View source for Pencoed

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                     = Wales
| welsh_name                  = 
| constituency_welsh_assembly = 
| static_image_name           = Pencoed War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 2268432.jpg
| static_image_caption         = Pencoed War Memorial
| official_name               = Pencoed
| population                  = 9,166
| population_ref              = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127468&c=CF35+5BX&d=16&e=62&g=6498424&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1446896004958&enc=1|title=Town population 2011|access-date=7 November 2015}}</ref>
| unitary_wales               = [[Bridgend County Borough|Bridgend]]
| lieutenancy_wales           = [[Mid Glamorgan]]
| constituency_westminster    = [[Bridgend (UK Parliament constituency)|Bridgend]]
| post_town                   = BRIDGEND
| postcode_district           = CF35
| postcode_area               = CF
| dial_code                   = 01656
| os_grid_reference           = SS957815
| coordinates                 = {{coord|51.52275|-3.50474|display=inline,title}} 
| module= [[File:Wales Bridgend Community Pencoed map.svg|240px]]<br />Map of the community
}}
'''Pencoed''' (also '''Pen-coed'''); {{pronunciation|LL-Q9309 (cym)-Jason.nlw-Pencoed.wav|Welsh pronunciation}}) is a town and [[Community (Wales)|community]] in the [[county borough]] of [[Bridgend County Borough|Bridgend]], [[Wales]]. It straddles the [[M4 motorway]] north east of [[Bridgend]] and is situated on the [[Ewenny River]]. At the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]] it had a population of around 9,166.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=W37000094|title=Custom report - Nomis - Official Labour Market Statistics}}</ref>

==Etymology and pronunciation==
The name appears as "Penkoyt" in a 1303 deed of [[Ewenny Priory]] and as "Pencoyd" in the seventeenth and eighteenth century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Pencoed Town Guide 2012-2013 |url=https://pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Pencoed-Town-Guide-12-13.pdf |website=pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk |access-date=21 February 2025 |page=7}}</ref> The name is likely a contraction of ''pen-y-coed'' (head/top/end of the forest/wood) and has historically been given as both Pen-coed and Pencoed. While some local business, roads and signage use the hyphenated version,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.maps.google.com|title=Google Maps|access-date=3 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014211217/http://maps.google.com/|archive-date=14 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> the official spelling in both English and Welsh is "Pencoed".<ref>{{cite web |title=Standardised Welsh Place-names list |url=https://www.welshlanguagecommissioner.wales/standardised-welsh-place-names-list |website=Welsh Language Commissioner |access-date=21 February 2025}}</ref>

The standard pronunciation in [[modern Welsh]] is {{IPA|cy|pɛn ˈkɔid|}} or {{IPA|cy|pɛn ˈkɔɨd|}}. However, the diphthong 'oe' in a monosyllable is generally reduced to a long vowel 'o' [o:] in South Wales, so the local pronunciation is {{IPA|cy|pɛn ˈkoːd|}}. This is sometimes spelled as "Pen-côd" in texts written in [[Gwenhwyseg]] (the local dialect).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tafelai.com/blw2012/tafod270p.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003091707/http://www.tafelai.com/blw2012/tafod270p.pdf |archive-date=2019-10-03 |title= Huotlach na Herr Hitler|work=Tafod Elái|date=September 2012|issue= 270|page=8|language=cy|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Needs more than a single citation to suggest a standard localised spelling.|date=February 2025}}

==History==
The earliest evidence of habitation in the area is the nearby Ogof y Pebyll ("Tents Cave") or Ogof Coed-y-Mwstwr ("Hubbub Wood Cave")), which is a [[scheduled monument]] and appears to have been inhabited during [[Neolithic]] or [[Bronze Age]] periods. Worked flint flakes have been found, along with the teeth of numerous mammals of many different species.<ref>[http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/307635/details/ Coflein.gov.uk NPRN: 307635]. [http://www.archwilio.org.uk/ Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust] (search for PRN: 00384m). Cadw SAM: GM434: Ogof y Pebyll Cave</ref>

