Sully, Vale of Glamorgan
Sully
| |
---|---|
Location within the Vale of Glamorgan | |
Population | 4,543 (Community and ward 2011)[1] |
OS grid reference | ST155683 |
Community | |
Principal area | |
Preserved county | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CARDIFF |
Postcode district | CF64 |
Dialling code | +44 29 |
Police | South Wales |
Fire | South Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
Cardiff South and Penarth | |
Sully (Welsh: Sili) is a village in the community of Sully and Lavernock, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the northern coast of the Bristol Channel, midway between the towns of Penarth and Barry and 7 miles (11 kilometres) southwest of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.
Origins of the name
The origins of the name Sully / Sili are unclear, but the most likely explanation is that it is a Norman name, taken from the de Sully family who were in possession of the manor in the twelfth century.[2] If so, it may be that neither the Welsh or English forms are based on the other, but that both are derived from the Norman name. There is strong documentary evidence for the Welsh form over several centuries, and in the local dialect of Welsh that was spoken in the area into the twentieth century, the name was pronounced Welsh pronunciation: [ˈsili] or Welsh pronunciation: [ˈʃili], which corresponds to the modern Welsh form Sili. If the name is Norman, it is likely that the Welsh form is closer to the original pronunciation than its English equivalent.[3]
Bilingual road signs at either end of the village announce Sully and Sili. Although both forms could be considered to have unfavourable connotations, only the Welsh name has been controversial, as some residents have expressed the view that it belittles the village.[4]
It has been suggested that Abersili would be a more appropriate Welsh name, and an unofficial referendum has shown significant support for that view amongst residents.[5] But it is unclear whether the name Abersili has ever been in common use; the earliest known example is by Iolo Morganwg, a notoriously untrustworthy source. Furthermore, Abersili means 'the mouth of the river Sili', but Sully Brook (assuming that that is the watercourse in question) does not reach the sea at Sully, but joins the Cadoxton River farther west near what is now Barry Docks. As such, the name has been considered inappropriate for Sully itself.[6]
The Welsh Language Board has stated that Sili is found in the standard reference works and that it is 'well-established in Welsh writing and is used widely both locally and nationally'.[7]
History
Medieval Sully
The village could be named as an abbreviation of "south lea" meaning "southern pasture" but it is more commonly understood to be named after the noble Norman family of Baron Reginald de Sully, one of the 'Twelve Knights of Glamorgan' who was awarded the Manor around 1093 by the conqueror of Glamorgan Sir Robert Fitzhamon, probably under charter by William II of England. In 1591 Sir Edward Mansel of Margam wrote his historical document recording 'The winning of Glamorgan' and recorded:
- "To Sir Reginald de Sully he (Fitz Haymon) gave the castle and town to be called Sully with the Manor of it, and the Manors of St Andrews and Owain Glendower"
De Sully also had extensive estates in Devon but he is recorded as having built a small fortified castle in Sully, the remains of which have mostly vanished, except for a short length of wall, located to the east of the Norman parish church in the village. The site of a 13th-century moated manor house can still be observed on Sully Moors.
The castle at Sully was the smallest in Glamorgan by a very long way. It covered a site of only about half an acre and stood in a location that was, until only recently, called Castle Wood. Occupation of the castle lasted less than three hundred years till around the mid 14th century, probably as a result of the extinction of the de Sully family line. The present church dates from around the same time as the castle and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The resident Sully clergyman has always been referred to as the Rector which indicates the tithes that produced his annual income were never appropriated by a monastery and he was therefore probably supported by the Lord of the Manor directly, although appointed by the Bishop.
There is a mostly complete late medieval lime kiln on Ashby Road, Sully. Composed of stone and brick it is 40 feet long and 18 feet high by 13 feet wide. Buttressed with three brick on edge archways and draught holes on the south elevation. Five iron pegs are inserted into the face of the kiln. Briarside and Middleton Cottage on Cog Road is a yeoman's cottage built in the mid 16th century with later 18th century additions. The cottage contains a Tudor-style archway and an original circular stone staircase. The remains of the village mill can be found at Hayes Farm on Hayes Road.
