Penrhys
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Penrhys the village on the hill
Situated on the hilltop between the valleys of Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr Penrhys has played an important part in the history of Wales. A rich tapestry is woven by the strands of facts, holiness, myth and legend.
In 1951 the excavation of Erw Beddau – “the acre of graves” – found evidence of a Bronze
Age burial site, one of three in the area.
Rhys ap Tewdwr, Prince of Deheubarth, is said to have been beheaded in battle against the Normans here. Though historians refute its authenticity, many believe that the legend is true.
The Well, probably of pagan origin, is the oldest recorded Christian site in the Rhondda, it was probably visited by the Celtic Saints and has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The water is said to cure many ailments including “rheumatism – the king’s evil” and disorders of the eyes.
Many tales poems have been penned, many tales told, about the statue of Jesus and his mother, “a gift from heaven”, that miraculously appeared in the branches of an oak tree. It would not be dislodged, even by eight oxen, until a shrine and chapel had been built to house it. The chapel and shrine were two of the three large buildings that constituted the monastery of Penrhys, the third was a hostelry built to serve the hundreds of Pilgrims and invalids that flocked to the Shrine from far and near, many bearing candles and precious gifts in thanksgiving. During the Reformation the Shrine was set alight and the statue taken to London and burned in public. When Our Lady of Penrhys Church was built in Ferndale in 1912, a replica of the original statue, carved from oak, took pride of place.
The statue that stands on the brow of the hill today, on the site of the old chapel, is carved according to descriptions left behind by the ancient poets, out of Portland Stone, and is much larger than the original. It was unveiled on 2 July 1953, by Archbishop McGrath. The pilgrimage had been revived in 1936 by Ferndale’s parish priest, the Reverend PJ Gibbons, and the well was restored by Rhondda Borough Council in 1939. The first pilgrimage after the erection of the new statue was attended by more than 20,000 people.
Many still make pilgrimage to the Shrine, and Penrhys is part of the Cistercian Way.
Penrhys Village
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In 1968 the Village of Penrhys was officially opened, consisting of almost 1,000 dwellings, it was intended to be the overspill village for the Rhondda Valleys. With almost 1,000 dwellings it was the largest public sector housing estate in Wales. Sadly, the badly planned layout and badly built houses caused problems from the outset. The decline of the coal industry with its resulting unemployment, deprivation and depopulation compounded those problems. It was true to say that Penrhys was home to “problem families and families with problems”. However, these problems brought the people together and a strong sense of community began to grow.
Today with just 300 homes remaining things seem to have settled down in Penrhys, the population has stabilised. Llanfair Uniting Church is at the heart of Penrhys both geographically and spiritually. As the singer and politician Dafydd Iwan might say, “Rydyn ni yma o hyd!” We are still here, and here we intend to remain.
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