An Online Community Newsletter published by the Pencoed Town Council
The town's first industry, up to the middle of the 19th century, was agriculture with rough common land to the north and fairly good grade agricultural land to the east and south. Pencoed at this time consisted of four main settlements and numerous isolated farmsteads. The settlements were Penprysg to the north, Hendre to the west, Pencoed in the centre and Felindre to the east.
Three events were to change the situation in the middle of the 19th century. The discovery of rich coal seams (the South Crop) to the north of the village, the working of the red clay deposit in the centre and the coming of the railway.
Past Industries
More Recent Times - A History
Present Industries
The rich coal seams employed many men from the town right up to the 1960's and 70's. When the last deep coal mine in the area at Wern Tarw (Marsh of the Bull) closed in August 1964 due to an underground fire, the fate of the local coal industry was sealed. The industry finally died with the closure of the Coed Cae (Wooded Field) Drift mine in 1974. At one time it was estimated that over half the population of Pencoed depended directly or indirectly on the local coal mines.
In the mid 19th century, two brickworks came into existence which worked the rich red clay deposits in the town. A small works, the Hendre Brickworks, was located at Tybryn (Hill House) Terrace on the road between Pencoed and the hamlet of Hendre and worked until the early 1900's. Closer to the centre was a bigger concern, the Pencoed Brickworks, which continued to produce bricks until the late 1920's. The main clay pit for this works was some 80 feet deep and was situated in the field on the south side of the present scout hall. This pit flooded early in the last century and was filled in the 1970's. Examples of Pencoed Brick can be found in several houses in the town in particular the red semi-detached houses just south of the Monument.
In the mid 19th century, two brickworks came into existence which worked the rich red clay deposits in the town. A small works, the Hendre Brickworks, was located at Tybryn (Hill House) Terrace on the road between Pencoed and the hamlet of Hendre and worked until the early 1900's. Closer to the centre was a bigger concern, the Pencoed Brickworks, which continued to produce bricks until the late 1920's. The main clay pit for this works was some 80 feet deep and was situated in the field on the south side of the present scout hall. This pit flooded early in the last century and was filled in the 1970's. Examples of Pencoed Brick can be found in several houses in the town in particular the red semi-
In 1850, the railway, the main line between London and Swansea, was opened and a station was built at Pencoed. This station was situated where the present down platform now stands with the up platform directly opposite (on the present site of John Davey's Builder's Yard). The yard, at that time, contained a couple of sidings, which were used by the local brickworks and foundry. The old station was closed in the Beeching cuts of the 1960's and opened in its present form in the 90's.
The foundry mentioned above was the only other industry within the town and was located on the eastern side of Heol y Giefer (Street of the Goat). This was established in 1878 to manufacture trams for the coal industry. At it's peak in 1920/21 this factory employed 120 men in various trades producing over 100 trams per week. Due to lack of orders, the foundry finally closed in 1952.