Penarth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Penarth
Penarth Pier at the Esplanade, Penarth Seafront
Penarth shown within the United Kingdom
Population	23,245
OS grid reference	ST185715
Principal area	Vale of Glamorgan
Ceremonial county	South Glamorgan
Constituent country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PENARTH
Postcode district	CF64
Dialling code	+44-29
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
European Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Cardiff South & Penarth
List of places: UK • Wales • Vale of Glamorgan

Coordinates: 51°26′N 3°10′W / 51.43, -3.17

Penarth is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is the second largest town in the Vale of Glamorgan, next only to the administrative centre of Barry.

During the Victorian era Penarth was a highly popular holiday destination, promoted nationally as “The Garden by the Sea” and was packed by visitors from the Midlands and the West Country as well as day trippers from the South Wales valleys mostly arriving by train. Today the town and its traditional seafront continues to be a regular summer holiday destination, for predominantly older visitors, but in nowhere near the numbers that were common from Victorian times until the 1960s when cheap overseas package holidays were first introduced.

Although the number of holiday visitors has greatly declined, the town retains a substantial retired population, representing over 25% of residents, but Penarth is now predominantly a dormitory town for Cardiff commuters. The town’s population was recorded as being 23,245 in the United Kingdom Census 2001 although further growth has taken place since then. ^[1]

The town retains extensive surviving Victorian and Edwardian architecture in many traditional parts of the town and house prices are usually significantly higher than similar properties in nearby Cardiff.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Derivation of the town’s name 1.2 Victorian developments 1.3 Wartime Penarth 1.4 The bonfire night riots 1.5 The town today 2 Governance 2.1 Town council 2.2 Westminster 2.3 Assembly for Wales 3 Geography 4 Demography 5 Economy 6 Landmarks and attractions 7 Education 8 Religious sites 9 Sports and recreation 10 Public services and facilities 11 Twin towns 12 Notable people 12.1 Politics and public service 12.2 Armed Forces 12.3 Sport 12.4 Entertainment and media 13 See also 14 References 15 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Derivation of the town’s name

Penarth is a Welsh name and could be a combination of the word: pen meaning head and arth meaning bear, hence ‘Head of the Bear’ or ‘Bear’s Head’. This was the accepted translation for several hundred years and is still reflected in the town’s crest which actually depicts a bear. However it was never fully clear why a bear would be associated with the area, although it was conjectured that a bear could have lived in the once heavily wooded area during medieval times or even that Penarth Head could once have resembled a bear's head before erosion changed its profile. Modern scholars have since suggested that the derivation is more likely to have been shortened from an original “Pen-y-garth”, where garth means cliff, hence ‘Head of the cliff’ or ‘Clifftops’. ^[2] The true meaning is buried so far back in time that it may never be satisfactorily explained.

In 1803 Penarth is recorded as having between 800 - 900 acres (3.6 km²) of land under cultivation as several farms. Even as late as 1851 Penarth was little more than a small rural farming village since medieval times with just 24 houses and 105 residents ^[3] being one of five parishes contained within the Hundred of Dinas Powys, with a combined population of just over 300. Before the pier and dock were built there was a tiny fleet of local sail-powered fishing vessels based on the main town beach that tied up on the seafront quayside.

[edit] Victorian developments

The contract for the building of Penarth Dock was placed in 1859 and the dock was opened six years later. By 1861 the number of people in the five parishes had increased to 1,898 and to 3,382 by 1871. In 1875 three of the constituent parishes - Penarth, Cogan, and Llandough - were merged together into the Penarth Local Board, giving a population of 6,228 persons by 1881. This figure had doubled by 1891 with the opening of the railway and had increased even further by 1901 to 14,228 persons. ^[4]

The town of Penarth thus owes its development to the massive expansion of the South Wales coalfield in the 19th century. Its proximity to Cardiff, which was the natural outlet for the industrial valleys of Glamorgan, and its natural waterfront meant that Penarth was ideally situated to contribute in meeting the world’s demand for Welsh coal through the construction of the docks. ^[5]

The development of the town continued to be rapid and Penarth soon became self sufficient with its own local government, a thriving shopping centre and many new community facilities. Most of the town's fine architectural features owe their origin to the landowners of the time and the results of their vision can be seen by the many grand buildings and parks which make Penarth what it is today. Thanks to the generosity of those far sighted landowners, Penarth earned its wide reputation as "The Garden by the Sea" because of its beautiful parks and open spaces. Furthermore, many of the buildings and features of the town have led to a substantial part of the town being designated as a Conservation Area because of its Victorian/Edwardian architecture. Penarth's town library was donated by the famous Victorian philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. ^[6]

A Royal Navy minesweeper was named HMS Penarth after the town in 1918 and survived the last nine months of the First World War, but only served for twelve months when it was sunk off the Yorkshire coast in 1919, by a (probably British) mine.^[7] The vessel is remembered on the Royal Navy Memorial at Portsmouth. ^[8]

[edit] Wartime Penarth

With its busy commercial docks and the proximity to Cardiff with its docks and steelworks it is not surprising that Penarth became a target for bombing raids during the Second World War and life in the town during those years is difficult to imagine these days. Road signs were taken down, street lights and house windows were blacked out at night, cars travelled with deflector shields over the headlamps reducing them to a dim glimmer. Road accidents at night were frequent.

