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Llangennech
Village
Capel Salem in the village centre
A welcome sign to the village
LlangennechLocation within Carmarthenshire
Population	4,964 (2011 census)
Language	Welsh and English
OS grid reference	SN560015
Community	Llangennech
Principal area	Carmarthenshire
Preserved county	Dyfed
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LLANELLI
Postcode district	SA14
Dialling code	01554
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Llanelli
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Llanelli
List of places UK Wales Carmarthenshire 51°41′35″N 4°05′31″W / 51.693°N 4.092°W / 51.693; -4.092

Llangennech ([ɬänɡɛnɛχ](Welsh pronunciation)) is a village and community in the area of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales, which covers an area of 1,222 hectares (4.72 sq mi).

It is governed by Llangennech Community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council. Llangennech is also the name of the county electoral ward coterminous with the village. It falls in the Llanelli parliamentary and Senedd constituency. It lies in the Mid & West Wales region for regional Senedd members.

Llangennech was a coal mining community, with several local collieries mining steam coal. There is also a large Labour tradition in the village originating with the mine workers. There was a large Royal Navy depot in the village, which was closed in 2007 in Ministry of Defence restructuring.

Llangennech has a strong rugby union team, Llangennech RFC, that feeds many players into Llanelli RFC and then on to the Llanelli Scarlets regional rugby union team.

The town is served by Llangennech railway station on the Heart of Wales Line with trains to Swansea to the south and Shrewsbury to the north.

The community is bordered by the communities of Llanelli Rural, Llannon, and Llanedi, all in Carmarthenshire; and by Grovesend and Waungron and Gorseinon in the City and County of Swansea.

History

Origins

The village has been known by many names over the years. These include Llangennydd, Llangennich, Llangenardh, Llangennach, Llangenarth, Llangenneth, Llangenyth, Llangennych and Langenardh. The likely origin of the village's name comes from the parish church, known as both St. Cennech's or St. Gwynnog's. The church is believed to have been dedicated to the brothers St. Cennydd and St. Gwynog, the sons of St. Gildas. Documents reveal that the village has commemorated St. Gwynog since at least the 16th century.

After their education, the Celtic saints who studied in Wales would become missionaries and form Christian cells. If successful, these cells would become a "Llan", an early Welsh word for enclosure.

Industry

Coal

The village's coal industry dates back to at least the 17th century, where the Duchy of Lancaster survey in 1609 talks of a Thomas Lloyd's "coleworks" in the Allt area of the village. "Llangennech Coal", as it was known, was used extensively around the world.

The 'RN'

Until it closed in the late 1990s, the village was home to a Royal Navy Store Depot colloquially known as the 'RN'. Though it no longer belongs to the Royal Navy, it still operates as a contractor for the Ministry of Defence. It equipped the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier vehicles which were used in Afghanistan.

The Llangennech Estate

The Llangennech Estate, covering around 4,000 acres of land, was formed between 1801 and 1803 when John Symmonds bought land from Sir John Stepney and various others. In 1804 it entered the hands of the Earl of Warwick and John Vancouver, brother of George Vancouver. After surrendering the estate back to Symmons in 1806, it was sold to the MP Edward Rose Tunno in 1821 or 1824. Tunno leased much of the estate. Thomas Margrave of the Llangennech Coal Company leased the "Llangennech Mansion" in 1826. The industrialist Richard Janion Nevill leased the mansion among other lands. He died at the Mansion in 1856 and his son and wife lived there until 1870. After Tunno's death, Edward Sartoris, Nevill's nephew and MP for Carmarthenshire, received the Llangennech estate. He went on to marry Nellie Grant, daughter of President Ulysses.

Llangennech Park House was a country estate in what is now the street Maes Tŷ Gwyn. Attempts at securing protected site status were futile and it now stands abandoned.

The Rebecca Riots

The Bridge End toll gate stood near where The Bridge public house stands today in the village. An attack on this toll gate occurred in the early hours of 28 June 1843 and led to its destruction.

Whilst this is the only recorded occurrence of the Rebecca Riots in the village, residents still took part in them elsewhere. The Welshman reported that the murderer of Sarah Williams, who is believed to be the only victim killed during the riots, was a "named shoemaker of Llangennech".

