Dinas Powys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dinas Powys | |
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Principal area | Vale of Glamorgan |
| Ceremonial county | South Glamorgan |
| Constituent country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CARDIFF |
| Postcode district | CF64 |
| Dial code | +44 29 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| European Parliament | Wales |
| List of places: UK • Wales • Vale of Glamorgan | |
Dinas Powys is a large village, a community and a refortified hill fort in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. It is on the outskirts of Cardiff, about 5 km from the city centre on the A4055 road from Cardiff to Barry. It is considered by many to be an outer suburb of Cardiff since widespread development around the Cardiff Bay area.
[edit] Character
Although a known as a village it is one of the largest population centres in the Vale of Glamorgan, and in population size can be considered a small town. The old village centre has, as well as housing, a number of shops, pubs and restaurants. Many of its inhabitants are workers in Cardiff.Politically, the village is notable for having a community council that has been dominated by the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru, for over two decades. This is a unique phenomenon in this part of south east Wales.
Dinas Powys is home to one half of St Cyres School. The "Dinas Site" is the smaller of the two sites. It contains students from Year 7 to 9 or (11-14). However, it will be demolished in the near future, in favour of one site in Penarth. This will be happening between 2008-2010.
[edit] Churches
Dinas Powys is also noted for its 12th century parish church, dedicated to St Andrew. This church is located in the hamlet of St Andrews, a short distance away from Dinas Powys – the main protestant church in Dinas Powys is St Peter's while the Catholic Church is St Mary's.
[edit] Archaeology
The village is noted for the remains of a Norman castle, and for the fact that the adjacent Cwm George was the site of a Celtic hill fort from which the village takes its name. The hill fort site was excavated in the 1950s and found to contain evidence of wooden structures and a large quantity of high status metalwork, jewellery, glass and imported pottery dating from the sub-Roman period, between the 5th and 7th centuries. According to the historian John Davies, the name Dinas Powys (earlier spelling 'Dinas Powis') is derive from the latin "Dinas Pagus" - meaning "city of pagans". Another theory is that the site was built by a prince of Powys (Dinas Powys: "The city of Powys").
