Tongwynlais
Encyclopedia
Tongwynlais is a village in the north
of Cardiff
, capital of Wales
, in the Taff Valley
.
Valley. Its population is 1946 people.
Tongwynlais is located near Junction 32 of the M4 motorway
, west to Bridgend
and east to Newport
, and the A470 trunk road
, south to Cardiff and north to Pontypridd
. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) north of Cardiff city centre
and 7 miles (11 km) south of Pontypridd
. The surrounding towns and villages are Pentyrch
and Radyr
to the west, Taffs Well and Caerphilly
to the north, and Rhiwbina
and Whitchurch
to the south. Tongwynlais became part of Cardiff recently when Cardiff expanded northwestwards. Tongwynlais was formerly in the county borough of Taff Ely, which is now Rhondda Cynon Taff
.
Many consider Tongwynlais as the entrance to the South Wales Valleys from Cardiff, with its famous landmark, Castell Coch, on the hillside. The main route to the Valleys, and beyond to Mid Wales, the A470
, runs alongside the village. The village is surrounded by a large forest called Forest Fawr which is run by the Forestry Commission
. Tongwynlais is separated from the rest of Cardiff by the M4
and the A470 to the south and west and hills and forestry to the east. Tongwynlais is considered to be part of the Cardiff North Rural Area.
Tongwynlais is home to three pubs, several shops, a football club, a rugby
club, a 9-hole golf
course, and Tongwynlais Library.
The Taff Trail
cycle route passes through the village, and it is a popular resting point between sections.
electoral ward of Cardiff
.
, currently represented by Julie Morgan AM, a member of the Welsh Labour Party.
is currently represented by Jonathan Evans
MP
a member of the Conservative Party
.
folly
castle called Castell Coch Red Castle which is open to the public. It was built on top of the ruins of a 13th century castle
thought to belong to Ifor Bach
, a local Welsh ruler.
It was rebuilt and transformed in the late 1870s into a fantasy castle by William Burges
for the 3rd Marquess of Bute
.
and two Nonconformist chapel
s still open to worshippers in the village.
Maida Vale Session. Tongwynlais Brass Band
has been in existence since the 19th century and continues to compete in national competitions as well as performing concerts. Castell Coch Choral Society also does a lot of charitable work and has recently performed in the Czech Republic.
The Welsh glam metal
band Tigertailz
named a song on Disc 1 of their Thrill Pistol album "Tongwynlais Fly".
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...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, 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...
, in the Taff Valley
River Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
.
Overview
Tongwynlais lies in the River TaffRiver Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
Valley. Its population is 1946 people.
Tongwynlais is located near Junction 32 of the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The 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...
, west to Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
and east to Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, and the A470 trunk road
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
, south to Cardiff and north to Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
. It is situated 5 miles (8 km) north of Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre is the central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bounded by the River Taff to the west, the Civic centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations - Central and Queen Street - to the south and east respectively...
and 7 miles (11 km) south of Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
. The surrounding towns and villages are Pentyrch
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
and Radyr
Radyr
Radyr is an outer suburb of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The suburb is situated in the west of the city, although it was originally a separate village, and is located around 5 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. According to 2009 estimates, the suburb has a population of 6,000...
to the west, Taffs Well and 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...
to the north, and Rhiwbina
Rhiwbina
Rhiwbina is a prosperous northern suburb of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It used to be a separate village: its core is still locally called "the village" and is given a Welsh village appearance by Beulah United Reformed Church at the village crossroads.Capel Beulah/Beulah URC was a daughter chapel...
and Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Cardiff
Whitchurch is a suburb in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is approximately 3 miles north of the centre of the city on the A470 road and A4054 road. Its estimated population as of 2004 was 15,649. It falls within the Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ward.-History:Whitchurch draws its name from...
to the south. Tongwynlais became part of Cardiff recently when Cardiff expanded northwestwards. Tongwynlais was formerly in the county borough of Taff Ely, which is now Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Rhondda Cynon Taf, or RCT, is a county borough in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. It consists of 3 valleys: the Rhondda Valley, Cynon Valley and Taff-Ely Valley...
.
Many consider Tongwynlais as the entrance to the South Wales Valleys from Cardiff, with its famous landmark, Castell Coch, on the hillside. The main route to the Valleys, and beyond to Mid Wales, the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
, runs alongside the village. The village is surrounded by a large forest called Forest Fawr which is run by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
. Tongwynlais is separated from the rest of Cardiff by the M4
M4 motorway
The 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...
and the A470 to the south and west and hills and forestry to the east. Tongwynlais is considered to be part of the Cardiff North Rural Area.
Tongwynlais is home to three pubs, several shops, a football club, a rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club, a 9-hole golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course, and Tongwynlais Library.
The Taff Trail
Taff Trail
The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...
cycle route passes through the village, and it is a popular resting point between sections.
Government
Tongwynlais is located within the Whitchurch & TongwynlaisWhitchurch & Tongwynlais
Whitchurch & Tongwynlais is an electoral ward of Cardiff, Wales. It covers some or all of the following areas: Coryton, Tongwynlais and Whitchurch in the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff North...
electoral ward of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
National Assembly
Tongwynlais is in the Cardiff North constituency for the National Assembly for WalesNational Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
, currently represented by Julie Morgan AM, a member of the Welsh Labour Party.
Houses of Parliament
Cardiff NorthCardiff North (UK Parliament constituency)
Cardiff North is aborough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
is currently represented by Jonathan Evans
Jonathan Evans
Jonathan Peter Evans FRSA is a Welsh solicitor and Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff North since winning the seat at the 2010 general election....
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Local Government
It is represented by Timothy Davies, Linda Morgan, Brian Griffiths and Mike Jones-Pritchard all of the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Castell Coch
Tongwynlais' most notable building is the Victorian eraVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
castle called Castell Coch Red Castle which is open to the public. It was built on top of the ruins of a 13th century castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
thought to belong to Ifor Bach
Ifor Bach
Ifor Bach also known as Ifor ap Meurig and in anglicised form Ivor Bach, lord of Senghenydd, was a twelfth century resident in and a leader of the Welsh in south Wales.- Welsh Lord of Senghenydd :...
, a local Welsh ruler.
It was rebuilt and transformed in the late 1870s into a fantasy castle by William Burges
William Burges (architect)
William Burges was an English architect and designer. Amongst the greatest of the Victorian art-architects, Burges sought in his work an escape from 19th century industrialisation and a return to the values, architectural and social, of an imagined mediaeval England...
for the 3rd Marquess of Bute
John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute
John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute KT, KSG, KGCHS was a landed aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist and architectural patron.-Early life:...
.
Places of worship
There is a parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
and two Nonconformist chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s still open to worshippers in the village.
Music
The band RocketGoldStar wrote a song about the village and recorded it for a BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Maida Vale Session. Tongwynlais Brass Band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
has been in existence since the 19th century and continues to compete in national competitions as well as performing concerts. Castell Coch Choral Society also does a lot of charitable work and has recently performed in the Czech Republic.
The Welsh glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
band Tigertailz
Tigertailz
Tigertailz are a glam metal band hailing from Cardiff, Wales. They are most famous for their 1990 album, Bezerk, which made the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and spawned a couple of successful singles...
named a song on Disc 1 of their Thrill Pistol album "Tongwynlais Fly".