Pentre is a village, community and

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

near

Treorchy Treorchy ( cy, Treorci; ) is a town and community (and electoral ward) in Wales. Once a mining town, it retains such characteristics. Situated in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in the Rhondda Fawr valley. Treorchy is also one of the 16 c ...

in the

Rhondda valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ...

, falling within the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The village's name is taken from the Welsh word Pentref, which translates as homestead, though Pentre is named after a large farm that dominated the area before the coming of industrialisation. The community takes in the neighbouring village of

Ton Pentre Ton Pentre () is a village in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Ton Pentre, a former industrial coal mining village, is a district of the community of Pentre. The old district of ...

Toponymy

Pentre ''village'' in Welsh, from '' pentref'' (''pen'' head and ''tref'' town).

Early and industrial history

Pre-1850, the area which is now Pentre was made up of several scattered farms tended by tenant farmers for absentee landlords. With the discovery, in the early 19th century, of economically viable coal deposits in

Dinas Rhondda Dinas is a village near Tonypandy in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Dinas is often referred to as Dinas Rhondda to avoid confusion with Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan. The word ' in Modern Welsh means "city", but here (as ...

it was not long until expeditions reached the mid valleys. In 1857 Edward Curteis of Llandaff leased the mineral rights of Tyr-y-Pentre from Griffith Llewellyn of Baglan and soon had two levels opened, the Pentre and Church. During the early part of 1864 deeper shafts had been sunk by the Pentre Coal Company. The mines in the Pentre were some of the most profitable of all the collieries in the Rhondda. By the early 20th century, Pentre was a busy town and the main shopping area for the upper Rhondda and was also the centre for local government, with the local council offices built in Llewellyn Street in 1882. Pentre is also home to St Peter's Church (1890), the 'Cathedral of the Rhondda', the largest religious building in either valley. Two of the most notable businesses to have existed in the Rhondda were both formed in Pentre; the Pentre Breweries and the Rhondda Engine Works.

Governance

The Pentre

is coterminous with the borders of the Pentre community and elects two county councillors to

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf) is the governing body for Rhondda Cynon Taf, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council headquarters are located in the community of Cwm Clydach o ...

. Since 1995 representation has been by the Labour Party or Plaid Cymru, with two Plaid Cymru councillors since the May 2012 election.Rhondda Cyon Taff County Borough Council Election Results 1995-2012
The Election Centre. Retrieved 26 October 2018.County Borough Council Elections 2017
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Retrieved 26 October 2018.

Sport and leisure

The town also shares its border with the village of Ton Pentre, which is home to Ton Pentre Football Club, who currently play in the

Welsh Football League First Division The Welsh Football League Division One, known as the Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League First Division for sponsorship reasons, was a football league in South Wales. It formed the top division of the Welsh Football League and the second level of t ...

(second tier) and were members of the highest league in Welsh football – the

League of Wales The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 200 ...

– from 1993 until resignation from this division in 1996. Despite winning six Welsh Football League First Division title since then, they have not been promoted back to the League of Wales due to financial difficulties as well as the inadequacy of their facilities at Ynys Park.

Notable people

:''See :People from Pentre'' * Alan Curtis (born 1954) Welsh footballer won 35 caps for Wales *

Stan Griffiths Stanley Griffiths (8 February 1911 – 2003) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as an outside forward. He played six times in the Football League during spells with Gillingham and Cardiff City. Career Born in Pentre, Griffiths bega ...

(1911–2003),

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

* Johnny Jones, Welsh flyweight boxing champion *

Käthe Bosse-Griffiths Käthe Bosse-Griffiths (16 July 1910 – 4 April 1998) was an eminent Egyptologist. Born in Germany, she moved to Britain as a political refugee and married a Welshman. She became a writer in the Welsh language, and made a unique contribution ...

(1910 – 1998) Egyptologist and writer in the Welsh language *

Rhydwen Williams Robert Rhydwenfro Williams (29 August 1916 – 2 August 1997) was a Welsh poet, novelist and Baptist minister. His work is mainly written in his native Welsh language, and is noted for adapting the established style and context of Welsh poetry from ...

(1916–1997), poet and novelist, winner of the National Eisteddfod Crown * Jimmy Murphy (1910–1989), Wales National Football Team manager and

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

assistant manager. * John Cule, Welsh physician

References

External links

Pentre in the Rhondda: a window on Pentre, past and present
{{authority control Communities in Rhondda Cynon Taf Villages in Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Valley Wards of Rhondda Cynon Taf