Our Lady of Penrhys
The area where Penrhys now stands has a long and rich history. As the site of a religious shrine dedicated to 'Our Lady Mary' (1) it was one of the most famous pilgrimage sites of the medieval period. The tradition of pilgrimages to religious shrines dates back over a thousand years and during medieval times they were a major industry. Here the shrine was used as a healing spring and was said to be able to cure rheumatism and eye disorders. Today it is still a popular destination with pilgrims who follow the Cistercian Way around Wales, to discover the great abbeys of the Cistercian order, visit. (http://cistercian-way.newport.ac.uk)
A statue of Mary nursing Jesus marked the site of the shrine for many centuries. However during the 1530s at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII it was removed and taken to London to be publicly destroyed on the orders of the king's chancellor Thomas Cromwell.
The current 'Our Lady' statue (2) is carved from Portland Stone. The design is based on descriptions of the original statue taken from medieval Welsh poetry. The Archbishop of Cardiff, Michael Joseph McGrath, blessed the statue on the 2nd July 1953. Following this many thousands have made the modern pilgrimage (3)to the shrine. In 1977 the first pilgrimage of the sick to Penrhys for over 450 years saw over 2,000 people visit the shrine
. In the Rhondda, as all over the South Wales Valleys, the coming of industry came with a price. Life expectancy was low and infant mortality high. Houses could not be built quick-enough for the vast number of people who arrived to work. Existing supplies of fresh water and the primitive sanitation could not cope with the demands of a growing population and outbreaks of diseases such as the highly contagious smallpox were common. In 1906 it was decided to build a smallpox hospital (4) at Penrhys. Built at a cost of £35,000 it was completed in 1907 and served the community until 1970. After its closure, in 1971, the South Wales Fire Service burnt it to the ground to destroy all traces of any viruses.
In 1991 the Penrhys Partnership was established to develop the social infrastructure of the community. They have developed a local Heritage Trail; an outdoor Amphitheatre and a Millennium Beacon. Rhondda Golf Club opposite combines the wonderful wildness of the area with a challenging golf course and stunning views as far as the Bristol Channel.
An informative driving trail will enable you to explore the area in more depth (www.heritagetrailsrct.co.uk)