103-452: Afon Clun ( Welsh for ' River Clun ') is a 14-mile (23 km) long tributary of the River Ely ( Welsh : Afon Elái ), in the counties of Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf , Wales . Its bedrock is predominantly of sandstone. Beginning on the western slope of The Garth ( Mynydd y Garth ) the river is fast-flowing, in clear shallow water with a hard substrate , flowing to
206-468: A borehole and occasionally, water abstraction at the Works had caused Nant Myddlyn to dry up. Upstream, the river has steep slopes and shallow soils. Around 18% of the catchment area is defined as urban and, as the area has a relatively high rainfall, the combination produces a catchment that responds rapidly to rainfall and has flooding problems throughout. Further flooding problems occur at its confluence when
309-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
412-586: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
515-647: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
618-644: A county councillor to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council . Apart from 2008 to 2012, when the ward elected an Independent councillor, the ward has been represented by the Labour Party . Since 2012 the ward was represented by Councillor Ricky Yeo. The county councillor for the Tyn-y-Nant ward was Labour's Clayton Willis. A 2018 review of electoral arrangements by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales would see Beddau and Tyn-y-nant merged to form
721-448: A mile or 1.5 km north of Pentyrch . The lower northern slopes of The Garth form the boundary with Rhondda Cynon Taf, about half a mile (800 m) north of the Clun's source. To the east the land falls away sharply from the summit, dropping more than 650 feet (200 metres) over a distance of 1,200 feet (366 m). The drop is less dramatic on the western slopes, the source of the Clun, but
824-522: A pollution incident in 2000 CE (see Industry below). In addition, the Clun contains roach and chub. Among the species in the flood-meadows adjacent to the Afon Clun is the common orchid . The river's banks contain broadleaf woodland as well as invasive plants such as Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed. Several species of dragonfly and damselfly hunt on the river. Other species present include bats, badger, dormouse, otter, great crested newt and
927-622: A prosecution brought by the Environment Agency. Nant Myddlyn, a tributary on the Clun, suffered from a diesel spill near Llantwit Fardre, in early 2008 CE, which was raised at the Senedd . Between 1994 and 1996, water quality at Nant Myddlyn, from Tynant to the confluence with the Nant Dowlais, was noted as RE5; at Afon Clun, from the confluence with the Myddlyn to Rhiwsaeson village, the quality
1030-402: A set of two banks and ditches, with a counterscarp bank. Originally, the bank stood approximately 25 feet (7.6 metres) high, though much of it has been destroyed, and only 100 feet (30 m) of the north east (the best preserved) part remain. Where the hillside below is steepest, to the south, there are no outer stone defences, though the inner ramparts continue to the cliff edge. The entrance to
1133-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
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#17328548762091236-599: A single county ward. The proposals would take effect from the 2022 council elections . Beddau is also a ward for Llantrisant Community Council, electing four community councillors. Tynant forms another community ward, electing three councillors to the community council. Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau is the village's Welsh speaking primary school. As of July 2016, it is a school to 256 children. English language medium schools are Gwaunmeisgyn Primary School and Llwyncrwn Primary School, which both feed into Beddau's secondary school Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School . Beddau
1339-506: A wetland wildlife habitat. Many archeological sites are close to the river, from the Bronze Age tumuli on The Garth and an Iron Age hill fort at Rhiwsaeson, to the more recent industrial archeology of coal mines . The Afon Clun, a major tributary of the River Ely, drains an area of 12 square miles (31 km) to the north-west of Cardiff in south Wales. The river's source is on
1442-995: Is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave
1545-635: Is a large former mining village (and electoral ward ) situated within the South Wales Valleys around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Llantrisant and 4 miles (6.4 km) from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf , South Wales . Beddau was also the name of a county borough electoral ward within the Llantrisant community , bordered to the east by the Tyn-y-nant ward, which included Tynant. The Beddau ward elected
1648-591: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Beddau Beddau ( Welsh for 'Graves'; Welsh: Y Beddau )
1751-667: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to
1854-594: Is joined from the east by Nant Dowlais. Nant Myddlyn rises in Tynant , Beddau about one and a half miles (2.4 km) to the north of its confluence with the River Clun, between Beddau and Llantwit Fardre ( Llanilltud Faerdref ), and Nant Dowlais rises in Church Village ( Pentre'r Eglwys ). Nant Dowlais also has a tributary, which rises on Garth Isaf, two and a quarter miles (3.5 km) from it on
