Community Venues

St Cadoc's Church in Wales Church

This beautifully appointed Norman style church set in the heart of the village of Pendoylan contains interesting features. The chancel arch is of the early perpendicular style of the 14th century with restoration carried out throughout the church in the 15th 16th and 19th centuries. The stairs to the rood tower are perfectly preserved and there is a walled up priest door in the chancel. The embattled tower contains a ring of 6 bells originally presented to the church by Judge David Jenkins in the 17th century and now enthusiastically rung by members of the local community. The churchyard contains 2 ancient yew trees from which local legend claims the army of the Black Prince cut their arrows. The parish registers only date back to 1727 but there is a list of incumbents dating back to Elizabethan times. The first record of a priest of Pendoylan was of Urban who sometime prior to 1205 had gifted 12 acres of land to the monks at Margam.

Services:

Sunday worship every week at 6.30pm.

Holy Eucharist each Wednesday at 9.15am.

Family Worship with Pendoylan Church in Wales School on the 3rd Sunday of the month (term time only) at 11.15am.

Bethania Presbyterian Chapel

On the road from Pendoylan to Clawdd Coch the current chapel building was completed in 1871 some 50 years after the Presybterian Church in Wales was founded. Prior to construction of the permanent site there had been a temporary building at Clawdd Coch where only the burial ground now remains. One of the early elders was William Evans the great grandfather of Ifor Novello. This friendly chapel has a thriving Sunday School with the children taking an active role in the services.

Services:

Sunday morning service every week at 11am.

Pendoylan Church in Wales Primary School

The primary school located within Pendoylan Village was commissioned in 1873 by Miss Mary Fothergill in memory of her brother the ironmaster Rowland Fothergill of Hensol Castle. This replaced the original tiny school building at Number 1 Church Row. The school has undergone extensive refurbishment over the years culminating in the recent completion of new build classrooms and a modern school hall although the exterior of the historic original buildings has been retained. It is a popular and very successful church school with in excess of 200 pupils on its register. Categorised by the 2008 ESTYN inspection report as good with outstanding features the school has continued to build upon its success under the leadership of its headmistress Mrs Murray. The tennis court within the school boundaries is available for use by the community.

Pendoylan War Memorial Hall

Opened in 1933 dedicated to the ex-servicemen of the parish the War Memorial Hall is located on the road from Clawdd Coch to Pendoylan. The original building was financed by a door to door collection raising £87. It was refurbished with new external cladding on the walls and roof in 2000 with the assistance of Millennium funding. A new kitchen has recently been installed creating a much improved facility. The hall is well used by the local community with activities ranging from an after school club to dog training and events such as bowling, race nights and local BBQs. It is also available for hire for private functions.

Privately run venues

LLanerch Vineyard

Llanerch Vineyard at Hensol is now the premier Welsh Vineyard with 20 beautiful acres of land, woods and lakes including 6 acres of vines. The first vintage from the vineyard was 200 bottles in 1988 for a family wedding. The grapes are of both German and French varieties and the wines are marketed under the Cariad label. There is a visitor centre, shop, hotel, bistro and restaurant with a cookery school.

Red Lion Public House

Situated in the centre of the village of Pendoylan this attractive stone built pub is a focal point of the community. Whilst there has probably been an inn on the current site of the Red lion for many centuries the earliest reference is in the Alehouse Recognizances in 1824 showing William Burton as the innkeeper.