennech Mansion" in 1826. The industrialist Richard Janion Nevill leased the mansion among other lands. He suffered a stroke at the Mansion and died the same day on 14 January 1856;[6] his son and wife lived there until 1870. After Tunno's death, Edward Sartoris, Nevill's nephew and MP for Carmarthenshire, received the Llangennech estate. He went on to marry Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses Grant.[7]

Llangennech Park House was a country estate in what is now Maes Tŷ Gwyn. Attempts at securing protected site status were futile and it now stands abandoned.[8]

The Rebecca Riots

On 28 June 1843, rioters attacked and destroyed the Bridge End toll gate, which stood near where The Bridge public house stands today.

Whilst this is the only recorded occurrence of the Rebecca Riots in the village, residents still took part in them elsewhere. The Welshman reported that the murderer of Sarah Williams, who is believed to be the only victim killed during the riots, was a "named shoemaker of Llangennech".[9]

Industry

Coal

A black and white picture depicting a colliery.
Morlais Colliery

The village's coal industry dates back to at least the 17th century, where the Duchy of Lancaster survey in 1609 talks of a Thomas Lloyd's "coleworks" in the Allt area of the village. "Llangennech Coal", as it was known, was used extensively around the world.[10]

The 'RN'

The village was home to a Royal Navy Stores Depot colloquially known as the 'RN'.[11][12] Over 1,000 workers were employed by the depot during the Second World War.

Its closure in 1988 exacerbated the unemployment caused by the closures of other industry in the area.[13]

Though it no longer belongs to the Royal Navy, the site still operates as a contractor for the Ministry of Defence, helping to equip the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier vehicles which were used by the British Army during the war in Afghanistan.[14]

Aircraft crashes

  • On 17 March 1992, a Piper PA-30-320 Twin Comanche aircraft carrying two passengers and one pilot crashed in Llangennech on its flight back to Haverfordwest. The pilot and front seat passenger sustained only minor injuries, but the other passenger suffered a broken neck. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.[15]
  • During an air test flight of an English Electric Canberra on 13 January 1958, the engine failed, causing a steep dive to the ground. It crashed into marshland 200 yards from the railway station. The only occupant, Flight Lieutenant James Turnbull Wallace, was killed. He is buried at Llantwit Major Cemetery.[16] The crash caused a thirty foot (9 metre) crater. Eyewitnesses saw a flaming parachute in the air as the plane came crashing down. No one was attached. Part of the parachute was later found fifty yards from the crater.[17][18]

Demographics

Llangennech community's population was 4,964, according to the 2011 census;[3] an increase of 10.07% since the 4,510 people noted in 2001.[19] The 2019 ONS estimates put the population at 5,153.[20]

The 2011 census showed 39.9% of the population could speak Welsh, a fall from 46.8% in 2001.[21]

Geography

A fallen tree spans Afon Morlais in Troserch woods
Afon Morlais flowing through Troserch Woods

The Afon Morlais runs through the village. The Troserch Woodlands lie near the Afon Morlais, approximately one mile to the north of the village. It is owned by the Troserch Woodland Society.[22] The woodland received a community Green Flag award in 2021.[23] The remains of the old Troserch Mill stands in the woodland.[22]

Animals including otters, hedgehogs and species of reptile including grass snakes, the common lizard and adders have been recorded in the village.[24]

Governance

Llangennech is currently represented in the UK Parliament by Nia Griffith MP[25] and in the Welsh Senedd by Lee Waters MS,[26] both under the Llanelli constituency. Both are members of the Labour party.

The Local Authority for the area is Carmarthenshire County Council and the village's county councillors are Gary Jones and Jacqueline Seward.

Llangennech Community Council

On a community level, Llangennech is run by Llangennech Community Council. It currently seats 12 councillors who are elected on a quadrennial basis. Meetings are held in the Llangennech Community Centre and Bryn Hall.

Transport

Llangennech is a commuter village[22] - 85.1% of households own at least one car.[27] The main thoroughfare of the village, the B4297, connects with the A4138 road - northeast from Hendy and southwest from Bryn - which itself connects with junction 48 of the M4.

Two bus services operate in the village: the L3 and L7. These are run by First Cymru. Residents complained about the reliability of these services, leading local politicians to secure promises from the operator that the services would improve.[28][29]

Llangennech railway station with passenger shelters and electronic displays.
Llangennech railway station

Llangennech is served by the Heart of Wales line, with train services between Swansea and Shrewsbury. The franchise for the line is currently run by Transport for Wales (TfW).