1957-467: Is likely that people also came to what is now Wales by boat from the Iberian Peninsula . These neolithic colonists integrated with the indigenous people, who gradually changed from being hunter-gatherers to being settled farmers. They cleared the forests to establish pasture and to cultivate the land. Over the following centuries the local people assimilated new immigrants and exchanged ideas with
2060-543: Is likely to limit coarse fish populations.'] Afon Clun and its tributaries are designated 'salmonid waters and cyprinid waters' by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) under the EC Freshwater Fish Directive (2006/44/EC), which sets physical and chemical water quality objectives to protect fresh water bodies suitable for sustaining fish populations Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) has designated
2163-401: Is not practicable by such means, for reducing the release of such substances to a minimum and for rendering harmless any such substances which are so released; and ii) for rendering harmless any other substances which might cause harm if released into any environmental medium." Since the end of coal mining in south Wales, the Afon Clun gradually returned to the condition in which it was before
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#17328548762092266-770: Is notable for its exported rugby union talent. Neil Jenkins , Michael Owen and Gethin Jenkins are former pupils of Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive, and Gemma Hallett a former pupil of the Welsh School in Llanharry, all grew up in Beddau and played for the Welsh Rugby Union. Darts has also been represented well in the village, seeing 3 residents all selected for the Welsh Team. Ian Phillips, Ross Robson and Cavan Phillips have all represented
2369-505: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
2472-704: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows
2575-494: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
2678-461: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
2781-544: The Bronze Age and Iron Age Celtic cultures. Together with the approximate areas now known as Brecknockshire , Monmouthshire and the rest of Glamorgan , the Afon Clun Valley was settled by a Celtic British tribe called the Silures . There is a group of five round barrows , near the river's source at the top of The Garth, thought to be Bronze Age, one of which supports a trig. pillar on its flat top. Overlooking
2884-525: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
2987-648: The European Protected Species – bats , dormouse , otter and great crested newt . Birds in the area include bullfinch , kingfisher , linnet , reed bunting , skylark , and song thrush . The valley is at risk of flooding between Cross Inn and Pontyclun and the river is liable to overflow its northern bank along its one-and-a-half-mile (2.4 km) length downstream from the main A4119 ( Tonypandy to Cardiff Bay ( Bae Caerdydd )) road at Talbot Green ( Tonysguboriau ) to Pontyclun, providing
3090-490: The Industrial Revolution , although it has been polluted several times since then. In 2000 CE ammonia discharged into Mwyndy Brook killed over 600 fish and eels, including the complete resident population of a conservation species known as bullheads, and many hundreds of small coarse fish fry, in the Clun. The coal briquetting plant that caused the pollution were fined a total of GBP31,816 in fines and costs, after
3193-675: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and
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3296-618: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
3399-573: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
3502-722: The 1860s in Beddau, Ty'n-y-nant and Gelynog pits being the most important, prior to which the area was mostly farmland. Cwm Colliery was sunk by the Great Western Colliery Company Limited in 1909 and this marked a rapid expansion of the population. In 1923 the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company sunk the Ynysmaerdy Colliery at Llantrisant, also known as the New Duffryn and Llantrisant Colliery, it had three shafts, employing 216 men. The Cwm
3605-589: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
3708-522: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
3811-543: The A4222, and gives its name to the nearby village, Pontyclun ("Clun bridge"). Immediately past the bridge, 14 miles (23 km) from its source, is the Afon Clun's confluence with the River Ely, which heads south, east to Miskin, almost encircling Pontyclun, then south on its way to Cardiff, where it flows into Cardiff Bay by Penarth Marina , which flows into the Bristol Channel . The River Clun and its tributaries pass through
3914-424: The Afon Clun Valley and Rhiwsaeson Hill as a Site of Important Nature Conservation , which is intended to provide the area with some protection from development. In addition, RCT has designated the undeveloped areas of the southern bank of Afon Clun (from Rhiwsaeson to Coed-yr-Hendy, including Mwyndy) and Efail Isaf, Garth and Nantgarw Western Slopes as Special Landscape Areas (SLAs) . (SLAs) are intended to protect
4017-688: The Afon Clun from Rhiwsaeson to Pontyclun. This development brought further pressure on the road system, which led to the revival of the 1989 plans for the Church Village bypass . Preparatory work on the bypass began in February 2008, and an announcement was made on 12 March 2008 that the Welsh Assembly Government had given the go-ahead for work to start in the "next few months". Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] )
