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History Section
In This Section
Folklore
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Kenfig - The Complete History (e-Resource)The History of Kenfig PoolKenfig PoolKenfig stood by the edge of marsh land hence its original Welsh name 'Cefn-y-ffignon' (a corruption meaning 'a ridge on a marsh') - Thomas Gray who wrote the book 'The Buried City of Kenfig' 1909 maintained it was Cen-y-fig, 'head of the swamp'.
BackgroundCovering some 70 acres, Kenfig Pool is today a haven for wildlife and an important feature of the
Kenfig Dunes National Nature Reserve. Although only just over 12 feet in depth
at its deepest point, it was long reputed locally to be "bottomless".
Local LegendIt was also reputed to overlie the ancient town of Kenfig - a tradition which perhaps dates from the middle of the 16th century.
Although there is no visible outlet from the pool today, a map made in the 16th century shows that it then entered the sea along a channel
leading from the south-west corner of the lake.
It was probably here that a sluice or watergate stood, as recorded in the accounts of the Margam Estate in 1769
when the channel was presumably open. References to the fact that the Blaklaak stream ran from the southern to the northern
water of Kenfig have led people to believe that it was the outlet at about the time Kenfig town was built.
Fishing at Kenfig PoolThe fishing rights in the pool were vested in the burgesses, though they are noted sadly in the 1660 survey
that it contained "only eels and roaches". Things began to change after the middle of the 18th century, however, as the young
Thomas Mansel Talbot of the Margam estate, a keen huntsman and angler, discovered the pleasures and wildlife of the area.
He made arrangements for a boat to be kept at the lake and, in 1769 went so far as to have pike from Llangorse
Lake near Brecon brought in specially constructed tin tanks, on horseback, to stock the Kenfig waters. Other fish were
brought by the same method from the lakes at Hensol Castle and other improvements followed.
Willow beds were planted, provision made for swans to be fed in winter, a proper boathouse built, and an
artificial island created to encourage wildfoul to breed - the latter has now sunk beneath the waters.
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Kenfig - The Complete History (e-Resource) || An important part of Wales' documentary heritage, identified by the National Library of Wales || www.kenfig.org.uk |
Associated Website Links || Further Reading
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Acknowledgements ||Bibliography(1) Bridgend County Borough Council Library & Information Services
(2) Bridgend County Borough Council
(3) Kenfig History Society
Webpage Author(1) Mr Rob Bowen - Kenfig.org Local Community Group, 2010.
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Intellectual Property Rights:
copyright © 2003-2010 www.kenfig.org.uk / www.cynffig.org.uk - All rights reserved. - Learn more...
Further Information:
The Kenfig.org website is operated as a not for profit making organisation known as Kenfig.org Local Community Group.
This website project is part funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and Bridgend County Borough Council through BAVO (Bridged Association of Voluntary Organisations)
The websites www.kenfig.org.uk / www.cynffig.org.uk respectively are owned and operated by Kenfig.org Local Community Group.
The Kenfig.org website has been granted Heritage Status and is being archived for posterity through both the National Library of Wales & the UK Web Archiving Consortium.
The website www.kenfig.org.uk is listed as an e-Resource on Wales on the Web Curriculum Cymreig Guide.
Kenfig.org Local Community Group is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
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