Penarth had its own Home Guard detachment manned by those who were too old or unsuited for military service. Volunteers also became Air Raid Wardens (ARPs) or joined the Royal Observer Corps. Even children aged between 14 and 18 were recruited as Fire Guard Messengers, equipped with steel helmets and used as runners, carrying messages through the night raids between the ARPs and the fire service units.

Scrap metals were needed to build tanks and aircraft so hundreds of Penarth homes lost their traditional Victorian iron railings from the front gardens during the war years. Most were never replaced and the ornamental architecture and appearance of the Lower Penarth roads altered almost overnight. Even All Saints` Church in Victoria Square lost its magnificently ornate gates and the railing fence that surrounded the square's green, never to be replaced. Between petrol rationing and limited public transport the streets and roads were almost empty of vehicles, with many children cycling or even walking as far as Cardiff daily to attend school. Schools were full to bursting point, the school rolls bolstered by children evacuated from places like London and Birmingham. Most schoolmasters were called up for military service, replaced by previously rare women teachers.

Strict wartime food rationing meant that food had to be found wherever possible. The town’s parks, recreation grounds, open spaces and front gardens of houses were dug up and planted with vegetables. One Penarth resident recalls that behind Westwood College Private Boarding School, in the building that now houses Penarth Conservative Club, there was a large kitchen garden containing many vegetables and blackcurrant bushes. Children could harvest the fruit and vegetables free of charge as long as they provided the school with half of the pickings. The seafront and pier were packed daily with people trying to improve their diet by landing fresh fish. There was a non profit 'British Restaurant' at the top end of the Windsor Arcade in the town centre and run by the town council, where families made homeless by the bombing or any occasional visitor could buy a simple but wholesome three course meal for ninepence (approx 4p in today's money, but £2.45 when adjusted for inflation to 2008).

Many Penarth Yacht Club members volunteered for the Dunkirk evacuation and sailed their yachts and motor boats around the coast and across the English Channel to France. Several never returned, having been killed by mines and enemy action during the many crossings.

In 1941 the Bristol Channel, which seems almost deserted these days, was packed solid with almost coast to coast merchant shipping. Freighters were constantly arriving, unloading or departing from the docks. Atlantic convoys made up with hundreds of vessels regularly formed up in the area between Cardiff, Barry Island and Flat Holm before setting off for America, or de-grouping on their return. Royal Naval warships based in the channel ports were constantly cruising up and down searching for enemy submarines. Penarth was filled with anti-aircraft batteries, searchlight batteries and the sky overhead was full of barrage balloons and patrolling aircraft. The defending Spitfires and Hurricanes were based at RAF Fairwood Common in Swansea, RAF Colerne, RAF Filton, RAF Pembrey and RAF Pengam in Cardiff Bay. The Glamorganshire Golf Club in Lower Penarth was the site of an experimental rocket battery that regularly scared residents during practice firings. Lavernock Point was the location of Lavernock Fort, with its heavy naval guns, anti aircraft and searchlight batteries and the town’s Royal Observer Corps observation post, that sounded the air raid sirens nightly in the town.

At the outbreak of the war over 350 soldiers of the Royal Artillery were stationed on Flat Holm, which was armed with four 4.5 inch guns and associated searchlights to be used for anti-aircraft and close defence, together with two 40 millimetres (1.6 in) Bofors guns. A GL (Gun Loading) MkII ^[9] radar station was also placed in the centre of the island. The structures formed part of the Fixed Defences, Severn scheme and protected the Atlantic shipping convoy de-grouping zones.^[10] In 1943 there was a Battalion of American Seabees, the US Construction Corps, living on a merchant vessel tied up in Penarth docks, while they built a large number of Qounset huts for a rapid temporary expansions of Llandough hospital and Sully hospital.

The air raids started in 1941 and continued almost constantly for the next four years. The Luftwaffe bomber pilots flew up the Bristol Channel, following the River Severn as a guide to the industrial Midlands. Many raids however were specifically targeted at Cardiff and Penarth. At the time it was felt by residents that the town was bombed more thoroughly than the Docks, which escaped fairly lightly by comparison. Local resident during the war, Michael Page, a schoolboy at the time remembers:

“The sky would be full of noise, the crash of anti aircraft gunfire, the wooshing roar of rockets from the Penarth golf course, the whistle of falling bombs followed by rumbling explosions, the clattering rain of incendiaries, the smashing of broken glass, the fire-engine bells, lights in the sky, smoke and flames and the smell of burning. For a youngster, it was all rather exciting and always disappointing that we should be led away to some dark place of shelter, just as things were getting interesting.” ^[11]