4120-512: The Afon Clun. The Clun then flows beneath the main A4119 (Tonypandy to Cardiff Bay) route about 50 metres (164 ft) south of the roundabout by Glamorgan Vale Retail Park, Talbot Green. At this point, the river often overflows onto the meadows to the north, providing a wetland wildlife habitat, although drainage of floodplain grasslands, for industrialisation, housing and associated infrastructure, has affected wildlife by reducing its available area. To
4223-481: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
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4326-404: The Clun at Rhiwsaeson, Caerau hillfort ( 51°32′23″N 3°21′02″W / 51.5398°N 3.3505°W / 51.5398; -3.3505 ( Caerau hillfort, Rhiwsaeson ) ) is an oval Iron Age enclosure, measuring 755 feet (230 m) (east–west) by 590 feet (180 m). Dating from 700 BCE , it is one of the largest known hill forts in south Wales. The defences comprise
4429-539: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
4532-559: The Welsh Darts Organisation in the British internationals and Europe cups (Youth for Ross 2008/9 and Cavan 2014/15/16) Beddau fields a rugby union team, Beddau RFC , as well as its own football team, Cwm Welfare A.F.C. Beddau is served by bus services to Llantrisant, Cardiff and Pontypridd. A station, Beddau Halt railway station on the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway existed until 1964 quite some way south of
4635-489: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
4738-673: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
4841-593: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of
4944-445: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
5047-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
5150-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
5253-456: The alternative synthetic pyrethroids) used in sheep dip , from contaminating the river. Two companies in the area around the Afon Clun valley are regulated by a system known as Integrated Pollution Control (IPC). They are Nipa Laboratories, at Llantwit Fardre, who operate processes involving the manufacture and use of organic chemicals , and Maxibrite, who produce smokeless fuels at Mwyndy, using carbonisation processes. IPC attempts to minimise
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#17328548762095356-442: The area are bullfinch, kingfisher, linnet, reed bunting skylark, and song thrush. Hedgerows throughout the area qualify for protection, under the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 . Domesticated animals – horses and sheep – are kept in many of the fields bordering the river. Farmers have been encouraged to fence off access to the river for their animals, to prevent erosion of the riverbank and to prevent organophosphates (and
5459-411: The area name of Mwyndy. The mine was either reopened, or dug out near the original workings, about 1859. Over one million tons of iron ore ( goethite ) were mined at Mwyndy before the mine closed in 1884. The resulting lake feeds into Nant Mwyndy. The Afon Clun marks the southern edge of the South Wales Coalfield . There are several former collieries to the north of the river. Many pits were begun in
5562-399: The bellows at any one time. They produced up to two blooms , of 50 kg per bloom per day, from 150 kg of ore, taking 6 to 7 hours each to produce. Charcoal to heat the furnaces was probably derived locally, from "Cloune Park" — mention is made by Rice Lewis in his 'A breviat of Glamorgan' (1595 and 1600) of the destruction of the forests of Garth Maelog and Allt Griffith because of
5665-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
5768-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
5871-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of
5974-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
6077-429: The east. The route passes through Llantrisant Forest, Llantrisant Town and Caerau Hillfort, only dropping from the ridgeway at the Ely Valley and Nant Myddlyn. The Waymark is a yellow/black named disc, with a hills motif. The route links with the Ogwr Ridgeway Walk , which joins the Coed Morgannwg Way , the Taff Trail near Taffs Well and the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk at Caerphilly Mountain. Improvements to
6180-527: The editors of Myvyrian Archaiology ; it suggested that Caerau Hillfort was the site of the "Battle of Rhiwsaeson" in 873 CE. Lead mines were opened in Mwyndy (between Llantrisant and Groesfaen) in the "Parke of Cloune" in May 1531 CE. By August 1531 iron ore was being mined there. Iron smelting began nearby during the summer of 1532, with one bloomery furnace site at Mwyndy, and (probably) another smaller smelting site at Rhiwsaeson, employing 4 blowers ( hewars ), with three blowers operating
6283-475: The effect of industrial processes on the environment. Coal Products, who produced foundry coke at the Cwm Coke Works at Tynant, Beddau, were also regulated by IPC until the works closed in 2002. Under IPC the Environment Agency ensure that: "in carrying out a prescribed process the operator shall use BATNEEC (Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Cost) for: i) preventing the release of substances prescribed for any environmental medium or, where that
