Pillgwenlly

Infobox Newport electoral ward
Ward = Pillgwenlly
Population = 5,333 (2001 census)
GridReference = ST315875
Constituency = Newport West
PostCode = NP20 2
DiallingCode = +44-1633
Savoy exchange

Pillgwenlly ( _cy. Pillgwen-lli) is an electoral district (ward) and coterminous community parish in the city of Newport, South Wales.

Origin of the name

Its name comes from 'Pill' the Welsh language word for a water inlet or harbour and 'Gwenlly' a corruption of the name of Saint Gwynllyw, the name meaning Gwynllyw's harbour. Supposedly it derives from the period when Gwynllyw was a pirate and he based his ships in this area. [Robin Gwyndaf, Welsh Folk Tales (National Museum of Wales, 1989), p. 96]

Boundaries

The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the east and southeast, the Ebbw River to the southwest, the Great Western Main Line to the west and Cardiff Road to the north.

Heart of Newport

It is an inner-city district to the south of the city centre and the built-up area is commonly shortened to "Pill". It contains the Newport Docks and the western ends of the Newport Transporter Bridge [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/449017] , City Bridge and George Street Bridge.

The ward is currently one of the most economically deprived in Wales with a very high rate of unemployment and has been in the press for the wrong reasons in recent years; hence it suffers from a bad reputation.fact|date=January 2008 However, Pill is also known for its close-knit community spirit and ethnic diversity. The streets of Pill play host to the Pill Carnival on the last weekend of every August. The Old Town Dock area is currently undergoing a huge mixed-use regeneration to bring the derelict dock lands back into use.

Portland Sreet in Pill was the birthplace for the famous "Tramp Poet" W. H. Davies and the nearby Church House Inn, where he was brought up by his grandparents, has a commemorative blue plaque.

Sporting traditions

Pill Harriers RFC is a successful rugby union team affiliated to to the Welsh Rugby Union, whose membership was historically made up from the local dock workers. In its past it supplied many players to both Newport and Wales.

References