One night in 1942 All Saints` Church was hit by a stick of incendiary bombs and was totally gutted by fire with only the outer walls left standing. The church was rebuilt after the war and reopened in 1955. On the same night a house on the corner of the lane near Cwrt-y-Vil Road, opposite All Saints’ Church, was hit by a massive bomb. The house was badly damaged and collapsed two weeks later but was never rebuilt. Albert Road School was also hit by a stick of incendiaries and badly damaged by fire, although it was quickly patched up and in use again within the week. A man living in Archer Road wondered why the morning was still so dark when he drew his bedroom curtains. His window was being obstructed by a large landmine suspended from a parachute that had snagged his chimney.

In 1944 Penarth dock was full of invasion barges that departed for the "Operation Overlord D-Day landings. Many of the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships were loaded with American Sherman tanks and their US Army crews that had been billeted in Penarth after training. Many of the Commando units trained on the Penarth cliffs in preparation for scaling the Normandy cliff faces.

Thousands of incendiary and explosive bombs were dropped on Penarth during the war and as late as the 1970s unexploded devices were still being found in the silt and sand on the beaches between Penarth and Cardiff. It is highly likely that there are still many out there buried deep in the mud.

[edit] The bonfire night riots

Between 1964 and 1968 Penarth gained infamy across Wales as the scene of riots on the beach and seafront, between rival gangs of “Mods and Rockers”, that took place annually on the 5 November (Bonfire Night). Following the much publicised similar riots at south coast seaside resorts like Brighton, Margate, Bournemouth, Clacton and Hastings during the summer of 1964 ^[12] the culture spread to Penarth during the autumn. The youth of the town were polarised between the two lifestyles.

The event in 1964 was sparsely attended with only a few hundred mostly local participants and the general mood was almost light hearted. However, by 1965 motorcycle and scooter gangs arrived from all over Wales and the West Country, some even travelling from the West Midlands to take part. The rioters were matched by ever increasing numbers of police, who had been caught unawares the previous year, many now being bussed in from police forces all over the Principality, equipped with protective helmets and early riot shields.

Homes and restaurants in the town centre and along the beach front boarded up their windows in preparation and the fire brigade located their appliances in standby positions. The town started filling with gangs from the early afternoon and the riots kicked off soon after dusk with swirling charges, skirmishes and fights all over the beach and esplanade. Hand launched Bangers, rockets and even Roman Candles were used as makeshift artillery in addition to the many fist fights. Dozens of rioters were injured and many others arrested for public order offences before the hostilities petered out around 10pm. Newspaper and TV media turned up in force to report on the proceedings.

The Penarth riots peaked in 1967 when over a thousand rioters turned up for the 5 November event but the following year numbers dropped off noticeably, aided by atrocious squally weather. In 1969 the Police contingent remained on their coaches when it was obvious that there would be no riot that year. The short lived ‘Mod and Rocker’ lifestyles and fashions were coming to an end all over the country.

[edit] The town today

The coal trade from Penarth docks eventually petered out during the 1950s and up until 1965 the basins were used by the Royal Navy to mothball part of the no longer needed wartime fleet of warships. By 1967, after barely a hundred years of commercial operations, the docks lay unused and derelict, and much of it was used for landfill.

In 1987 the new Penarth Marina village opened on the disused docks site. This consisted of some 350 yacht berths, surrounded by extensive modern waterside homes and several marine engineering yards. The Penarth development was one of the key catalysts to the similar redevelopment of the Cardiff Bay area.

Penarth is one of the most affluent areas in the Vale of Glamorgan and property prices continue to remain high. Marine Parade or 'Millionaire's row', with its grand, substantial Victorian houses or modern designer villas with views across the Bristol channel, is considered to be the finest street in Penarth. Houses in Penarth vary from imposing three storey red brick Victorian houses found on both Plymouth and Westbourne roads to compact stone terraces in Cogan and upper Penarth. Penarth Marina in direct contrast features trendy modern townhouses, apartments and designer penthouses. ^[13]

[edit] Governance

[edit] Town council

Penarth is split into four electoral wards. Plymouth ward and Stanwell ward are traditional locations for professional families staking a claim in Penarth’s Stanwell School. Cornerswell ward contains both the Cogan community and the Poet's Estate where residents live on roads named after Wordsworth, Milton, Tennyson and Chaucer. The St Augustine's ward does not serve a natural 'community' but extends from the Marina development, over the Penarth Head area through the town centre and old Penarth as far as the junction of Stanwell and Cornerswell Roads. The wards of Cornerswell, Plymouth and St Augustines are represented by Conservatives. The ward of Stanwell is represented by Penarth Fairtrade Forum Chairperson Mark Wilson and Janice Birch both of the Labour Party.

