View source for Pentyrch

{{Short description|Village and community in Cardiff, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2013}}
{{infobox UK place
| official_name               = Pentyrch
| country                     = Wales
| population                  = 3,483
| population_ref              = (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/pentwyn-w05000870#sthash.9ek9EQqp.dpbs|title=Ward population 2011 |access-date=8 April 2015}}</ref>
| os_grid_reference           = ST101819
| map_type                    =
| coordinates                 = {{coord|51.52883|-3.29735|display=inline,title}}
| post_town                   = CARDIFF
| postcode_area               = CF
| postcode_district           = CF15
| dial_code                   = 029
| constituency_westminster    = [[Cardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiff West]]
| welsh_name                  = 
| community_wales             = Pentyrch  <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pentyrch.cc/|title=Cyngor Cymuned Pentyrch Community Council |website=pentyrch.cc}}</ref>
| unitary_wales               = [[Cardiff]]
| lieutenancy_wales           = [[South Glamorgan]]
| constituency_welsh_assembly = [[Cardiff West (Senedd constituency)|Cardiff West]] 
| module=
{{Switcher
| [[File:2024 Wales Cardiff Community Pentyrch map.svg|240px]]
| Show map of the community
| [[File:Cardiff ward location - Pentyrch.png|240px]]
| Show map of the electoral ward
}}
}}

'''Pentyrch''' (sometimes {{langx|cy|Pen-tyrch}}; {{IPA|cy|pɛnˈtɪrχ}}) is a village and [[Community (Wales)|community]] located on the western outskirts of [[Cardiff]], the capital city of [[Wales]]. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, Pentyrch, which covers the village and immediate surrounding area. The Pentyrch community includes the neighbouring village of [[Creigiau]] and [[Gwaelod y Garth]]. People living in Pentyrch are commonly known as "Pentyrchians".

On 26 February 2016, multiple witnesses reported seeing [[UFO]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/strange-night-welsh-field-involving-15290890|title = The strange Welsh night involving 'huge UFO lights', explosions and the military|date = 22 October 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
The village is situated approximately 6 miles north-west from Cardiff city centre, next to the [[Garth Mountain]], high above the [[River Taff]].

The village can be reached from junction 32 of the M4 Motorway, then [[A470 road|A470]], then via Heol Goch, a hill flanked by a quarry and nature reserve. Alternatively, Church Road provides access from Llantrisant Road near [[St Fagans]].

Other approaches are from [[Creigiau]] and [[Gwaelod-y-Garth]].

There was a separate location, Pentyrch Crossing, a flat railway crossing believed to have been removed in the 1960s, between [[Morganstown]] and the River Taff.

==Demographics==
At the [https://web.archive.org/web/20070309221631/http://www.cardiffcommunitysafety.co.uk/page.php?id=45 2001 census], Pentyrch contained 3,535 individuals, in 1,358 households.

==Governance==
Pentyrch became the newest addition to the Cardiff [[unitary authority]] in 1996.<ref name=Cardiffians>{{cite web|title=The suburb of Pentyrch|url=http://www.cardiffians.co.uk/suburbs/pentyrch.shtml|publisher=Cardiffians.co.uk|date=1 August 2010|access-date=9 April 2013}}</ref>  The electoral ward of Pentyrch & St Fagans elects three councillors to [[Cardiff Council]].

It falls within the parliamentary constituency of [[Cardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiff West]] and is represented by the Labour Party in the [[House of Commons]] and the [[Senedd]].  

In October 2021 Cardiff Council accepted a number of ward change proposals made by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales. These included the merger of Creigiau/St Fagans with the Pentyrch ward to form a new ward of "Pentyrch and St Fagans". This would take effect from the 2022 council election.

The ward is bounded by [[Rhondda Cynon Taf]] to the north; and by the wards of [[Whitchurch & Tongwynlais]] to the east; [[Radyr & Morganstown]] to the southeast; Fairwater to the south and Ely to the southwest.

===Local elections===
Pentyrch was represented by Conservative councillor [[Craig Williams (British politician)|Craig Williams]] on Cardiff Council until he stepped down in 2015, following his election to Parliament for [[Cardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiff North]].  He was defeated two years later in the 2017 General Election by the Labour Party's Anna McMorrin. 

Craig Williams was one of the Conservative members involved in a well publicised scandal, alleged to have placed a bet on the date of the 2024 General Election, just three days before it was announced. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.sky.com/story/conservative-party-withdraws-support-for-two-candidates-embroiled-in-betting-scandal-13158495 |website=Sky News |access-date=3 January 2025 |title=Conservative Party withdraws support for two candidates embroiled in betting scandal }}</ref>

A by-election for the Pentyrch ward took place on Tuesday 30 June 2015 which, despite a 27% swing to Plaid Cymru's Hywel Wigley, resulted in a narrow win for Conservative candidate Gavin Hill-John by 18 votes.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ruth Mosalski |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/tories-hold-pentyrch---story-9560980 |title=Tories hold on to Pentyrch - but story of the night is a huge swing to Plaid's candidate Dafydd Wigley's son Hywel|work=Wales Online |date=1 July 2015 |access-date=14 January 2018 }}</ref>

At the [[2017 City of Cardiff Council election|Cardiff Council election on 4 May 2017]] Cllr Hill-John successfully defended his seat, increasing the margin between himself and Hywel Wigley to 215 votes. The turnout was 56%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=95&RPID=1002452137&LLL=0 |title=Election results for Pontprennau & Old St Mellons - Cardiff Council Elections 2017 - Thursday, 4th May, 2017|date=4 May 2017|publisher=Cardiff Council |access-date=14 January 2018 }}</ref>

At the 2022 City of Cardiff Council election on 5 May 2022, under the new ward boundary, two Common Ground Alliance councillors (a Plaid Cymru, Green Party alliance) were elected with 1,289 and 1,241 votes, while a Conservative councillor was elected with 1,170.  Turnout was 46.5%.  The Common Ground Alliance won the new third seat created by the boundary change, took the vote swing in one of the existing seats and the Conservative group held a seat.