Derailment incident

On 26 August 2020, ten tankers derailed near the village and spilled around 446,000 litres of fuel. The area of the spillage included a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The incident caused major damage to these environments.

Education

A picture depicting a side view of Llangennech Junior School. There is a red sign with white text containing "Ysgol Iau Llangennech Junior School" on a red background. There is also a grass verge.
Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech

Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech is the only school in the village. As of 2021, there were 420 pupils on roll at the school.[30]

It is notable for its choir, which has competed in the Urdd Eisteddfod[31] and the BBC's Song of Praise's School Choir of the Year competition which it won in 2015.[32][33]

In 2017, Carmarthenshire County Council voted 38-20 in favour of somewhat controversial plans for the school to switch from dual stream education to an exclusively Welsh-medium education.[34][35][36]

The school historically feeds into Ysgol Gyfun y Strade and Bryngwyn Comprehensive School for secondary education.[37]

Religious sites

There are 4 religious sites in the village: Bryn Seion, Capel Bethesda, St Gwynog's and Capel Salem. The latter 3 all contain Grade II listed buildings.[38][39][40][41] Bryn Seion, a Presybterian chapel, was the subject of a book written by the local resident and renowned historian Hywel Teifi Edwards.[42]

St Gwynog's contains a church built in 1908 at an estimated cost of £2,000. The architect was E. M. Bruce Vaughan. Officially it is known as St Gwynog's, though it has also been known as St Cennych's. The site of St Gwynog's has been home to a church since 1345.[22]

Sports

A picture depicting an aerial view of the local recreation grounds. It mainly focuses on the green, grass field. There are rugby and football markings on a suitably sized pitch.
The grounds where local sports are played

In late 2018, the Llangennech and Bryn Sports Association (LBSA) was formed. It is a charitable organisation focused on promoting sports in the villages of Llangennech and Bryn, and lobbying for better sporting facilities.[43]

Rugby

The village's rugby team is Llangennech RFC. There are a range of age groups able to play, and the main team play in the WRU Division One West league. Notable players include the bodybuilder Flex Lewis.

Football

The village is represented in football by Llangennech AFC in the Carmarthenshire League.

Cricket

Cricket made its way to the village in 1881.[44] It is currently represented by Llangennech Cricket Club. It has three senior sides, all playing in the South Wales Cricket Association's leagues. In 2019 the club won both the All Wales Sport midweek league and cup.[45]

Bowls

There is a bowling green in the village used by the Llangennech & Bryn bowls club.