The area remained heavily wooded and sparsely populated until the eighteenth century. A map of 1729 shows "coal pitts" in the area and coal, lime, timbers and stone all contributed to the growth of the town. The development of the industrial villages was heavily influenced by [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]]’s route for the South Wales Railway and the construction of a Railway Station between Pencoed and Penprysg in 1856. The two hamlets became the centre of the town of Pencoed. In just over a century and a half, Pencoed’s population increased from less than 500 to more than 12,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Pencoed Town Guide 2012-2013 |url=https://pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Pencoed-Town-Guide-12-13.pdf |website=pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk |access-date=21 February 2025 |page=7}}</ref>

==Present day==
The town is in the [[Ewenny River|Ewenny Valley]] and is divided by the [[M4 motorway]] near Junction 35, although almost all of the town lies to the north of the M4. About two miles north of the town, the upland relief of the [[South Wales Valleys]] starts. To the south are the rolling countryside of the [[Vale of Glamorgan]] and the rugged north coast of the [[Bristol Channel]].

The town consists of three distinct areas, which were once four small hamlets. To the north is [[Penprysg]] ("copse end"), which lies at the end of the low ridge (100 m) of ''[[Cefn Hirgoed]]'' ("long wood ridge"). To the west is ''Hendre'' ("lowland winter homestead", literally "old settlement") which rises gently from the railway line in the centre of the town towards the common land at ''Ystadwaun'', on older maps as ''Ystad y Waun'' and ''Gwastadwaun'' ("level moor"). The central and eastern part of the town, which lies on the valley floor near the railway, consists of Pencoed itself and ''Felindre'' ("mill settlement"). There are numerous streams rising and running through the town, and two main rivers, the ''Ewenni Fawr'' (Great Ewenny) and the ''Ewenni Fach'' (Little Ewenny). At the centre of the town, close to the [[Pencoed railway station|station]], is the war memorial (known locally as the Monument), the shopping centre and the local Community Hall (Pencoed Miners' Welfare Hall). The town is well provided with sports facilities, schools, pubs and clubs. A new development, Earlswood Parc, was announced in 2002 and now has been completed, incorporating various Westbury built homes and Bocam business park.

The current [[mayor]] is [[Councillor]] Barry Doughty.<ref>[http://www.pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk/_UserFiles/Files/Council%20Documents/Hyphen%2044.pdf Council documents] pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk {{dead link|date=January 2024}}</ref>

Pencoed hosted the [[National Eisteddfod]] in 1998.

The [[Raspberry Pi]] [[single-board computer]] is manufactured at the Sony Technology Centre in Pencoed, which produces 44,000 every week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19510600|title=Raspberry Pi production moves to Wales from China|date=6 September 2012|access-date=1 June 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref>

==Sport==
Pencoed is noted for producing Rugby Union players. [[Pencoed RFC]] has produced a number of international players for both [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and the [[British and Irish Lions]]. Most notably, three Pencoed players ([[Gareth Thomas (rugby, born 1974)|Gareth Thomas]], [[Gareth Cooper]] and [[Gavin Henson]]) all took part in the [[2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand]] with Thomas captaining the Test team.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Orders |first1=Mark |title=The little Welsh rugby club that found the secret to making Wales and Lions stars |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/little-welsh-rugby-club-found-18186550 |access-date=21 February 2025 |date=2 May 2020}}</ref>

==Twinning==
Pencoed has [[town twinning|twinning]] arrangements with:
* [[Waldsassen]], Germany
* [[Plouzané]], France

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.pencoedtowncouncil.gov.uk/ Pencoed Town Council website]
*[https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2763618 Photos of Pencoed and surrounding area] www.geograph.co.uk
*[http://www.2426.org.uk/ 2426 (Pencoed) Squadron - Air Training Corp]

{{Bridgend}}

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[[Category:Communities in Bridgend County Borough]]
[[Category:Pencoed| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Bridgend County Borough]]