=== Community Council ===
The Pentyrch Community Council has thirteen elected (or co-opted) members, representing the villages of Pentyrch, Creigiau (including Capel Llanilltern) and [[Gwaelod y Garth]] (the three community wards) on a ratio of 6:5:2.<ref name=PCChome>{{cite web|title=Home - Protecting the environment, quality of life, and rural character of the four villages|url=http://www.pentyrch.cc/|publisher=Cyngor Cymuned Pentyrch Community Council |access-date=14 January 2018}}</ref>

Elections are held every five years.

====2017 Community Council Election====
Ten candidates (6 Independent, 3 Welsh Labour, 1 Plaid Cymru) stood for election during the [[2017 Cardiff Council election]]. All candidates were therefore elected unopposed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Elections|url=http://www.pentyrch.cc/?page_id=1002|publisher=Pentyrch Community Council|access-date=1 April 2020}}</ref>

The following by-elections took place between May 2017 and the next election in 2022.

{{Election box begin | title=Pentyrch Ward - Thursday, 19 March 2020<ref>{{cite web|title=Pentyrch Community Ward - Thursday, 19th March, 2020|date = 19 March 2020|url=https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=128&RPID=1273629&LLL=0|publisher=[[City of Cardiff Council]]|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Ian Jones
|votes = 190
|percentage = 
|change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Welsh Conservative Party
|candidate = Gary Dixon
|votes = 126
|percentage = 
|change = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 316
|percentage = 16.6
|change = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Pentyrch Ward - Friday, 9 November 2018<ref>{{cite web|title=Pentyrch Community Ward - Friday, 9th November, 2018|date = 9 November 2018|url=https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=116&RPID=1275870&LLL=0|publisher=[[City of Cardiff Council]]|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Simon Roberts
|votes = No contest
|percentage = 
|change = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

Political affiliation recorded as 'Welsh Conservative' on the Pentyrch Community Council website (March 2020).

{{Election box begin | title=[[Creigiau]] Ward - Thursday, 23 August 2018<ref>{{cite web|title=Creigiau Community Ward - Thursday, 23rd August, 2018|date = 23 August 2018|url=https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=115&RPID=1275895&LLL=0|publisher=[[City of Cardiff Council]]|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Jena Quilter
|votes = No contest
|percentage = 
|change = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

Political affiliation recorded as 'Welsh Conservative' on the Pentyrch Community Council website (March 2020).

====2022 Community Council Election====
The next election is due to be held in May 2022.

==Amenities==
[[File:St. Catwg's Church - Pentyrch - geograph.org.uk - 1735690.jpg|thumb|St Catwg's Church]]
[[File:Kings Arms, Pentyrch. - geograph.org.uk - 380282.jpg|thumb|King's Arms pub, Pentyrch]]
Acapela Studio, a concert hall and recording studio, is owned by harpist [[Catrin Finch]]  and music and television producer Hywel Wigley. Acapela studio has hosted a series of  Welsh acts such as [[Gruff Rhys]], [[Cerys Matthews]] and [[Charlotte Church]] as well as local and international music acts. Many programmes for [[S4C]] and the [[BBC]] are filmed there. The building itself is converted from the former presbyterian Capel Horeb. Opposite Acapela is the Lewis Arms public house.

Housing is split between older housing and large post-1970s developments. The older buildings in the village are reached by forking left after entering the village, travelling down to the King's Arms pub, and St. Catwg's Church, at the lowest point of the village.  Along with St. Catwg's Church and its lychgate, the King's Arms is a Grade II [[Listed building]].  Originally a seventeenth-century copyhold farm called Cae Golman, the King's Arms became established as a public house in the eighteenth century.  The bar has a fireplace with a chamfered beam, dated 1711. Sport in the village is centred on the [[Pentyrch RFC|Pentyrch]] [[Rugby union|Rugby Football Club]]. There is also a cricket pitch and other facilities at the club. Pentyrch Rangers football club is based in the village. The club has nearly 200 registered players and runs 10 junior and mini football teams in the Cardiff and District League. Other amenities include a village hall and primary school.

[[Craig-y-parc House]], in wooded grounds outside the village, is a former country house, now a residential school for children and young adult with disabilities. Designed by [[Charles Edward Mallows]] for the colliery owner Thomas Evans, and built between 1914 and 1918, it is a [[Listed building|Grade II* listed building]].<ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=22816|desc=Craig-y-parc House|grade=II*|access-date=9 August 2020}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Lucie Jones]], singer and model 
* [[Robin Sowden-Taylor]], rugby player, raised in Pentyrch
* [[Craig Williams (British politician)|Craig Williams]] MP, lives in Pentyrch and served as Cardiff City Councillor for Pentyrch ward from 2008 to 2015 <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/new-cardiff-north-mp-craig-9307308 |title=New Cardiff North MP Craig Williams steps down as city councillor |work=Wales Online |date=21 May 2015 |access-date=25 June 2015 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.pentyrch.org.uk/ Pentyrch.org.uk web site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050407202140/http://www.pentyrch.org.uk/history/ The Pentyrch and District Local History Society]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070309221631/http://www.cardiffcommunitysafety.co.uk/page.php?id=45 Census information (2001)]   [http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/censusdata/map.asp further mapped census data]
* {{gbmapping|ST101819}}

{{Cardiff}}
{{Communities of Cardiff}}
{{Politics and Government in Cardiff}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Communities in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Villages in Cardiff]]
[[Category:Former electoral wards of Cardiff]]