Notable residents

References

  1. ↑ ONS 2019 Mid-Year Population Estimates
  2. ↑ Pointon, Graham E. (1990). BBC pronouncing dictionary of British names. Oxford University Press. p. 148.
  3. 1 2 "Area: Llangennech (Ward)". Office for National Statistics. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Charles, Alwyn (1997). History of Llangennech (1st ed.). Llangennech Community Council. p. 11. ISBN 0953080706. OCLC 38340509.
  5. ↑ Charles, Alwyn (1997). History of Llangennech (1st ed.). Llangennech Community Council. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0953080706. OCLC 38340509.
  6. ↑ "Nevill family (per. c. 1793–1973), copper smelters and colliery proprietors". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/47502. Retrieved 28 August 2023. Richard Janion Nevill suffered a stroke and died at Llangennech Park on 14 January 1856, aged seventy.
  7. ↑ "Llangennech/Carson". Heir Hunters. Series 7. Episode 3. 9 July 2014. BBC.
  8. ↑ "Llangennech house, Llangennech, Carmarthenshire". www.welshruins.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  9. ↑ Williams, David (1955). The Rebecca Riots. University of Wales Press. p. 350. ISBN 9780708309339. OCLC 1275631375.
  10. ↑ "LLANELLY FLOATING DOCK AND RAILWAY". The Cambrian. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via National Library for Wales. The neighbourhood of Llanelly is famous for the coal it produces, especially that description of coal known by the name of 'Llangennech Coal'
  11. ↑ "Back to school". BBC Cymru Fyw (in Welsh). 20 February 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "MILITARY BASES | The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales - Credo Reference". search.credoreference.com. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "LLANGENNECH, Carmarthenshire (1222 ha; 4510 inhabitants) | The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales - Credo Reference". search.credoreference.com. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "New base to equip Afghan vehicles". 19 November 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "REF: EW/C92/3/3" (PDF). gov.uk. Air Accident Investigation Branch. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  16. ↑ Huckfield, Paul; Burton, John (1 March 2013). "Military Aircraft Crash sites in Southeast Wales" (PDF). The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Pilot's body is found in shattered Canberra". Western Mail. 14 January 1958.
  18. ↑ "Jet crash shakes infants' school". Llanelly Star. 18 January 1958.
  19. ↑ "Area: Llangennech (Ward)". Office for National Statistics. 18 November 2004. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Llangennech Ward: Electoral Division Profile" (PDF). carmarthenshire.gov.wales. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "2011 Census results by Community". Welsh Language Commissioner. 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Davies, Geoffery (2012). Carmarthenshire Villages. Sigma Leisure. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1-85058-943-3.
  23. ↑ Withers, Emily (14 October 2021). "The full list of the 248 best parks in Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  24. ↑ "Wildlife in your Ward – Llangennech" (PDF). Carmarthenshire County Council. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "Llanelli parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News". Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  26. ↑ "Senedd 2021: Labour's Lee Waters 'blown away' with Llanelli win". South Wales Argus. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  27. ↑ United Kingdom census (2011). "KS404EW - Car or van availability". Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  28. ↑ Lewis, Ian (17 November 2021). "Hopes for bus service to be more dependable". Llanelli Star. p. 7.
  29. ↑ "First Cymru makes promise to mend bus service from Llanelli to Llangennech". Wales News Online. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  30. ↑ "Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech". mylocalschool.gov.wales. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  31. ↑ heraldwales (16 March 2016). "Theatre Ffwrnes St David's Day Celebrations". Herald.Wales. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  32. ↑ "Junior school choir takes top prize". BBC News. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  33. ↑ Misstear, Rachael (18 May 2015). "Llangennech Junior School 'bursting with pride' after choir take home title". WalesOnline. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  34. ↑ "English stream education removed from Ysgol Llangennech". BBC News. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  35. ↑ Sinclair, Tom (18 January 2017). "Llangennech School to become Welsh-Medium". The Llanelli Herald. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  36. ↑ Shipton, Martin (14 February 2017). "A village's Welsh schools row has become a national controversy". WalesOnline. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  37. ↑ "Catchment areas". www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  38. ↑ "Capel Salem - Cadw Listed Buildings". cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "Church of St Cennych - Cadw Listed Buildings". cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  40. ↑ "Bethesda Capel Bach - Cadw Listed Buildings". cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  41. ↑ "Capel Bethesda - Cadw Listed Buildings". cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  42. 1 2 Rees, D. Ben (26 January 2010). "Hywel Teifi Edwards obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  43. ↑ "LLANGENNECH AND BRYN SPORTS ASSOCIATION - Charity 1183362". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  44. ↑ Bevan, Kenny; James, Gordon; Jones, Llew; Martin, Rhys (1985). Bois y Llan: Llangennech RFC. Kenny Bevan. OCLC 656726362.
  45. ↑ "Llangennech CC". llang.play-cricket.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  46. ↑ "Eileen Beasley: Welsh language campaigner". The Independent. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2022. The Rosa Parks of the language movement in Wales was a polite but steel-willed housewife who, with her husband, refused to pay rates on their house in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, while Llanelli Rural District Council issued demands in English only.
  47. ↑ "Beasley [née James], (Catherine) Eileen (1921–2012), teacher and Welsh-language campaigner". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/105629. Retrieved 28 August 2023. In 1952 Trefor and Eileen Beasley moved into their first married home, 2 Yr Allt, Llangennech.
  48. ↑ "Harry Jones profile and biography, stats, records, averages, photos and videos". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  49. ↑ "Urddo Mark Drakeford a Huw Edwards i'r Orsedd". BBC Cymru Fyw (in Welsh). 5 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  50. ↑ "Edwards, Hywel Teifi (1934–2010), literary scholar and cultural historian". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/102696. Retrieved 28 August 2023. Appointment as an extra-mural lecturer in Welsh literature at University College, Swansea, saw Edwards move in 1965 to his final home in Llangennech, near Llanelli, and marked the beginning of an idyllic thirty-year period of knowledge exchange with the working men and women he regarded as the backbone of Welsh culture.
  51. ↑ "GABE, RHYS THOMAS (REES THOMAS GAPE; 1880 - 1967), rugby player | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  52. ↑ "GABE, Rhys T. (1880-1967) Rugby player | The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales - Credo Reference". search.credoreference.com. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  53. ↑ Langdon, Julia (30 March 2020). "Lord Garel-Jones obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  54. ↑ "From Llangennech to cricket's grandest tournament". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  55. ↑ "Nevill family (per. c. 1793–1973), copper smelters and colliery proprietors". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/47502. Retrieved 28 August 2023.

Further reading

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