handbook of the origin of place-names in wales and monmouthshire

Penprysg. — Prysg means brushwood, or that which extends. The appellation is given to some of our hills,as Prysg-du in Radnorshire, and Y Prysg in Glamorgan. The name therefore signifies either a placeabounding with brushwood, or a place situated near the Prysg mountain. English name — Brushwood.Pantyrid. — A corruption of Pant-y-rhyd, which means the hollow near the ford. English name — Fordham.Pengarnddu. — A small village perched on a hillock near Dowlais. Garn, heap of stones; ddu, black. Thename is derived from a black heap of stones that was once in the place. English name — Blackheap.Pyle. — An Anglicism of the Welsh Pil, which means a creek, a small inlet of the sea filled by the tide, orperhaps it is a corruption of pwll, pool, lake. It is supposed that the place was once covered by the sea;hence the name. We have Pill in Milford Haven, and Pill in Falmouth, and Pil Gwenlli in the parish of St.Woolos, Monmouth. English name — Poolham.Pontlottyn. — The bridge that crosses the Rhymney river, according to some, was named in honour of aman called in the vernacular Lottyn. Others think the right name is Pontyplottyn, which means a bridge builton a dry plot between two streams of the river. The name is derived from an old farmstead of the name,which existed long before the bridge was ever built. English name — Bridgeton.Portkerry. — Some think this quaint place takes its name from Ceri, the son of Caid, a remarkably wiseman, and a shipbuilder, who, it is said, took up his abode here. Professor Rhys (Welsh Saints) thinks that thechurch of Portkerry was dedicated to Curig, but this derivation is untenable. Font-de-Gety, Ceri's well, is notfar from this place.Penydarren. — An old cottage was so called from its situation on a rising eminence, and at thecommencement of the ironworks the name was bestowed upon the place. Darren means a rocky hill. Englishname- Rockham.Porthcawl. — Porth, port, harbour; cawl, a corruption of Gaul. It appears that the Gauls were wont to landhere, and we have traces of their name here, as well as in Galloway, Scotland, and Galway and Donegal inIreland. English name — Gaulport.Penarth. — Some think it is a compound of pen, head, end; and arth, a bear; signifying a bear's head, inallusion to the similarity of the promontory to that animal's head. But the suffix arth is, more probably, anabbreviation of garth, a hill; therefore, Penarth means headland, which is quite descriptive of the place. Itwas once called Cogawn Penardd. English name — Headland.Pencoed. — The name signifies a place situated at the head of the wood. It appears that the vicinity wasrichly wooded in olden times. English name — Headwood.Penclawdd. — This place derives its name from Pen Cat Clawdd, an old camp on the Gaer mountain, nearan old Roman road. Clawdd is a derivative of llawdd, which signifies gladness, or what causes joy orgladness. In ancient times a dyke (clawdd) was considered as a sign of defence and safety; hence thereason for joy. English name — Dykesend.Pontclown. — Pont, bridge; Clown, the name of a brook that flows under the bridge, and empties itself intothe river Ely near Llantrisant station. Clown, perhaps, is a corruption of clowyn, which implies a whiteswelling water. English name — Whitebridge.Pontypridd. — This town takes its name from the unique bridge that was built across the Taff by WilliamEdwards in 1755. The name is an abbreviation of Pont-yr-hen-dy-pridd, which means "the bridge near the oldclay house." English name — Claybridge.Pontrhydyfen. — Pont is clear. Some say Rhyd-y-Waun, the meadow ford; others think it is Rhyd Ifan,Evan's ford; others think it is Rhydyfon, cow's ford. We think the original name was Pont-ar-rhyd-Afan, abridge on the ford of the Avan. This huge bridge was built about the year 1826, and is 459 feet long, 75 feethigh, with four large arches. English name — Avan-bridge.Pwll Cwm. — Pwll, a pit; cwm, a valley; so called from an old coal pit that was in the place. English name —Pitcomb.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 67