Coychurch ( cy, Llangrallo) is a small village that sits between Pencoed and

Bridgend Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the medieval bridge over the River Og ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, bordering with

Bridgend Industrial Estate Bridgend Industrial Estate is a large industrial park complex in Bridgend, Wales. It is made up of three adjoining Industrial Estates, being Waterton, Bridgend, and North Road and incorporating a retail park in Waterton. History It was built on ...

, where many residents are employed. It is part of the community of

Coychurch Lower Coychurch Lower is a community in Bridgend County Borough, South Wales. Along with the communities of Brackla and Bridgend, it makes up the town of Bridgend. Coychurch Lower is the eastern district of Bridgend, and takes in the village of Coychu ...

History

The village has a long-standing religious association, with an early Christian church having been built there possibly as long ago as the 8th century CE. The current church of St Crallo was built in the 13th century, and is a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

, very large in size for the village it serves. A medieval cross in the churchyard, close to the church's south door, is Grade II* listed. John Wesley is said to have included the church in his preaching tour of 1771, and the churchyard also contains the grave of the lexicographer Thomas Richards (1710-1790), perpetual curate of Llangrallo, who published the first full-length English-Welsh dictionary in 1753 and dedicated it to

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fa ...

. Near the church are two public houses, the White Horse and the Prince of Wales. The only other businesses in the village are a hairdressing salon and a general store. Coychurch (Llangrallo) Primary School is located in Main Road and is an English-medium school and had 106 pupils as at 2014. In 2013, extensive improvements were made to road safety within the village. A crossing was placed outside the school and pavements were improved; this resulted in fewer pupils being brought to school by car, with a consequent reduction in traffic through the village. A local Arthurian legend has grown up, fostered by amateur historian Alan Wilson, who claims, in his 1986 book ''Artorius Rex Discovered'', to have discovered a cave in Coed-y-Mwstwr Forest, just behind the village of Coychurch, where King Arthur was buried secretly, for fear that the news of his death might split his kingdom. Some believe that the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracu ...

was brought to the area by

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several ...

. A manuscript owned by "Thomas Hopkin of Coychurch" was used by the antiquary

Iolo Morganwg Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (; 10 March 1747 – 18 December 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector.Jones, Mary (2004)"Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg/Iolo Morgannwg" From ''Jones' Celtic Encyclop ...

to provide "genealogies" of the British saints and a pedigree of

Taliesin Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the '' Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...

. The Coed-y-Mwstwr Hotel, named after the wood, is a

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

and the former home of MP Arthur John Williams and his wife Rose (the daughter of

Robert Thompson Robert or Bob Thompson may refer to: Entertainment * Bobby Thompson (comedian) (1911–1988), English comedian * Bob Thompson (musician) (1924–2013), American orchestra leader, arranger, composer * Robert E. Thompson (screenwriter) (1924–2004 ...

and

Rose Mary Crawshay Rose Mary Crawshay (1828–1907) was a British philanthropist. She commissioned free libraries and a non-fiction prize for women. Life Crawshay was born Rose Mary Yeates in Caversham Grove in Oxfordshire to Wilson Yeates and his first wife. She ...

). Their many guests at the house included

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...

and Ivor Novello. Following Arthur Williams' death, his wife Rose financed the building of the Williams Memorial Hall in 1920, creating a trust that is now administered by Coychurch Lower Community Council. Capel Crallo, Coychurch Crematorium

The crematorium, which serves the Bridgend area, was built in 1970 and was the last design of modernist architect Maxwell Fry, with stained-glass windows produced by Swansea School of Art. It became a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

in 2001. It is administered by Bridgend County Borough Council.

References

External links

Birdgend.gov.uk
Bridgend tourism guide
Geograph.co.uk
photos of Coychurch and surrounding area {{authority control Villages in Bridgend County Borough Joseph of Arimathea