Northop Hall set to adopt historic Welsh name ‘Pentre-moch’

A Flintshire village is set to formally adopt the Welsh version of its name, subject to approval from Cabinet.

The Welsh place name ‘Pentre-moch’ has been used for Northop Hall by generations of village residents, but it has never been officially recognised.

The proposal to formally adopt it comes as a result of a request from Northop Hall Community Council, and is supported by a report from the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Place-names Standardisation Panel.

In the report, the panel says the recommendation to adopt the Welsh name, to be used alongside the English one, reflects an increase in use of ‘Pentre-moch’ in a variety of contexts.

The village developed near the mansion of Northop Hall, around a farm called Pentre Moch. Newspaper articles from the 19th century refer to the village by this name.

The panel’s report says ‘Pentre-moch’ has been used since then and up to the present day, and can be found on local history websites, in the media and on social media.

The report acknowledges that alternative Welsh names for the village have been used over the years, partly due to a desire to find a more “respectable” name than ‘Pentre-moch’, which best translates to ‘pig holding’.

However it stresses that the name is descriptive rather than derogatory, adding that no alternative names have the same historical basis as ‘Pentre-moch’, nor have they gained currency in the same way. There are many place names in Wales that include ‘moch’, such as Mochdre, it adds.

Councillor Mared Eastwood, Cabinet Member for Education, Welsh Language, Culture and Leisure, said:

“Place names are an important part of our heritage and identity, and it is important that they reflect both local usage and historical evidence.

“‘Pentre-moch’ has strong roots in the community and a clear historical basis, and its formal adoption is long overdue.

“The proposal reflects the growing visibility and everyday use of the Welsh language across Flintshire, and we will continue to consider requests from community councils and review recommendations from the Place-name Standardisation Panel to identify further opportunities to introduce Welsh names.”

The report will be discussed by the Council’s Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week before Cabinet is asked to formally adopt the name at a meeting on July 14th.

If Cabinet supports the recommendation, Flintshire County Council will be required to inform the Welsh Minister, the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, the Director General of the Ordnance Survey, and the Registrar General of the new Welsh name.

The Welsh Language Commissioner will also be informed of the decision to ensure the Welsh place name for Northop Hall is included in the official published standardised list of place names.