The current mayor of Penarth is a Conservative Councillor who represents Plymouth Ward, Cllr. Maureen Kelly Owen. The Penarth Town Council which was Labour Party controlled since 1991, is now Conversative controlled since the 1st of May 2008. The current leader is Cllr John Fraser representing Cornerswell.

[edit] Westminster

Cardiff South and Penarth is currently represented by Alun Michael JP MP a member of the Labour & Co-operative Party (UK).

[edit] Assembly for Wales

Lorraine Barrett represents Cardiff South and Penarth in the National Assembly for Wales (Labour & Co-operative Party).

[edit] Geography

Penarth lies four miles (6 km) south west of Cardiff and has a road infrastructure that has been much improved in recent years, together with a traditional rail link.

An imaginary line drawn between Lavernock Point, just two miles (3 km) south west of Penarth and Sand Point, Somerset marks the lower limit of the Severn estuary and the start of the Bristol Channel, hence Penarth is technically deemed to be in the Severn estuary and not on the Bristol Channel. Because of the extreme tidal range there are very strong currents or rips close inshore, with speeds that exceed 7 knots (13 km/h), for several hours at each tide. The rise and fall of the tides at Penarth are the second highest recorded anywhere in the world ^[14] and on occasions when certain moon phases coincide with the Spring and Autumn equinoxes the sea level can overspill the esplanade wall and flood the roadway, particularly if in conjunction with a high wind.

The general underlying sub-strata below the land and fields surrounding Penarth is of a limestone that was laid down under a prehistoric warm sea and subsequently ground down by ice age glaciers. ^[15] This produced the rich, brown and dry soil that provided an ideal growing medium for cereal crops during the medieval farming history of the area. The abundance of limestone was exploited for nearly a hundred years at the Cosmeston quarry that fed the Snocem cement factory in Lower Penarth until it closed down in 1970 and the quarry was converted into Cosmeston Lake at the new country park.

The town is located at the top of cliffs that have a distinctive strata rock formation that is world known and referred to as The Penarth Group of Rocks or Penarth coeval strata wherever it appears in Britain. The Penarth cliffs are made of interspersed layers of limestone and alabaster, both of which are dry and crumbly rocks. The Penarth cliffs contain the largest known outcrop of naturally occurring Pink Alabaster anywhere in the World but, although decorative and highly prized by local gardeners to crown their rockeries, it is considered to be much inferior to the harder and hand-carvable whiter alabasters found elsewhere. ^[16]

The main problem associated with the dry and crumbly nature of the limestone and alabaster rocks, that make up the cliffs that border Penarth, is the continuing and relentless erosion by the sea. ^[17] Rockfalls are frequent and walkers using the beach should not walk too close to the base of the cliffs. The cliff has retreated many tens of metres even in living memory, with the area around Penarth Head remaining most at threat and several structures once on the clifftop already having been smashed on the beach below. A reinforced concrete and iron staircase that once led from Penarth Head to the beach, built by the war department just before the First World War, was already destroyed by advancing erosion as long ago as the early 1950s.

[edit] Demography

The latest demographic figures date from the United Kingdom Census 2001. They are now seven years out of date and this should be taken into account. The 2001 data shows: ^[18]

Population: 23,245

Male: 11,031

Female: 12,214

Average age: 42

Retired: 5,904

Immigrants: 2,814

Degree educated 7,457

Living in households: 22,805

Living in communal establishments: 440

Students away from home: 339

[edit] Economy

There are little in the way of major employers or substantial industry in the town with the majority of employed residents commuting to the commercial and industrial base of nearby Cardiff.

After a recent reversing of the trend to fill the town's shopping area solely with charity shops, Penarth now features a growing collection of boutique stores together with traditional butchers, bakers and greengrocers, bookshops, estate agents and smaller department stores. Shoppers are finally being lured back to the town centre, but although local politicians of all parties have been keen to claim the credit for this, it is more likely to be due to the application of local traders and a general civic pride.

Penarth consequently has a town centre which serves the local community with a wide-range of goods and services. For a relatively small town, the central town area consists of a high-quality selection of food retailers ranging from quality local butchers to several long-standing ethnic food outlets. A local delicatessen owner, Mrs Sian Fox, recently won the 2008 Vale businesswoman of the year award.

The town centre also serves Penarth's many retired residents with a variety of high quality cafes and coffee houses. These cafes offer a wide range of organic and Fair Trade coffees, contributing to Penarth being established as a fair trade town after an initiative by previous mayor Councillor Mark Wilson and the Town Council. ^[19] The town also has many good quality restaurants featuring either English cuisine or Indian cuisine curry.

The Penarth Chamber of Trade has recently been successfully re-launched and the town centre is now looking more prosperous than it has done for a long time. However, despite town centre improvements, the past thirty years has seen many attractive and imposing seafront Victorian hotels and houses demolished in favour of bland 1960s and 1970s style apartment blocks. The theatre and bars on the town's pier were allowed to fall into neglect and disrepair, although the pier itself remains open to the public. Many of the town's residents have voiced frustration and anger at the apparent neglect of the seafront area and steer much critisism for this at the Vale of Glamorgan local authority, for not doing enough to secure the future development of the esplanade as a continuing asset to the town.

