Penarth Civic Society
Cymdeithas Ddinesig Penarth
formerly The Penarth Society
Penarth Town
Heritage Trail
Project
About The Project
In November 2021 we announced a campaign to establish a Heritage Trail in the town to celebrate the rich history of Penarth.
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The project is designed to inform residents and visitors alike and will involve a series of information boards being situated around the town, blue plaques will be attached to buildings celebrating people of interest that lived or worked there, and QR codes which will lead users to a page on our website where there will be more detailed information on the buildings and people.
We are planning to feature not only the great and the good but also “normal” people such as dockers, coal trimmers, midwives, seafarers and shopkeepers, in other words the people who actually built or worked in the town and gave it the rich heritage we are seeking to explore.
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The creation of this project will involve a number of elements, both physical and online.
We have approached all schools and churches in the town, as well as various “Friends of...” (& similar) groups to ask them to be involved in building their relevant entry on the project. Local businesses will also be invited to contribute content to the project.
Vale of Glamorgan Council & Penarth Town Council have agreed to support the scheme and we are currently developing the text for the boards and creating the list of blue plaque individuals.
We hope that you too will support the scheme, whether you are a resident of or visitor to Penarth, have some sort of association with the town & its history, or are just a curious individual who appreciates these types of projects.
If you would like to make any suggestions or comments, & be included on the mailing list for updates on the project as it progresses, then please email us using the address below.
We would love to hear from you.
Project Elements - Phase 1
Dinosaur Footprints
We are planning to insert around 200 ceramic tiles stretching from the Italian Gardens on the seafront to the end of the pavement by the Yacht Club. These will be facsimiles of the prints which can be found on the beach, spaced so that children can step from one tile to another and walk in the footprints of our earliest inhabitants towards the beach where the originals are to be found.
Information Boards
We aim to position 28 information boards around Penarth Town which will display elements of the town's history. Each board will differ in the type of content displayed, depending on its situation.
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A number of boards will show the local history of that particular area such as how it was developed, used and evolved. (e.g. the history of Glebe St).
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Some boards will be themed to a particular topic (e.g. the arrival of the railway)
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Some boards will have a number of different topics on them, such as local buildings or features, or noted persons of the town / local area. (e.g. Windsor Rd and the Windsors).
Each board will consist of several panels of information and photographs, in both English and Welsh, and will also contain a QR code that links back to a page on this website associated with that board, where you will be able to find even more information. Some boards may also contain maps or information about how to follow the trail.
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Final designs of the boards are still being decided (as we have to make certain considerations based on where they will be placed.)
Board Locations - Contents
(4 boards will hold the same information (History of Penarth). Board number order is not finalised)
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Alexandra Park - History of Penarth
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Alexandra Park - The Garden by the Sea
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Alexandra Park - Prominent Penarthians
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Belle Vue Park - Belle Vue/ Albert Road School/ council offices/ post office
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Clifftop - History of Penarth
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Coastguard Cottages - Lookout Tower/ Cottages/ Rescues/ Shipping Info/ Rocket
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Cogan - Cogan
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Cosmeston - Cement Works/ St Peter's Church/ Landfill/ Medieval Village/ Country Park
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Esplanade - Pier/ Esplanade/ Holidaymakers & Beach/ Swimming Baths/ Tourism
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Glebe Street - Penarth's first shopping centre
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Headlands School - Penarth Hotel/ Old fort/ Northcliffe and Uppercliffe Mansions/ Clive Arms
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Italian Gardens - Italian Gardens/ Dinosaur Footprints/ RNLI/ Yacht Club/ Marconi
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Kymin - Prominent Penarthians
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Marina - Customs House and Docks/ The rise and fall of coal exports / cosmopolitan population
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Marina - Empire and colonialism
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Marine Parade - Mansions and wealth
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North Penarth - The first houses in Penarth and what they were like St Paul's.
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Paget Road - The Americans
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Paget Road - History of Penarth
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Plassey Street - Holiest Street in town
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St Augustine's - St Augustine's church and churchyard
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Station - Arrival of the railway and its impact.
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Town Centre - History of Penarth
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Turner House - Roxburgh / Turner House / SA Brain
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Windsor Road - New shops / arcade / library/ Solomon Andrews
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Victoria Square - Victoria Square / All Saints / Arts & Crafts architecture / Victoria and Stanwell schools
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Windsor Gardens - The Windsors
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Zig Zag Path (St Joseph's Park) - Billybanks/ Zig Zag Path / Arcot Triangle / St Joseph's Church / Dockers strike & Pilot
Specified siting locations not set. Board titles may differ from those listed.
Blue Plaques
The criteria for being included in the
Blue Plaque list is:
The people must:
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have died
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be interesting
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have lived or worked in the town at a site that still exists (so we can mount the plaque)
Proposed Recipients
Ladies
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Annie Davies - Housemaid, killed on level crossing on Windsor Place
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Barbara Middlehurst - Astronomer
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Catherine Meazey - Benefactor
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Constance Maillard - Benefactor, first female leader of PUDC
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Edith Parnell - Swimmer
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Elizabeth Sheppard-Jones - Writer of children's books
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Emily Culliford - Falsely accused of murder.