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#17328548762096386-405: The end of the last ice age , between 12,000 and 10,000 years before present (BP) , mesolithic hunter-gatherers from Central Europe began to migrate to Great Britain . They would have been able to walk between Continental Europe and Great Britain on dry land before the postglacial rise in sea level around 8000 BP. As the area was heavily wooded and movement would have been restricted, it
6489-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
6592-795: The following towns and villages within Rhondda Cynon Taf , before merging with the River Ely at Pontyclun - Average annual rainfall in the area is 73.9 inches (1,880 mm). Bedrock along the river's course is predominantly sandstone . The Clun's water quality is generally class RE2 or better. [Note: River Ecosystem Classification (RE) regulations and EU Directives for Bathing Water, Freshwater Fisheries, Dangerous Substances and Urban Waste Water Treatment; RE1: 'Water of very good quality suitable for all fish species'; RE2: 'Water of good quality suitable for all fish species'; RE3: 'Water of fair quality suitable for high class coarse fish populations'; RE4: 'Water of fair quality suitable for coarse fish populations'; RE5: 'Water of poor quality which
6695-399: The fort, at the south west, is approximately 25 feet (7.6 metres) wide, between parallel in-turned banks about 50 feet (15 m) long. Caerau Hillfort was the subject of a forgery in a book called ' Gwentian Brut ' in The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales , edited by Jones, O.; Williams, E.; Pughe, W.O. (1801). The forgery was fabricated by Edward Williams Iolo Morganwg ) while he was one of
6798-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
6901-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
7004-400: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period
7107-431: The houses along the former Pant y Dderwyn meadow have all been built where the river water used to go when its banks could no longer contain the volume. Some earthen banks (the pre-existing flood defence) are incorporated in the gardens of the Ynysddu estate. Y Pant School was constructed on the floodplain against the advice of the then Glamorgan River Board. The authorities now consider the floodplain as an integral part of
7210-487: The ironworks. The iron mines were leased by the crown in 1539, granting rights to mine and make iron and to build water powered ironworks within three miles of Cloune Park for 21 years. There is no evidence to suggest that either iron mining or smelting continued in the area after the 16th century. The name of the house built on or near the ironworks probably derived from the words mwyn (English: mine ), and dŷ ( soft mutation of tŷ ) (English: house ). And from that,
7313-527: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for
7416-496: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
7519-546: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )
7622-597: The marsh fritillary butterfly, of which bats, dormouse, otter and great crested newt are European Protected Species. There is evidence that otters use Nant Dowlais and Nant Myddlyn, as well as the Clun and several species of bat have been sighted in the area, including Natterer's , long-eared , noctule and pipistrelle . The Clun flows through, and close to, several areas defined in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) as 'Areas of Ecological Significance'. Birds of 'conservation concern' recorded in surveys of
7725-610: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
7828-456: The north western slopes of The Garth and about half a mile (800 m) north of the Clun's source. Leaving Rhiwsaeson, about a mile (1.5 km) east of Cross Inn , the Clun widens to between about eight feet (2.4 metres) and 12 feet (3.7 metres) and slows. Here, where the Clun flows to the south of Cross Inn, as well as along the banks of Nant Dowlais and Nant Myddlyn, evidence of otter activity has been noted. The river flows to
7931-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,
8034-475: The overall river system. Under the Environment Agency's Floodplain Policy, it is deemed essential that it is kept free from development for flood defence reasons. The Clun is liable to overflow its northern bank for about one and a half miles, between Cross Inn and the River Ely. This floodplain provides a wetland wildlife habitat. In addition, horses are kept in the meadows, when the ground is not too waterlogged. From
8137-536: The peak of production in 1960, the Cwm Colliery employed 1,470 men and produced 324,794 tons of coal. British Coal closed Cwm Colliery in 1986, a year after the Miners' Strike . Ffordd-y-Bryniau is a 21 miles (34 km) ridgeway walk through Taff-Ely ( Welsh : Taf-Elái ), beginning at Mynydd Maendy (SS977861), Bridgend in the west, and ending at Caerphilly mountain ( Welsh : Mynydd Caerffili ) (ST153856), in
8240-464: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
8343-534: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,
8446-484: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase
8549-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
8652-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
8755-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
8858-780: The prominent wooded slopes of the Taf Valley ;– a backdrop to the Treforest Industrial Estate . SLAs are identified using the Countryside Council for Wales' LANDMAP criteria, considering factors such as prominence, spectacle (dramatic topography and views), unspoilt areas (pre-industrial patterns of land use), remoteness and tranquility, vulnerability and sensitivity to change, and local rarity of landscape. The Afon Clun and Nant Dowlais contain minnow , stickleback , stone loach, lamprey, and eel. The species European bullhead ( Cottus gobio ) were also present, until