[edit] Landmarks and attractions

Cosmeston Lakes Country Park has been a popular attraction, throughout the years since it was developed in 1970. Apart from the lake and a wide range of water fowl there are acres of pleasant walks in woodlands and on the heath.

Cosmeston Medieval Village is open daily and features historical re-enactments during the summer weekends and on Bank Holidays. The reconstruction of the historical village has been described as the best of its kind in Britain. ^[20]

Turner House Art Gallery is located at the top end of Plymouth Road and features regular exhibitions. There is also a small art gallery located at the Washington Buildings, a tastefully converted 1930s art deco cinema.

The Paget Rooms hosts dances, occasional pop concerts and plays by local dramatic societies. The 1970s superstar Tom Jones played one of his final UK concerts at the Paget Rooms before moving to America. Top Welsh band Man once recorded a live album at the Paget Rooms, using the famous Decca mobile studio that also recorded The Rolling Stones and today pristine copies of the limited edition vinyl pressing named (incorrectly) "Man - Live at the Padget _[sic] Rooms" now change hands for substantial sums of money.

The beach front promenade remains a popular draw for visitors and tourists with its Victorian Italian Garden that displays many unusual palm trees and exotic plants. The surviving element of the original Victorian pier is a summer staging point for the various pleasure steamers, that ply their trade from time to time in the Bristol Channel and the pier is used as a popular winter sea fishing venue. There is also the historic Penarth Yacht Club stood next to the RNLI lifeboat station ^[21] and its associated shop, together with a wide range of popular cafes and restaurants available on the seafront. The seafront remains unspoiled and uncommercialised with none of the garish and noisy amusement arcades that plague most of the other traditional Victorian holiday resort frontages.

The clifftop walks to the bays of Lavernock, St Mary's Well and Swanbridge with their beaches and the historic hut where Marconi first transmitted radio messages over open sea remain popular with residents and visitors alike. The old trackbed of the railway that once connected Penarth to Cadoxton and Barry Island and was closed by the Beeching Axe is now a rural greenway and cycle track from the Archer Road rail bridge as far as the Fort Road bridge in Lavernock. The remaining main section of the Lavernock Fort gun battery has been listed as an Ancient Monument. The Lavernock Point Nature Reserve is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales.

The town has mounted the two week long Penarth Holiday Festival each July since 1966 that features special events and celebrations all over the town. These have included pop concerts, yacht regattas and power boat races, donkey derbies, parades, fairs and fetes in the parks, tea dances, stage shows, art exhibitions and spectacular firework displays. In 1970 the festival was closed with an air display by the Red Arrows above the clifftops and sea front.

[edit] Education

St Cyres Comprehensive School, formerly St Cyres Secondary Modern School has recently been employing a keen focus on its Welsh Baccalaureate programme, where it has led the way in delivering this new qualification, associated to the International Baccalaureate programme. Currently spread over two sites with years seven to nine located in nearby Dinas Powys, St Cyres is hoping to see building work commence soon on its brand new campus that will see all of its 1600 pupils together on a single site, subject to capital funds being provided. St Cyres is extremely competitive within the GCSE results tables, and has produced many successful past pupils including Olympic athletes, musicians, politicians, and university graduates.

Stanwell School, formerly Penarth County Grammar School, is a popular, oversubscribed co-educational comprehensive school for 11 - 18 year olds and benefits from a consistently impressive set of examination results, as well as hosting several large musicals in its imposing modern theatre auditorium. The school has been subject to a substantial investment of several million pounds in new buildings, facilities and equipment in the last few years. Specialist teaching accommodation has been provided for Science (featuring eleven modern laboratories), drama, music, media studies, P.E. (including sports halls), Information Technology, Art and Design Technology. The school currently has approximately 1600 pupils including a thriving sixth form. Exam results are consistantly higher than the national average and most sixth formers continue onto further education at university or college.

Westbourne School is a small coeducational independent day school, nursery and prep school for children between the ages of 3 and 18 located on the corner of Stanwell Road and Hickman Road. There are currently 162 pupils on roll. The school is housed within two buildings, approximately half a mile apart. The first houses the nursery and infants, the other the prep school and senior school. With 24 permanent staff and 2 teaching assistants the class sizes remain small, varying from a maximum of 17 down to as low as 9 in some subjects. Westbourne School will initiate its new 6th form for the Autumn term of 2008. The school will introduce the speciality of the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organisation. The academic results are consistently excellent with 100% passes at GCSEs in 2007 and Westbourne School is nationally recognised as a high achieving school. The school is now owned by the Montague Place Group of Independent Schools ^{[22] [23]}

Primary Schools include All Saints Church in Wales Primary, Cogan County Primary, Ysgol Pen-y-garth, St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary and Nursery School, Fairfield County Primary, Victoria Road Primary, Albert Road Primary, Evenlode Primary and Llandough Primary School.

