- Penley
Penley ( _cy. Llannerch Banna) is a village in the County Borough of Wrexham, in
Wales close to the border withShropshire ,England The village was, until 1974, in an
exclave of the ancient county ofFlintshire known as "Maelor Saesneg " [ [http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/maelor/1123.htm Maelor Saesneg: Penley] ] . (English: "English-speaking Maelor"), sometimes called "Flintshire Detached", which was administered fromOverton-on-Dee . Between 1974 and 1996, Penley was in the short-lived county ofClwyd .Penley lies on the path of the long-distance walk, the "
Maelor Way " [Gordon Emery - Guide to the Maelor Way (1991) ISBN 1-872265-98-7]Penley Polish Hospital
Penley is home to the Penley Polish Hospital, which closed in March 2002. It was managed by the
North East Wales NHS Trust . The hospital was founded following a decree from SirWinston Churchill afterWorld War II , to care for Polish ex-servicemen who fought alongside the Allies inWorld War II , as well as their families, who settled in the area [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/immig_emig/wales/w_ne/ BBC article on the Penley Poles] ] . As a result of this influx, the population of Penley increased threefold. Residents at the hospital and camp included the Polish military commander,Wacław Przeździecki . At its peak, in the early 1950s, the hospital housed more than 2,000 patients and staff. By the time it closed, in March 2002, there were 6 patients, in one ward (the only one remaining open out of the original 30).Church and parish history
Penley Church was originally built in 1538. The timber structure was replaced by a brick one in 1793. This was demolished in 1893, and the current church was completed in 1899; it was
consecrated in 1902, and dedicated toMary Magdalene .Penley was originally part of the
parish of Ellesmere in neighbouringShropshire , but it became a separate parish towards the end of the Commonwealth period. In early 1661, it reverted to being part of the parish of Ellesmere, after the Restoration of Charles II. In 1860, it again became a separate parish.It was then in the English
Diocese of Lichfield until 1920, when following thedisestablishment and disendowment of theChurch in Wales , it was transferred to the WelshDiocese of St Asaph , where it remains [ [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/FLN/Penley/ Penley Church history] ] .chools
Penley has one primary school and one secondary school. The primary school, known as the Madras School, was built in 1811 by George Kenyon II,
Baron Kenyon of Gredington. Penley's secondary school, The Maelor School, was built in 1957 and serves the rural communities on both sides of the border. It has had excellentGCSE results over the last few years with a high percentage of pupils getting A*s; it was awarded the title of the "most improvedsecondary school in North Wales" from the Curriculum Authority for Wales in 2006 [ [http://www.maelorschool.org.uk/ The Maelor School] ] .Notes
External Links
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3538744 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Penley and surrounding area]
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