Thornhill, Cardiff
Encyclopedia
Thornhill is a northern
suburb
in the city
of Cardiff, capital of Wales
, south of Caerphilly
. It is a relatively modern area with housing stock dating mainly from the late 1980s and beyond. The area has a centralised precinct providing services, comprising a community centre (Thornhill Church Centre), Sainsbury's supermarket
, Sainsbury's Pharmacy, and a Medical Centre; which in early August 2007, suffered an arson attack. The building has since been redeveloped, and opened in May 2010. In October 2010 Sainsbury's commenced an expansion of the supermarket which entailed the demolition of Martins Newsagent and Blockbuster. At this time Sainsbury's Pharmacy and the Post Office (previously within Martin's) relocated to portacabins within Sainsbury's Car Park. The expansion was completed and re-opened on 13th April 2011, incorporating a cafe, the pharmacy and Post Office inside.
There are four public house
s located in Thornhill: the Old Cottage, Pendragon, Pentre Gwilym House and the Ffynnon Wen. A fifth pub, The Traveller's Rest is de facto
in Thornhill due to its geographic location; although it is de jure
in Caerphilly based on its postcode and council locale. Despite being placed directly off the M4 corridor, Thornhill has no motorway junction; although it is generally theorised amongst residents that the long awaited 'Junction 31' will serve Thornhill.
Thornhill Cemetery
is a major cemetery located in this area of Cardiff. Thornhill crematorium was built on this site during the 1950s as a dedicated crematorium. This differs from the crematorium that was set up in nearby Glyntaff
; this in contrast was a chapel that was originally used for traditional burials and modified to serve as a crematorium.
Most of Thornhill's residential development took place during the 1990s, Cardiff County Council originally planned Thornhill as "The Villages of Thornhill"; with clusters of houses interspersed by large "green" areas. These green areas were short lived as rapid housing development resulted in homes being built in areas adjoining the "Villages".
Thornhill also houses a few tucked away historical sites including the remains of a castle situated close to the Caerphilly/Thornhill border known as Castell Morgraig.
Thornhill falls into the Llanishen
Ward on Cardiff County Council.
which replaced Cefn Onn Halt railway station
which closed in 1986.
. Welsh medium education is provided most locally at Ysgol Y Wern in nearby Llanishen and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
in Llandaf North.
Cardiff North
Cardiff North or North Cardiff can refer to the collections of mainly middle class suburban communities in the north of Cardiff, Wales. The population of the north of Cardiff is around 85,000 and is represented by the Conservative Party on most levels of government...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Cardiff, capital of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, south of Caerphilly
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively...
. It is a relatively modern area with housing stock dating mainly from the late 1980s and beyond. The area has a centralised precinct providing services, comprising a community centre (Thornhill Church Centre), Sainsbury's supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, Sainsbury's Pharmacy, and a Medical Centre; which in early August 2007, suffered an arson attack. The building has since been redeveloped, and opened in May 2010. In October 2010 Sainsbury's commenced an expansion of the supermarket which entailed the demolition of Martins Newsagent and Blockbuster. At this time Sainsbury's Pharmacy and the Post Office (previously within Martin's) relocated to portacabins within Sainsbury's Car Park. The expansion was completed and re-opened on 13th April 2011, incorporating a cafe, the pharmacy and Post Office inside.
There are four public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s located in Thornhill: the Old Cottage, Pendragon, Pentre Gwilym House and the Ffynnon Wen. A fifth pub, The Traveller's Rest is de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
in Thornhill due to its geographic location; although it is de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
in Caerphilly based on its postcode and council locale. Despite being placed directly off the M4 corridor, Thornhill has no motorway junction; although it is generally theorised amongst residents that the long awaited 'Junction 31' will serve Thornhill.
Thornhill Cemetery
Thornhill Cemetery
Thornhill Cemetery is a major cemetery and crematorium located in the Thornhill, a northern suburb of Cardiff, south Wales. It is located between the A469 road and the M4 motorway....
is a major cemetery located in this area of Cardiff. Thornhill crematorium was built on this site during the 1950s as a dedicated crematorium. This differs from the crematorium that was set up in nearby Glyntaff
Glyntaff
Glyntaff is a small village to the south-east of Pontypridd, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales situated in the Treforest ward along with the village of Trefforest.-Education:...
; this in contrast was a chapel that was originally used for traditional burials and modified to serve as a crematorium.
Most of Thornhill's residential development took place during the 1990s, Cardiff County Council originally planned Thornhill as "The Villages of Thornhill"; with clusters of houses interspersed by large "green" areas. These green areas were short lived as rapid housing development resulted in homes being built in areas adjoining the "Villages".
Thornhill also houses a few tucked away historical sites including the remains of a castle situated close to the Caerphilly/Thornhill border known as Castell Morgraig.
Thornhill falls into the Llanishen
Llanishen
Llanishen is a district in the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Llanishen is well-known as the home of the 'Tax Offices', the tallest buildings in north Cardiff and a landmark for miles around...
Ward on Cardiff County Council.
Train
Thornhill is served by Lisvane and Thornhill railway stationLisvane and Thornhill railway station
Lisvane and Thornhill railway station is a railway station serving the Lisvane and Thornhill areas of north Cardiff. It is a stop on the Rhymney Line of the Valley Lines network....
which replaced Cefn Onn Halt railway station
Cefn Onn Halt railway station
Cefn Onn railway station was a halt on the Rhymney Line between Cardiff and Rhymney, Wales opened in 1871. It was replaced by Lisvane & Thornhill, a short distance to the south, and closed on 27 September 1986.-Today:...
which closed in 1986.
Bus
- Thornhill is also served by busBusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services operated by Cardiff BusCardiff BusCardiff Bus is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. Its hub is Cardiff central bus station...
. The 28 service, plus the Capital City GreenCapital City GreenCapital City Green is the branding of the bus service 27 Cardiff, operated by Cardiff Bus. The route runs from the city centre to the north of the city, serving the Maindy, Heath, Birchgrove and Thornhill districts....
(service 27) runs through Thornhill and both terminate at the Central Bus StationCardiff Central bus stationCardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used...
at regular intervals. The 85 and 85B services also terminate at the Heath HospitalUniversity Hospital of WalesUniversity Hospital of Wales , opened in November 1971, is a major 1000-bed hospital situated in the inner city district of Heath in Cardiff, Wales...
(anti-clockwise) and the Central Bus Station (clockwise).
Road
- The M4 motorwayM4 motorwayThe M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
passes through Thornhill between junctions 30 and 32 but there is no interchange.
Education
The area is served by Thornhill Primary School. The nearest secondary school is Llanishen High SchoolLlanishen High School
Llanishen High School is an English speaking-medium secondary school based in Llanishen, Cardiff, Wales and has approximately 1700 students, making it the largest single-site secondary school in Cardiff.-School buildings:...
. Welsh medium education is provided most locally at Ysgol Y Wern in nearby Llanishen and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf is the largest Welsh-medium school in Wales. It is located on Bridge Road, Llandaff North, Cardiff, on the banks of the river Taff. The name 'Glantaf' means 'The bank of the river Taf' in Welsh. Of the two Welsh-medium secondary schools serving Cardiff, it was the first...
in Llandaf North.