[edit] Religious sites

Local church sites are :

• All Saints Church in Wales is located in Victoria Square.

• St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church is on Wordsworth Avenue.

• St Augustine's Church is just off Church Place on Penarth Headland.

• Trinity Methodist Church is in Woodland Place

• Albert Road Methodist Church is at Albert Road and Albert Crescent

• Tabernacle Baptist Chapel is in Plassey Street

• Hebron Church is on Pill Street, Cogan

[edit] Sports and recreation

Penarth Cricket Club was founded in 1851 ^[24] and plays in the South Wales Premier League.They originally played their home matches at the site where the Masonic Hall now stands on Stanwell Road. The club have now played at their current site at The Athletic Ground on Lavernock Road since 1924 when the site was gifted to the town by the Earl of Plymouth and shares the facilities with Penarth Rugby Club, Penarth Hockey Club, and in recent years, Penarth Lacrosse Club. The cricket club operates 4 regular league sides on a Saturday. The first XI currently plays in the South Wales Premier League. A number of current and former players have played for Glamorgan CCC, and Wales MC, and there have been many players who have gained junior representative honours.

The once-renowned Penarth Rugby Football Club is based at The Athletic Ground, Lavernock Road, Penarth, where it played in the Wales and West Country premier clubs until a league reorganisation in the mid 1980s. Penarth RFC used to host the world-famous Barbarians Football Club each Easter Good Friday, until 1986. This fixture was the start of the "Baa-Baas" annual South Wales tour from the team’s spiritual home of Penarth, which also encompassed playing Cardiff on the Saturday, Swansea on Easter Monday and Newport on the Tuesday. Easter Sunday would see the Barbarians "playing" golf at the Glamorganshire Golf Club, in Penarth, while the grand (but now demolished) Esplanade Hotel, formerly located on the seafront at Penarth would host the gala party for the trip. Penarth has a second and more recent rugby union club Old Penarthians RFC, originally formed out of 'old boys' from Penarth County Grammar School, but no longer applying that restrictive membership criteria. ^[25]

Penarth currently has two football (soccer) clubs. The longest established is Cogan Coronation AFC, known locally as the ‘Coro’ that was founded in 1960, playing their home games at the Penarth Leisure Centre recreation fields. The senior team currently features in the South Wales F.A. Senior League 1st Division and their best season was 2000/2001 when they finished the year in second position. The club will field eighteen teams at various age groups in the 2007/2008 season. Cogan Coronation players Mark Eley, Liam Beddard and goalkeeper Stewart Owadally have been selected to represent the Football Association of Wales on a number of occasions.

Penarth Town AFC was founded only a handful of years ago and currently plays in Division 2 of the Vale of Glamorgan Senior Football League.

The picturesque Glamorganshire Golf Club is located in Lower Penarth and is considered to be one of the finest golf courses in the Principality. The course was established in 1890 and, in 1898, the club was the testing ground of Dr Frank Stableford’s revolutionary new Stableford golf scoring system still used all over the world today. ^[26]

Penarth has two tennis clubs. Windsor Lawn Tennis Club is situated in Larkwood Avenue in a residential area. It has 7 hardcourts and a grass court area. Penarth Lawn Tennis Club in Rectory Road is the oldest tennis club in Wales (established 1884) ^[27] and has 3 hard courts plus grass court area. Both clubs compete regularly in the Tennis Wales South Doubles Leagues and have junior representation in the National Junior Club League and Vale of Glamorgan Mini Tennis Club League.

Cogan Leisure Centre is a modern leisure centre sports venue that provides the town with a full range of sporting facilities including a leisure pool and extensive playing fields. The new Cardiff Sports Village is just under two miles (3 km) from the town centre.

Cardiff Morrismen the 'folk' dancing troupe feature several members from the town and they meet and rehearse weekly throughout the year, alternating between Pontypridd and the Windsor Arms public house in Penarth. In recent years several younger members of both sexes have joined the traditional dance troupe who have performed all over the UK. ^[28]

[edit] Public services and facilities

Penarth railway station serves the town and is the terminus of the Penarth branch of the Vale of Glamorgan Line from Cardiff. It is on an extension of the line originally built by the Taff Vale Railway in 1865 to serve the newly-created docks. All services on this line are operated by Arriva Trains Wales as part of the Valley Lines portion of the National Rail network. Dingle Road station is also close to the town centre. The Barry branch of the Vale of Glamorgan line passes through Cogan railway station, near Cogan Leisure Centre.

