Work continues to restore the Penrhiwceiber War Memorial to its former glory as part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to its Armed Forces community.
The focal point of the community for many years, the Penrhiwceiber War Memorial, a Grade II listed building by Cadw, also serves as the village clock. But in recent years its condition had deteriorated and the clock no longer worked.
However, in the last few months, and in time for the 2021 annual Armistice commemorations, the clock tower and its inscribed brass panels, commemorating the Fallen from the village of Penrhiwceiber, were cleaned and restored and uplighters repaired and restored to enhance its beauty at night.
Scaffolding has now been erected around all four sides of the tower and the clock faces have been removed for the final part of the major restoration project.
The clocks will be returned to their fittings in 2022 and will once again keep time for all local people to see, enhancing the beauty of the War Memorial and the surrounding area.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Maureen Webber, met with local ward Members and Council Officers on site to discuss the plans.
Made up of stone from the old Aberdare Canal, the monument commemorates the residents of Penrhiwceiber who died in action during the First World War (1914-18), the Second World War (1939-45) and the Korean War (1950-53).
The restoration of Penrhiwceiber War Memorial is being co-ordinated between ward members, the Council and its Armed Forces Veteran Service.
Councillor Maureen Webber, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion, said: “We owe so much to our veterans, past and present and I am delighted to see the progress being made at the Penrhiwceiber War Memorial.
“So many people were lost during the two World Wars and other conflicts and keeping their memories alive by restoring the war memorial in the village of Penrhiwceiber is the least we can do to honour them.
“The Clock is the centrepiece of the local community and holds so much meaning to local residents, and that was clear in my recent meeting with the local ward Councillors.
“This Council is committed to supporting its Armed Forces community, both veterans and their families, and we have a dedicated Armed Forces Veterans Service offering them advice and support. We must never forget what these people sacrificed for our future.”
There are also plans in place to site commemorative street furniture in the vicinity, such as seating and litter bins, along with a memorial planter at the foot of the clock tower, as well as a general cleansing of the surrounding location.
