Pen-y-cae, Wrexham



Pen-y-cae is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 3,389. It adjoins the larger village of Rhosllanerchrugog.

Etymology
Pen-y-cae means 'head of the field' or 'end of the field'. Although often written as one word without hyphens, in its correct form the name is hyphenised due to the definite article 'y' preceding a single-syllable element.

History
The village was part of the ancient parish of Ruabon and the district was known as Dynhinlle Uchaf (but also known as Y Dref Fechan or Cristionydd Fechan).

The new parish of Pen-y-cae was formed 1879, from parts of the existing parishes of Ruabon, Rhosllanerchrugog and Rhosymedre. St Thomas' Church Penycae, then-Parish Church, was consecrated in 1878. However, most of the population of the parish were nonconformists and attended the Baptist chapels of Salem and Sion in Groes; the Calvinistic Methodist chapels in Groes and Tainant; the Wesleyan chapel of Soar in Stryt Issa; or the Primitive Methodist chapel in Copperas. Below is a list of Chapels in the community some moved locations over time and only three are currently active as of 2024

Church in wales: Baptists: Methodists: "Methodistaidd Soar Stryt-Isa" Other:
 * St Thomas
 * Groes Sion English Baptists
 * Salem Welsh Baptists"Capel y Bedyddwyr Salem"
 * Copperas Primitive Methodist
 * Tai Nant Welsh Calvinistic Methodist"Methodistaidd Calfinaidd Tai Nant"
 * Soar Welsh Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan)
 * Groes Welsh Calvinistic Methodist"Methodistaidd Calfinaidd Y Groes"
 * Carmel Welsh Methodist (Wesleyan)"Methodistaidd Carmel Fordd Plas Bennion"
 * Newtown Mountain English primitive Methodists
 * Newtown Mountain Welsh Calvanist Methodists "Methodistaidd Calfinaidd Capel y Mynydd"
 * Plas Bennion Road Mission Room
 * Plas Du
 * Penycae Church Of The Nazarene

Industry/employment
Coal was extracted from pits at Plas Bennion, Wynn Hall, Afon Eitha, Cristionydd, Groes and Plas Isaf; zinc was worked at Copperas. The area descending towards Acrefair was known as "The Delph", it was served by extensions of the Ruabon Brook Tramway but these were mostly defunct by the mid-20th century.

Most inhabitants find employment outside the village in Wrexham with only a few local shops or public buildings providing jobs.

Dee Valley Water operates two reservoirs in Pen-y-cae: Pen-y-cae Upper and Pen-y-cae Lower.

Transport
Wright & Son, ran a bus service from Pen-y-cae to Wrexham via Rhos, and later via Ponciau also. When the bus industry was de-regulated in 1986 there was fierce competition between Wright's and the much larger Crosville company. Wright's, the last surviving independent local company, ceased operations in 1993 leaving Crosville as the sole service provider in the Wrexham area.

Arriva currently operates a bus service to Wrexham Bus Station. The nearest railway station is Ruabon, located two miles away from the village, which has daily services towards Chester and Shrewsbury.

Notable residents

 * The Wales and Bolton Wanderers footballer, Robert Roberts, was born in Pen-y-cae in July 1864.