Penarth is linked to west Somerset and North Devon seaside resorts such as Minehead, Ilfracombe and Lundy Island by the Paddle Steamer Waverley and MV Balmoral, which have sailed from Penarth pier for over 150 years. It is thought that Devon's tourist trade began in the 19th century when the paddle steamers spent weekends cruising the Bristol Channel taking the expanding population of Cardiff from here to places such as Lynmouth, Ilfracombe, Bideford and Clovelly.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Twin towns

Penarth is twinned with:

• Saint-Pol-de-Léon Brittany, France ^[29] The town's twinning committee remains very active and many cultural exchanges or joint civic events take place each year. The chair of Penarth's twinning committee is Cllr Mrs Janice Birch.

[edit] Notable people

[edit] Politics and public service

• Alun Michael JP MP - (born 22 August 22 1943) the Welsh politician, Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth, and member of the UK's Privy Council lives in the town.

• John Smith MP (born 1951) - Labour party politician and Member of Parliament for the Vale of Glamorgan was educated at Penarth County Grammar School. Member of the UK's Defence Select Committee during 2005. ^[30]

• Clive Jenkins (2 May 1926 – 22 September, 1999) - the British trade union leader who stated in ‘Who’s Who’ that his whole life was dedicated to "Organising the middle classes", which summed up both his sense of humour and his achievements in the British trade union movement, had a second home in the town.

• Ralph Hancock (1893-1950) - Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's favourite gardener built gardens in the UK in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s and in the United States in the 1930s. ^[31] A few are well known - the roof gardens at Derry and Toms in London^[32] and the Rockefeller Center in New York^[33], the garden at Twyn-yr-Hydd House ^[34] in Margam and the rock and water garden he built for Princess Victoria at Coppins, Iver, England. Hancock lived in Penarth for most of his life.

[edit] Armed Forces

• Richard William Leslie Wain VC (5 December 1896 - 20 November 1917) - a Captain in the Tank Corps was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, was born and educated in Penarth.

• Samuel George Pearse VC, MM, (16 July 1897 – 29 August 1919) - was a Sergeant in the Royal Fusiliers and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Pearse was born and educated in Penarth before moving to Australia with his family in 1911 after leaving school.

• Patrick Gibbs (Born 1916 - Died April 2008) , was born in Penarth and died aged 92 best remembered as chief film critic of The Daily Telegraph from 1960 to 1986. But his own most dramatic moment came when he was a Royal Air Force Wing Commander based on Malta for three months during the summer of 1942 as a flight commander at the much-bombed but resilient island, which brought his Beaufort torpedo bombers within range of Axis convoys crossing the Mediterranean to Africa. Gibbs was awarded the DSO, DFC and Bar .

• Guy Penrose Gibson VC DSO and Bar DFC and Bar RAF (12 August 1918 – 19 September 1944) - leader of the Dambuster raid married his wife Eve, herself a Penarthian, at All Saints Church Penarth in 1940 and the couple lived for a time in Archer Road, where there is a commemorative plaque to his memory. Gibson was a keen golfer and a member of the Glamorganshire Golf Club in Lower Penarth.

[edit] Sport

• Colin Jackson CBE (born February 18, 1967 in Cardiff, Wales) - a Welsh sprint and hurdling athlete of Jamaican, Maroon and Scottish ancestry, who now works as a sports commentator for athletics and television presenter used to live in Penarth.

• Amanda Haswell - the Welsh Commonwealth and British Olympic high diver in the 1960s was born in Penarth and attended Penarth Grammar School.

• Dame Carys Davina ("Tanni") Grey-Thompson DBE (born 26 July 1969 in Cardiff, Wales) - is a Welsh Paralympian athlete and was educated in Penarth.

• Austin David George Matthews (3 May 3 1904 - 29 July 29 1977) - was a cricketer who played for Northamptonshire, Glamorgan and England. Matthews was born in Penarth and played rugby for Penarth RFC.

• David Davies (born 3 March 1985 in Barry) - the British Commonwealth and Olympic long-distance swimmer was educated in Penarth.

[edit] Entertainment and media

• Steve Parr (Born 1954) – the multiple award winning record producer and sound engineer, UK pioneer of 5:1 and 6:1 sound recording and owner of successful recording studios in London and Austin, Texas was born in Penarth and educated at Penarth County Grammar School. Originally the keyboard player with 1970s Penarth based Glamrock band "Ingroville" followed by a stint with Arista recording artists "Burlesque", Steve has recently recorded the themes and soundtracks for TV programmes such as “CSI:Crime Scene Investigation”, “Primeval” and films like “St Trinian's”, “Fade to Black” and over 300 similar projects. Steve is also the Vice Chairman of the Music Producers’ Guild of the UK. In the popular music arena Steve has recorded artistes such as Natalie Imbruglia, Bryan Adams, The Who, Iron Maiden and Super Furry Animals as well as acting as music director and senior sound engineer at the John Lennon and Nelson Mandella tribute concerts. ^{[35] [36] [37]}