Aircraft Crashes

Piper PA-30-320 Twin Comanche

On the 17th of March 1992, an aircraft carrying two passengers and one pilot crashed in Llangennech at 16:34 on its flight back to Haverfordwest. The pilot and front seated passenger sustained only minor injuries, whereas the other passenger suffered from a broken neck. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

English Electric Canberra

During an air test flight on the 13th of January 1958, the Canberra's engine failed causing a steep dive to the ground. It crashed into marshland two hundred yards from the railway station. The only occupant, Flight Lieutenant James Turnbull Wallace, was unfortunately killed due to the crash. He is buried at Llantwit Major Cemetery. The crash caused a thirty foot crater. Eyewitness accounts suggest that a flaming parachute was seen in the air as the plane came crashing down. No one was attached. Part of the parachute was later found fifty yards from the crater.

Demographics

Llangennech community's population was 4,964, according to the 2011 census; an increase of 10.07% since the 4,510 people noted in 2001.

The 2011 census showed 39.9% of the population could speak Welsh, a fall from 46.8% in 2001.

Geography

Troserch Woodlands

The Trosech Woodlands lie near the River Morlais, approximately one mile to the north of the village. It is owned and cared for by the Trosech Woodland Society for the benefit of the public.

Governance

Llangennech Community Council Cyngor Cymuned Llangennech
Type
Type	Community Council of Llangennech
Leadership
Chair	Ian Morlais Williams, Plaid Cymru since 16 May 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-16)
Vice Chair	Gary Robert Jones, Labour since 16 May 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-16)
Structure
Seats	12
Political groups	Labour (7)   Plaid Cymru (5)
Length of term	4
Elections
Last election	5 May 2022; 2 years ago (2022-05-05)
Meeting place
Llangennech Community Centre
Bryn Hall
Website
llangennechcommunitycouncil.gov.uk

Llangennech is currently represented in parliament by Nia Griffith MP and in the Senedd by Lee Waters MS, both under the Llanelli constituency. Both are members of the Labour party.

The Local Authority for the area is Carmarthenshire County Council and the village's county councillors are Gary Jones and Jacqueline Seward.

Llangennech Community Council

On a community level, Llangennech is run by Llangennech Community Council. It currently seats 12 councillors who are elected on a quadrennial basis. Meetings are held in the community centre and Bryn hall. The current Chair is Councillor Ian Morlais Williams of Plaid Cymru. Councillor Gary Robert Jones is the Vice Chair; he is a member of the Labour Party. They were both chosen to occupy their respective roles in the council's annual general meeting on the 16 May 2022.

Transport

Llangennech is served by the Heart of Wales line, with trains both beginning and terminating in Swansea and Shrewsbury. The franchise for the line is currently run by Transport for Wales (TfW).

Two bus services operate in the village - the L3 and L7. These are run by First Cymru. Residents complained about the reliability of these services, leading local politicians to secure promises from the operator that the services would improve.

Derailment Incident

On the 26th of August 2020, ten tankers derailed near the village and spilled around 446,000 litres of fuel. The area of the spillage included a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and a special area of conservation (SAC). The incident caused major damage to these environments.

Education

Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech is the only school in the village. As of 2021, there were 420 pupils on roll at the school. In 2017, Carmarthenshire County Council voted 38-20 in favour of somewhat controversial plans for the school to switch from dual stream education to an exclusively Welsh-medium education.

The school historically feeds into Ysgol Gyfun y Strade and Bryngwyn Comprehensive School for secondary education.

Sports

In late 2018, the Llangennech and Bryn Sports Association (LBSA) was formed. It is a charitable organisation focused on promoting sports in the villages of Llangennech and Bryn, and lobbying for better sporting facilities.

Rugby

The village's rugby team is Llangennech RFC. There are a range of age groups able to play, and the main team play in the WRU Division One West league. Notable players include the bodybuilder Flex Lewis.

Football

The village is represented in football by Llangennech AFC.

Cricket

Llangennech Cricket Club was founded in 1881. It has three senior sides, all playing in the South Wales Cricket Association's leagues. In 2019 the club won both the All Wales Sport midweek league and cup.

Bowls

There is a bowling green in the village used by the Llangennech & Bryn bowls club.

Notable residents

• Eileen Beasley, Welsh language campaigner, lived here during her and her husband's campaign for Welsh language tax bills
• Harry Jones, cricketer
• Huw Edwards, BBC News presenter, lived in the village during his youth
• Hywel Teifi Edwards, Welsh historian, lecturer and author, lived in the village
• Rhys Gabe, Welsh international rugby player was born in Llangennech
• Tristan Garel Jones, Conservative politician who served as MP for Watford and later became a life peer. The family moved to Llangennech's Bridge Street when his father was posted to India during the Second World War. Jones attended the Welsh speaking village school. They lived above their uncle's newsagent shop.

