Pyle

For people named Pyle, see Pyle (surname). For a dialect word for a baker's peel, see Pyle (tool). For The audio company, see Pyle Audio.

Pyle
Welsh: Y Pîl
220px
Pyle  Pyle shown within Bridgend
Population	7,405 2011 census
OS grid reference	SS825825
Community	Pyle
Principal area	Bridgend
Ceremonial county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRIDGEND
Postcode district	CF33 6xx
Dialling code	01656
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Bridgend
Welsh Assembly	Bridgend
List of places UK Wales Bridgend

File:158871 Pyle.png

A Wales & West Class 158 train at Pyle station in 2001

Pyle (Welsh: Y Pîl ) is a village and community in Bridgend county borough, Wales. This large village is served by the A48 road, and lies less than one mile from Junction 37 of the M4 motorway, and is therefore only a half-hour journey from the capital city of Wales, Cardiff; in fact it lies approximately equidistant between the capital (Cardiff) and the second city (Swansea). The nearest town is the seaside resort of Porthcawl. Within the Community, to the northeast of Pyle, is the adjoining settlement of Kenfig Hill.

Early history

An indication of early settlement is the Croes Siencyn Incised Stone, a Scheduled Monument on Marlas Road, (, grid ref: SS822823). This is a weathered stone with an incised cross, dated to 11th or 12th century, moved to its present garden location in 1945 from 'between Kenfig and Pyle'. The early expansion of Pyle was brought about when the ancient borough of Kenfig was abandoned after being buried in the drifting sand dunes of Kenfig Sands. The walls of Pyle St James' parish church are reputed to have been moved stone by stone from the old town, relocated further inland as the sand encroached.

Recent History

The street of Longlands Close in Pyle was the site of a coaching inn which was used by passing travelers using the west Wales to London turnpike. Lord Nelson stayed at Pyle Inn on his way to visit to naval installations in Pembrokeshire, as did Isambard Kingdom Brunel during the construction of the Great Western Railway line through South Wales. Pyle railway station is on the Cardiff - Swansea section of the London - South Wales Main Line.

Pyle was made a community in 2002, when the Cynffig community was split into two parts (the other being Cornelly), following a recommendation of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales.

It is the home town of Welsh poet Bethan Williams.

Village facilities

The village has its own leisure centre, swimming pool, supermarket, library and petrol station. The leisure centre is a frequent school trip destination, attracting schools from the Cardiff area. There is also a large industrial estate which hosts some notable names and a garden centre. An area of woodland known as The Collwyn is close to the west side of the village. In 2010 Pyle Community Council were able to buy the strip of woodland, with its stream and old watermill, to ensure its survival and use for the village.

There are four schools in the community.: Cynffig Comprehensive; Mynnydd Cynffig junior and Mynnydd Cynffig Infants (Kenfig Hill), and Pil Primary (infants and junior combined).

Religion

Within Pyle itself there is St James' (Church in Wales) built in or around 1471, (grade I listed), and Mount Zion Chapel (English Baptist).

Kenfig Hill, though a smaller settlement, has four places of worship. St Theodore's (Church in Wales), was built in 1889, and became a parish in 1923. Also in Kenfig Hill are Pisgah Chapel, (Welsh Baptist), Bethal Community Church and St Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic).

See also

• List of Scheduled Monuments in Bridgend

External links

• community-council.org.uk/pyle
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Pyle and surrounding area