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Emily Pickford - Musician
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Emily Rose Bleaby - First woman to be elected in Penarth, Poor Law Guardian
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Frances "Ma" Chaney - Colourful character and "Bookmaker"
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Gladys Morel-Gibbs - Benefactor
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Hettie Milicent Mackenzie - Suffragette
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Johanna Scott - Colourful Character
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Kathleen Thomas - Swimmer, first to cross Channel
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Mary Glynne - Actor
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Mary Morgan - Benefactor, financed Arcot Methodist church
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Rosemary (Ray) Howard-Jones - Artist
Gentlemen
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C.E. Bernard - Town Planner
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Dicky Garret - First Penarthian to play rugby for Wales
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Edward 'Ted' Vizard - Footballer and Wales International
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Frank Roper - Sculptor
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George Norris - Politician
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Henry Snell - Architect
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Jack Bassett - Wales rugby Captain and British Lion
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Jack Vincent - Penarth's last Hobbler
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​John Batchelor - MP
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John Coates Carter - Architect
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John Cory - Shipowner
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Joseph Parry - Composer
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​Henry Marc Brunel - Engineer
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Patsy O'Brien - Coal Trimmer
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Peter Freeman - Maverick MP
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Ray Milland - Actor
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Cptn. Richard William Leslie Wain - Victoria Cross
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Samuel Arthur ‘SA’ Brain - Brewer
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Sgt. Samuel George Pearse - Victoria Cross
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Solomon Andrews - Entrepreneur
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Sir Tom Hopkinson - Publisher
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Tommy "Dodd" Wallace - Stonemason and Salvationist
Locations to be confirmed after homeowner approval.
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Submitting Suggestions
Names & information about other suitable candidates can be submitted to us using the email address below. We will not only need the name & profession of the individual but also a brief history for why they are a suitable candidate as well as the name of an location they are prominently associated with upon which a plaque could be mounted. Dates associated with them such as date of birth & death and dates they used the said location are also required.
(You do not need to seek permission from the proposed location at this time as this would be something we would do though a formal approach.)​
QR Codes
Each information board will contain at least one QR Code which will link back to an associated page on this website where you'll be able to read more information and see more pictures.
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QR Codes will also be placed near to each Blue Plaque to allow visitors to discover the information about the recipient on our website.​
Stand Alone QR Codes
We will also be placing QR codes with weblinks around the town at various locations, which give a link to find out more about that location or building.
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We calculate we will need around 125 codes.
Project Elements - Phase 2
Once we have delivered Phase 1 we will begin to work on Phase 2. This will involve an app with guided toures, and also photo manipulation enabling users to appear in historic settings.
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Perfect for the Instagram generation!
Meet the Project Team
This project's creation and development is being undertaken by a number of our members who either have a good knowledge of the history of the town, or the useful skills to help bring this project to life.
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They will also be working with and alongside individuals from other groups, organisations, etc. and the Vale of Glamorgan and Penarth Town Councils. More on them as the project progresses.
Dave Noble
In addition to being a PCS Committee Member, Dave is leading this project.
His tasks include coordinating the team, designing the look of the boards and plaques, sourcing funding, speaking with the various councils and local Community Groups and Organisations, and other important actions.
Sarah Salter
Sarah Salter has a background in creating interactive trails through UK towns and cities, so has good knowledge of the types of inclusions we can make, and the tools and resources we could use to help construct and run this project.
Sarah will help us to ensure the physical elements not only look practical, but are as accessible as possible.
Dan Brown
As our IT/Web and tech man, Dan knows his way around websites, social media and other online features.
In addition to his task of translating much of the historical information into an online format for this website, he will also be helping to develop the links between the physical elements of our trail and the virtual ones.
Jonathan Hicks
Jonathan Hicks is an award winning Military historian and novelist, and has written several biographies, non-fiction and fictional books based around the 1st and 2nd world wars.
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He was also an English Teacher, and later headmaster of St Cyres School.
Jonathan's Presentation Events 2024
Bruce Wallace
Bruce Wallace is a local lad and notable historian for Penarth. He particularly specialises in Salop St and the Docks areas.
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He is a 3rd generation Penarthian.
Alan Thorne
Alan is a prominent authority on the local history of the town, holding an extensive and detailed knowledge about it, from its buildings (both well and lesser known) to its notable (and often characterful) people.
Alan (together with Chris) will put as much of this information as possible into this project,
Alan's Presentation Events 2024
Chris Riley
Chris likes to focus on the town's history pre 1900, and has extensive knowledge of things like the Victorian construction of the town and docks, as well as what the area was like before this.
Other Contributors
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Anne Evans (PCS Chair) - Proofreading, community & councils liaison
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Chis Wyatt (PCS Membership Secretary) - Proofreading
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Russell Todd (Sporting Heritage*) - Ted Vizard content
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Cindy Howells (National Museum of Wales) - Dinosaur content
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Marcus Payne (Penarth Library) - Library history reference materials
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Annie Williams-Brunt - Proofreading
Project Funders, Collaborators and Co-operators.
This project could not exist with out the assistance of the following:
Penarth Civic Society, it's Members and Sub Groups.
This is a PCS project, created by us and our members.
Vale of Glamorgan Council:
VoGC Parks & Gardens Dept.
VogC Tourism Dept.
VoGC Highways Dept.
Other Departments TBC
Various Locations we would like to display at are owned/operated by...
Penarth Town Council
Historical Information & Support of both The Penarth Society / Civic Society throughout its existence, and this project.
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The Citizens and Visitors of Penarth
For their support, information & assistance in getting this project going.
Last Page Update 28 Oct 24