References

1. ^ "Area: Llangennech (Ward)". Office for National Statistics. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
2. Charles, Alwyn (1997). History of Llangennech (1st ed.). Llangennech Community Council. p. 11. ISBN 0953080706. OCLC 38340509.
3. Charles, Alwyn (1997). History of Llangennech (1st ed.). Llangennech Community Council. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0953080706. OCLC 38340509.
4. "LLANELLY FLOATING DOCK AND RAILWAY". The Cambrian. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via National Library for Wales. The neighbourhood of Llanelly is famous for the coal it produces, especially that description of coal known by the name of 'Llangennech Coal'
5. "New base to equip Afghan vehicles". 19 November 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
6. "Llangennech/Carson". Heir Hunters. Series 7. Episode 3. 9 July 2014. BBC.
7. "Llangennech house, Llangennech, Carmarthenshire". www.welshruins.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
8. Williams, David (1955). The Rebecca Riots. University of Wales Press. p. 350. ISBN 9780708309339. OCLC 1275631375.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
9. "REF: EW/C92/3/3" (PDF). gov.uk. Air Accident Investigation Branch. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
10. Huckfield, Paul; Burton, John (1 March 2013). "Military Aircraft Crash sites in Southeast Wales" (PDF). The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
11. "Pilot's body is found in shattered Canberra". Western Mail. 14 January 1958.
12. "Jet crash shakes infants' school". Llanelly Star. 18 January 1958.
13. "Area: Llangennech (Ward)". Office for National Statistics. 18 November 2004. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
14. "2011 Census results by Community". Welsh Language Commissioner. 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
15. "Troserch Woods Llangennech". troserchwoods.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
16. Charles, Alwyn. "History of Troserch Woodlands and Mills" (PDF). troserchwoods.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
17. "Llangennech Community Council Minutes for Annual General Meeting 2022" (PDF). llangennechcommunitycouncil.gov.uk. 30 August 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
18. Lewis, Ian (17 November 2021). "Hopes for bus service to be more dependable". Llanelli Star. p. 7.
19. "First Cymru makes promise to mend bus service from Llanelli to Llangennech". Wales News Online. 11 October 2021. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
20. "Ysgol Gymraeg Llangennech". mylocalschool.gov.wales. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
21. "English stream education removed from Ysgol Llangennech". BBC News. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
22. Sinclair, Tom (18 January 2017). "Llangennech School to become Welsh-Medium". The Llanelli Herald. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 8 May 2021 suggested (help)
23. "Catchment areas". www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
24. "LLANGENNECH AND BRYN SPORTS ASSOCIATION - Charity 1183362". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
25. "Llangennech CC". llang.play-cricket.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
26. "Eileen Beasley: Welsh language campaigner". The Independent. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
27. "Harry Jones profile and biography, stats, records, averages, photos and videos". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
28. "Urddo Mark Drakeford a Huw Edwards i'r Orsedd". BBC Cymru Fyw (in Welsh). 5 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
29. Rees, D. Ben (26 January 2010). "Hywel Teifi Edwards obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
30. "GABE, RHYS THOMAS (REES THOMAS GAPE; 1880 - 1967), rugby player | Dictionary of Welsh Biography". biography.wales. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
31. Langdon, Julia (30 March 2020). "Lord Garel-Jones obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

Further reading

• Charles, Alwyn (1997). History of Llangennech. Llangennech: Llangennech Community Council. ISBN 0953080706. OCLC 38340509.
• Bevan, Kenny; James, Gordon; Jones, Llew; Martin, Rhys (1985). Bois y Llan: Llangennech RFC. Kenny Bevan. OCLC 656726362.
• Symmons, M.V (1979). Coal Mining in the Llanelli Area ~ Volume One ~ 16th. Century to 1829. Vol. 1. Llanelli Borough Council. ISBN 9780906821008. OCLC 25069029.

External links

Media related to Llangennech at Wikimedia Commons

• Llangennech Community Council
• Carmarthenshire County Council

• Villages in Carmarthenshire
• Communities in Carmarthenshire
• Carmarthenshire electoral wards
• Llanelli