• Colin McCormack (born December 1941 - died 19 June 2004) - Actor and member of the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company, famous for his stage, television and film roles over fifty years including Macbeth (1988), The Tempest (1988), Two Gentlemen Of Verona (1999) and Julius Caesar (2002). He was also in the RSC's production of A Clockwork Orange (1990). His TV roles were numerous but included Dixon Of Dock Green (1955 and 1974), Z Cars (1966), Please, Sir (1970), The Sweeney (1975), The Good Life (1978), Yes Minister (1980), Martin Chuzzlewit (1994), Inspector Morse (1987), Casualty (2000) and Longitude (2000). He appeared in several films the latest ones being Let Him Have It (1991) and First Knight (1995). Colin will probably best be remembered by television audiences for his recurring role as Alan in the 1984 science fiction series Chocky and his 1991 stint playing Kevin Masters in Eastenders. He also tutored at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and his students included Ewan McGregor, Alistair McGowan and Daniel Craig. Colin died of cancer aged 63. He was born in Penarth and attended Penarth Grammar School. ^[38]

• Martyn Joseph - was born in Penarth and is a Welsh singer-songwriter. In 2004, he won the Best Male Artist Category in the BBC Welsh Music Awards.

• Shakin' Stevens - also known as Shaky (born Michael Barratt, 4 March 1948, in Ely, Cardiff, Wales) the Platinum selling Welsh rock and roll singer and songwriter, who has the distinction of being the top selling UK singles artist of all time, with thirty four Top 40 records, was based in Penarth during the 1960s and early 1970s.

• Jemma Griffiths (Born 18 June 1975) - is a singer-songwriter better known as Jem. She was born in Penarth where she attended Stanwell Comprehensive School and went on to attend Sussex University, obtaining a degree in law. Along with Guy Sigsworth, she wrote the song "Nothing Fails", which was later reworked by Madonna and appeared on her 2003 American Life album.

• Ross Lovegrove (born 1958) – the internationally known industrial designer, best known for his pioneering design work on the Sony Walkman and Apple computers, was born and educated in the town and returns home frequently to visit local family members. ^[39]

• Paul 'Legs' Barrett - was manager of Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets for ten years until October 1977 and is well known countrywide as a rock and roll promoter, agent and impressario. He has also managed Jerry Lee Lewis's younger sister Linda Gail Lewis. Paul has lived in Penarth all his life and is married to Lorraine Barrett, the town's Welsh Assembly member.

• The Sunsets - Shakin' Stevens's original backing band was formed from mostly Penarth resident musicians, including the long serving bassist David 'Batman' Goddard. The renowned 1950s purist rock and roll band is still based in the town and tours regularly, now fronted by Shaky's younger nephew Levi Barrett.

• Danny Chang - the Oscar and BAFTA nominated film music composer, former hit recording artist and pop concert promoter has his home and recording studio on Beach Road in Penarth.

• Phil Jones - the professional bass player and electronics genius that founded the international company, with its headquarters in America, that bears his name Phil Jones Bass and makes expensive high end amplification for artists like 'Sting', 'Pino Palladino' and 'Jimmy Page' was born and brought up in Penarth ^[40]

• David 'Fingers' Land - original bass player with 1970s chart band Racing Cars who had a top twenty hit with "They shoot horses, don't they?" has lived in Penarth all his life

• David Sullivan (born 1 February 1949) - the notorious "Private shops" pornography baron, newspaper proprietor and part owner of Birmingham City FC was born and educated in Penarth. He graduated in Economics from Queen Mary College, University of London. Since 1986 he has been the owner of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport. In 2004, Sullivan was named by the Sunday Times as Britain's 68th richest man, with assets valued at over £500 million.^[41]

• Eric Linklater (8 March 1899 - 7 November 1974) was a succesful writer, known for more than 20 novels, as well as short stories, travel writing and autobiography, and military history. Linklater was born in Penarth.

• Steve Young (Born 1942) - Radio DJ born in Penarth, Steve's family emigrated to Canada while he was still in his teens. He grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and began his radio career working the evening shift at radio station CHAT in 1964. The following year he returned to the UK and applied for a position at Radio Caroline. He joined Radio Caroline South in August 1966. Steve presented the marathon midnight-6am show and stayed with the station till its demise. Young now owns a popular radio station in Alberta Canada.

• Denys Graham (Born 25 Jan 1895) - TV and film actor born in Penarth. He has appeared in films such as Zulu, The Dambusters and Dunkirk, also TV shows including Angels, Lovejoy and Rumpole of the Bailey.

• The Weapons - are a successful indie/punk band with multi national musicians including two from Penarth, Justin and Georgia Griffiths the siblings of solo artist Jemma Griffiths.

[edit] See also

• Penarth's Information & Community Website
• Penarth Times, local newspaper site

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Penarth, BBC
• Vale of Glamorgan Council site including school list
• Images of Penarth, site with many pictures of Penarth
• Flickr Penarth photo gallery
• Cogan Coronation AFC Website
• Penarth Yesterday Share your Photos Stories and memories of Penarth
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Penarth an surrounding area