Changes in the Manor
The Manor of Sully reverted to Crown ownership and is recorded as being sold in its entirety to Sir Thomas Stradling in 1538. It remained in the
There followed a number of lawsuits with several landowners claiming rights to the manor until a private Act of Parliament granted the manors of both St. Donats and Sully to Sir John de la Fountaine Tyrwhit. It stayed in
There was a six-year gap while ownership was disputed until in 1838 the estate was finally taken by Sir
By the early 20th century Lord Wimborne's estate began to sell off various lands within the parish, and during 1914 the last of the Sully estate interests were sold at
Village Growth
In the 19th century Sully was almost entirely agricultural in nature and the population fluctuated between only 150 to 200 individuals. By 1920 this had still only increased to 550 despite the explosive growths of nearby Penarth and Barry. However, in just the past forty years Sully has grown steadily along the various commercial plastics factory developments and with the wider spread of private car ownership. Sully is now mainly a middle income
From 1890 until the end of the 1960s Sully was connected eastwards to
In the 1960s the local plastics factory and principal employers in the immediate area, a subsidiary of
SS Pilton
SS Pilton was a ship that ran aground on Sully Beach in 1924. Owned by William J. Tatem of Cardiff, Pilton ran aground during gale-force winds in December 1924. She was aground for three months, and provided a steady source of income for Sully caterers from the large number visitors arriving by train to view the spectacle.
Governance
Community Council
Sully is represented by nine community councillors of Sully and Lavernock Community Council, elected from the community wards of Lavernock (2) and Sully (7).[8]
County Council
Sully is also a county
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent
|
Bob PENROSE * | 904 | |||
Independent
|
Kevin Phillip MAHONEY * | 782 | |||
Conservative | Rod THOMAS | 763 | |||
Conservative | Chris THORNE | 726 | |||
Labour | Laura ROCHEFORT | 293 | |||
Plaid Cymru | John RIMINGTOM | 137 | |||
Independent hold
|
Swing | ||||
Independent gain from UKIP
|
Swing |
Cllr Mahoney had been elected for UKIP at the previous elections in 2012.[11] He 're-designated' himself as an Independent in February 2016 over disagreements with UKIP's approach to the Welsh Government.[12]
Prior to the May 2004 Vale of Glamorgan Council elections the ward elected only one councillor to the county council, increasing to two following The County Borough of The Vale of Glamorgan (Electoral Changes) Order 2002.[13]
National government
The ward falls within the
Landmarks
The St John Baptist Church, known as Sully Church, is a Grade II listed building. The hamlet of
Sully School moved to its present site in 1936. It is a primary school with a twenty-six place nursery unit. There are over 400 pupils and seventeen teachers. There are no secondary schools in the village. Most children attend Stanwell School in nearby Penarth. Sully School is a main feeder school for Stanwell School and other schools are selected by parental choice. Free school bus services are provided.
Transport
The main road going through Sully is South Road. It is one of three roads which form part of the B4267, running from near Cog Road up to Swanbridge Road on the border with Lavernock. The other two parts of the B4267 are Sully Moors Road, leading up to roundabout just into the border of Barry and Lavernock Road, leading up to Penarth near Stanwell School.
Bus services are provided by Cardiff Bus, who operate route 94 between Cardiff and Barry via Penarth half-hourly on weekdays and hourly on evenings and Sundays. Journey times to Barry are approximately twenty minutes, journey times into Penarth are approximately fifteen minutes and journey times into Cardiff are just over half an hour. A second service, route 88, is run by Easyway runs between Lower Penarth and Barry with journey times to both places being approximately 15 minutes.
In popular culture
Sully is featured in the third series of the
In the
Notable people
- Hana Lili, pop singer[16]
- Thomas Frederick Worrall, Watercolour artist
References
- ^ "Community and ward population 2011". Retrieved 10 April 2015.
- OCLC 1057653962.
- ISBN 0-7083-0338-2, pp. 290–3.
- ^ Row in Welsh village after name changed to Sili The Telegraph, 21 December 2010, accessed 31 January 2012; Peter Collins, Villagers to vote on ditching Welsh name, South Wales Echo, 21 December 2010, accessed 31 January 2012.
- ^ Peter Collins, Change Sili Welsh name, say residents. South Wales Echo, 15 February 2011, accessed 31 January 2012.
- ^ Pierce, 'Sully: Sili', 24; 'Enwau lleoedd Caerdydd a'r cyffiniau - Sully: Sili', 3-4.
- ^ Sully villagers to vote on 'Sili' place name change. BBC News, 22 December 2010, accessed 31 January 2012.
- ^ Councillors, Sully and Lavernock Community Council. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "Could Sully councillors hold balance of power?", The Barry GEM, 10 May 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll (4 May 2017) - Sully" (PDF). Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll (3 May 2012) - Sully". Vale of Glamorgan Council. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "Vale Ccouncillor to Quit UKIP Tomorrow". Penarth Daily News. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ The County Borough of The Vale of Glamorgan (Electoral Changes) Order 2002 (PDF). Statutory Instruments. 6 December 2002. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help) - ISBN 978-0300096293.
- ^ Gavin and Stacey, series 3, episode 1
- Wales Online. Retrieved 7 June 2023.