Ynysawdre is a small

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, t ...

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. I ...

, south

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 ...

. It is located to the east of

Aberkenfig Aberkenfig ( cy, Abercynffig, meaning "mouth of the Kenfig" (stream)) is a village located in the County Borough of Bridgend, Wales to the north of Bridgend town. It is in the community of Newcastle Higher. Location Aberkenfig is located in Sou ...

, and comprises the two villages of

Tondu Tondu ( en, Black Meadow) is a village in Bridgend County Borough, Wales, located about north of the town of Bridgend, in the community of Ynysawdre. Tondu lies on the A4063 from Bridgend to Maesteg, and was established in the late 18th cent ...

and

Brynmenyn Brynmenyn is a small village located at the confluence of the Garw and Ogmore rivers in south Wales, around 4 miles north of Bridgend, and it also in the Bridgend County Borough council area. The village has its own primary school. Transport T ...

. The name Ynysawdre is also usually used for a small section of Tondu. At the 2001 census, the population of the community was 3,698, reducing to 3,367 at the 2011 Census.

Buildings of note

The community of Ynysawdre is home to several notable buildings. Tondu Ironworks is an important remnant of Britain's industrial heritage. Built in 1820 by Sir Robert Price, the ironworks, although derelict, still survive as a series of large roofless stone buildings. Structures surviving include the charging bank, the blast-engine house, a range of seven iron ore calcining kilns, each 62 ft by 32 ft in size, and over a hundred beehive-shaped coking kilns. The calcining and coking kilns are rare surviving examples of the thousands of kilns once found throughout Britain. Other notable remains from the area's industrial past include Aberkenfig Railway Bridge and Glan-Rhyd Railway Viaduct, two horse-drawn railway bridges, both built in the 1920s.

Education

Ynysawdre is home to Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, a large English-medium comprehensive school which serves the Garw and Ogmore valleys. Y Dderwen was formerly the two schools of Ynysawdre School and Ogmore School; Ynysawdre was based on Y Dderwen's current site and Ogmore School was based in the nearby village of Bryncethin. Y Dderwen's new building will be open in 2013; until then the school will operate on a split site basis using the current buildings of Ynysawdre and Ogmore, with the new building being built alongside Ynysawdre. The community was also home to Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School until mid-2011, when it relocated to a new building in

Brackla Brackla ( cy, Bracla) is a large housing estate and community in the east of Bridgend in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Along with the communities of Bridgend and Coychurch Lower, it makes up the town of Bridgend. At the 2001 census the commun ...

. The school served the entire county borough. Ynysawdre is also home to Brynmenyn Primary School, a small school with its own nursery. Tondu primary school is located in the village of Aberkenfig.

Sport

Ynysawdre is the location of Pandy Park, home of Tondu RFC. Pandy Park houses numerous football and rugby pitches. Ynysawdre Pool and Fitness Centre is located on Heol-Yr-Ysgol, one of the main roads.

Governance

At the local level Ynysawdre has a

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. I ...

, comprising up to ten community councillors elected (or co-opted) from the community wards of Tondu and Brynmenyn. Ynysawdre was also an

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

electing a county councillor 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 cam ...

. Since 1995 the ward had been represented by the Labour Party. In January 2019 a consultation period began, to review the wards and representation in the county. The proposals included merging the Ynysawdre ward with neighbouring Sarn. From the 2022 local elections Ynysawdre became part of the 'St Bride’s Minor and Ynysawdre' ward, which also covers the community of

St Bride's Minor St Bride's Minor is a community in Bridgend County Borough, south Wales. Located north of Bridgend town it is made up of Sarn, a large housing estate, and the villages of Bryncethin and Abergarw. The southern border of the community is defined b ...

. The ward elects three county councillors.

References

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