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Pyle ( cy, Y Pîl) is a village and 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 ...
) in
Bridgend county borough Bridgend County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. The county borough has a total population of 139,200 people, and contains the town of Bridgend, after which it is named. It ...
, Wales. This large village is served by the A48 road, and lies less than one mile from Junction 37 of the
M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...
, and is therefore only a half-hour journey from the capital city of Wales, Cardiff. The nearest town is the seaside resort of Porthcawl. Within the Community, to the northeast of Pyle, is the adjoining settlement of Kenfig Hill, North Cornelly also adjoins Pyle and the built-up area had a population of 13,701 in 2011.


Etymology

The English name "Pyle" is derived from the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
'' Pîl'', meaning a tidal inlet of the sea, this localised toponym is found along the coast of South Wales, from
Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
and into Somerset. In this instance it may refer to the mouth of the
River Kenfig The River Kenfig ( cy, Afon Cynffig) is a river in Wales, straddling the county boroughs of Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend. It is approximately 18 kilometres long. Course The river rises in the forest of Mynydd Margam, southwest of Maesteg. Fro ...
, which is tidal for its first mile from the sea. A commonly stated, but erroneous derivation from the English word "pile" (a stake) is highly unlikely, with the only settlement in the United Kingdom known to have this derivation being a hamlet on the Isle of Wight.


Location

Pyle is located approximately 26 miles west of Cardiff, 16 miles east of Swansea, 4 miles west of Bridgend and 6 miles southeast of Port Talbot. It is on the main A48 road from Cardiff to Swansea and is just north of the
M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...
which has superseded the trunk road for through traffic. Junction 37 on the motorway is one mile south of Pyle. Other communities in the vicinity are South Cornelly, North Cornelly, Kenfig and Porthcawl.
Pyle railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Pyle railway station, Bridgend - geograph.org.uk - 4123270.jpg , borough = Pyle, Bridgend , country = Wales , coordinates = , ...
is on the Cardiff to
Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
section of the London to South Wales Main Line.


Early history

An indication of early settlement is the Croes Siencyn Incised Stone, a Scheduled monument on Marlas Road, (, grid ref: SS822823). This is a weathered stone with an incised cross, dated to 11th or 12th century, moved to its present garden location in 1945 from 'between Kenfig and Pyle'. The early expansion of Pyle was brought about when the ancient borough of Kenfig was abandoned after being overwhelmed by sand during a catastrophic encroachment by the sea in the mid fifteenth-century. The road through Kenfig was diverted one and a half miles inland and brought Pyle to prominence while Kenfig dwindled into a straggle of a few houses. The walls of Pyle St James' parish church are reputed to have been moved stone by stone from the old town, relocated further inland as the sand encroached. This gave rise to the church sometimes being referred to as the upside-down church, because the first stones moved would have been the higher ones in the original church. Writing in 1870, in the
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales The ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' is a substantial topographical dictionary first published between 1870 and 1872, edited by the Reverend John Marius Wilson. It contains a detailed description of England and Wales. Its six volumes h ...
, John Marius Wilson described the parish of Pyle, including Kenfig and Skerr, to comprise of land and of water. In 1861, the population of the village was 1,192 distributed among 251 households. Real property in the village of Pyle was valued at £3,949, of which £1,619 was in mines. Besides the thriving collieries there were also coking plants and ironworks as well as a quarry where good quality building stone was extracted.


Recent history

The street of Longlands Close in Pyle was the site of a coaching inn which was used by passing travelers using the west Wales to London turnpike. Lord Nelson stayed at Pyle Inn on his way to visit to naval installations in Pembrokeshire, as did Isambard Kingdom Brunel during the construction of the
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
line through South Wales. Pyle was made a community in 2002, when the
Cynffig Cynffig was a community in the west of Bridgend County Borough, bordering Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The community included the villages of North Cornelly, South Cornelly, Kenfig and Pyle. Following ''The Bridgend (Cynffig, Cornelly and Pyle Commu ...
community was split into two parts (the other being Cornelly), following a recommendation of the
Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales ( cy, Comisiwn Ffiniau a Democratiaeth Leol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for defining borders for local elections and government in Wales. The name of the commission ...
.


Governance

Pyle is the name of the
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 ...
which is coterminous with the community. The ward elects three county councillors to
Bridgend County Borough Council Bridgend County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is the governing body for Bridgend County Borough, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. History Bridgend County Borough and Bridgend County Borough Council came ...
.


Village facilities

The village has its own leisure centre, swimming pool, supermarket, library and petrol station. The leisure centre is a frequent school trip destination, attracting schools from the Cardiff area. There is also a large industrial estate which hosts some notable names and a garden centre. An area of woodland known as The Collwyn is close to the west side of the village. In 2010 Pyle Community Council were able to buy the strip of woodland, with its stream and old watermill, to ensure its survival and use for the village. There are three schools in the community: Cynffig Comprehensive School, Mynydd Cynffig Primary School and Pil Primary School. Pyle Rugby Football Club plays in the WRU Swalec League Division 3.


Religion

Kenfig Hill, though a smaller settlement, has four places of worship. St Theodore's (Church in Wales), was built in 1889, and became a parish in 1923. Also in Kenfig Hill are Pisgah Chapel, (Welsh Baptist), Bethal Community Church and St Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic). Within Pyle itself there is Mount Zion Chapel (English Baptist) and the parish church of St James ( Church in Wales) is a Grade I listed building. It was built in around 1471 as is indicated by a carving of the figures on a small wooden shield on a wallplate. It is unclear to what extent the present building adheres to the original structure because there are variations in construction methods and in the stone used. The church is considered to be a fine example of a mainly Perpendicular, two-cell church with a nave and chancel. The tower at the west end bears a clock.


See also

* List of Scheduled Monuments in Bridgend


References


External links


community-council.org.uk/pylewww.geograph.co.uk : photos of Pyle and surrounding area
{{authority control Villages in Bridgend County Borough Communities in Bridgend County Borough Wards of Bridgend County Borough