8961-479: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
9064-400: The river levels in the River Ely are high. Areas of flat land next to waterways are attractive to developers. Parts of the floodplain between Cross Inn and Pontyclun have been developed over the last 20 years, reducing the area available for the river to overflow. The A473 Talbot Green by-pass, Glamorgan Vale Retail Park, Leekes department store, Y Pant School, Ynysddu Farm housing estate and
9167-482: The river still falls to 165 feet (50 m) by the time it crosses the county boundary into Rhondda Cynon Taf at Rhiwsaeson , just under two miles (nearly 3 km) from its source. The Clun is fast-flowing, with clear shallow water and a hard substrate (gravel/cobble/pebble). Near the Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water water treatment plant at Rhiwsaeson the Afon Clun is fed from the north by Nant Myddlyn, which itself
9270-620: The road network, in particular the A4119 linking the Rhondda Valleys to the M4 , through Tonyrefail and Talbot Green, brought development pressure to the area around Llantrisant. Extensive housing development has taken place recently in the villages along the A473, the main Pontypridd to Bridgend road, linking Llantwit Fardre to Llantrisant, Talbot Green, Llanharan and Pencoed , the road that runs parallel to
9373-627: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in
9476-401: The south of Llantrisant and generally west to its confluence with the River Ely at Pontyclun , falling 715 feet (218 m) over its course. The river contains species such as stone loach , lamprey , eel , roach , chub and bullhead , and the Afon Clun valley is home to many species, including dragonflies and damselflies , badger , and the marsh fritillary butterfly , as well as
9579-633: The south of the A473 Pontypridd to Bridgend ( Penybont ar Ogwr ) road (Talbot Green By-Pass), where it is fed from the south by Nant Mwyndy. Nant Mwyndy flows over a bedrock of Carboniferous Limestone , rising in Creigiau and, flowing westwards, immediately north of Groesfaen , passing a small industrial estate at Mwyndy, feeding a lake resulting from Victorian opencast iron mining (see History below) and turning south to flow past Cefn-y-Parc Cemetery, Penygawsi, before reaching its confluence with
9682-460: The south, the enclosed woodland of Coed-yr-Hendy follows the river's course for its final half-mile (800 m). The woodland's gentle slope, up from the Clun towards Miskin ( Meisgyn ) and Pontyclun, prevents significant flooding over Afon Clun's southern bank. After passing Y Pant Comprehensive School and Pontyclun Fire Station, the Clun flows under the bridge built for the Llantrisant to Cowbridge ( Y Bont Faen ) main road, also known as
9785-445: The surface buildings. The explosion would have caused far greater loss of life had it not occurred on a bank holiday. The colliery never reopened after the accident. The mines were nationalised in 1947 and in 1957 another underground railway linked the Cwm with Coedely Colliery , north of Llantrisant. The merger of these two pits created the largest colliery in the south Wales coalfield. At
9888-518: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
9991-452: The visual qualities of "areas of fine landscape quality", when considering development proposals. Coed-yr-Hendy and Mwyndy consist mainly of "undisturbed" fields and woodlands. The south and west of the Efail Isaf, Garth and Nantgarw Western Slopes area consists of farmland – considered to be a buffer between The Garth and the urban area of Efail Isaf and Church Village. The eastern part is
10094-554: The western slope of The Garth, a 1,007 feet (307 m)) mountain of pennant sandstone midway between Cardiff ( Caerdydd ) and Pontypridd , whose eastern slopes feed the River Taf by Taff's Well ( Ffynnon Taf ). The Garth stands in the north western corner of the City and County of Cardiff ( Dinas a Sir Caerdydd ), above the village of Gwaelod y Garth , about seven miles (11 km) north west of Cardiff city centre and about
10197-490: Was RE4. The deterioration of water quality was caused by the discharge of industrial effluent from Cwm Coke Works at Tynant. An effective effluent treatment plant was recommissioned to solve the discharge problem and water quality soon returned to RE2, until the works' closure in 2002 CE. Since Coal Products' Cwm Coking Works closed, water abstraction from the Afon Clun area is minimal. The Works at Tynant had used up to 3.9 million litres per day (Ml/d) from Nant Myddlyn and
10300-497: Was acquired by Powell Duffryn in 1928. In 1931 an underground railway linked the Cwm to the Maritime Colliery , Pontypridd and by 1934 the Cwm employed 100 men on the surface and 780 men underground. A methane gas explosion on bank holiday Monday, 2 June 1941, killed four men — Ernest Evans ( Banksman ), Noah Fletcher ( Winding Engineman ), John Gregor (Manager), and David Thomas ( Switchboard Attendant ) — and destroyed most of
10403-608: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to
10506-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
10609-505: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern
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