Pentre Bychan
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Coordinates: 53°01′19″N 3°02′06″W / 53.022°N 3.035°W
Pentrebychan (variously spelled as either one word or two, with the literal Welsh language meaning of "little village") is a semi-rural hamlet in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales
It is situated between Rhostyllen and Johnstown in the ward of Esclusham, some 4 km south-west of Wrexham town centre.
History
The ancient monument Offa's Dyke runs through Pentre Bychan.
The Pentrebychan estate was once of great importance in the area. The 16th-century house originally belonged to the Tegin family. It was a single-storey building, half-timbered with wattle and daub.
In 1620 the estate was purchased by Hugh Meredith. The Meredith family, who owned several local coal mines, occupied the estate until 1802 when Thomas Meredith, the last of the male line, died. The family traced their ancestry to Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, Prince of Powys. The Hall and estate were described as among the most extensive in the area. Many of the Welsh place names on the estate in the days of the early Merediths are extant today.
In 1823 the hall was replaced with a larger, three storey, dressed-stone building with gables, which had a stable block and coachhouse at the rear. The hall was surrounded by landscaped gardens which included a brick dovecote which dated back to 1721, a "fine example of an eighteenth century dovecote", Grade II listed since 1977.
The notable Arts & Crafts architect Frank Shayler designed two houses on Pentre Bychan Road,`Barn Hey' and `Cae Glyn'. There were intended to be a group of twelve houses on the frontage of Pentrebychan Hall, but construction, commenced in 1936, was halted by the Second World War and never completed.
The hall was used to house refugees during World War II. It was purchased in 1948 by Denbighshire County Council, who at the time administered the area, but was demolished in 1963.
The Wrexham crematorium was built on the site, on Pentre Bychan Road, off Smithy Lane, and opened in 1966. The house's magnificent gardens and woods remain, together with the dovecote; they are in the crematorium's 40 acre (16 ha) grounds and are maintained as semi natural woodland (including three pools and Pentrebychan brook).
Animal species located in the grounds include heron, badgers, buzzards, snakes, ducks and owls. The grounds also consist of one ungrazed paddock which is kept as a wild meadow and an arboretum. A section of Offa's Dyke passes through the Crematorium grounds.[1]
Local businesses
Dee Valley Water and Scottish Power are prominent businesses located on the Wrexham Road at Packsaddle Bridge.
Notable residents
John Share Jones MBE, veterinary surgeon and Liberal Party candidate, lived at Pentrebychan Hall.
Susan Elan Jones, Labour MP for Clwyd South since 2010, lives on the outskirts of the village.
Llŷr Williams, classical pianist, was raised in Pentre Bychan, where his parents still live.
Countryside Walk
Pentre Bychan can be visited as part of one of Wrexham County Council's Countryside Walks.[2]
References
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