Village could replace English name with historic Welsh alternative

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A north Wales village could soon officially adopt its historic Welsh name following a public consultation.

The proposal, which would see Northop Hall officially become Pentre Moch, will be considered by Flintshire County Council’s Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday.

The committee will then make recommendations to the council’s Cabinet before the name is adopted.

Previously there has been some local opposition to the name change due to its translation as Pig Holding, which refers to the pig farm around which the village grew in the 1600s.

But, following a public consultation in which almost a fifth of villagers responded, as well as the rejection of alternatives including Neuadd Llaneurgain, Northop Hall Community Council has now officially requested the village be known as Pentre Moch.

“The results have been subject to a very rigorous review process. This has included extensive checking of resident details to the electoral roll and also the elimination of multiple voting in person and via e-mail,” said council clerk Sharon Swift.

“The consultation with village residents demonstrated clear village support for Pentre Moch as the Welsh name for Northop Hall.”

In the Welsh Language Commissioner’s report on the proposals, it stated: “There have been several attempts over the years to find an alternative, more ‘respectable’, name for the village but none of these names have gained currency in the same way as the original and historical name of Pentre Moch.

“It should be emphasised that the name is descriptive, not derogatory, and is best translated as ‘pig holding’. Many other settlements in Wales make reference to moch (for example Mochdre) and they reflect their key status in the agricultural economy of the Middle Ages.”

According to Welsh language champion and social media star Doctor Cymraeg – also known as Stephen Rule – from Leeswood, Pentre Moch joins a long list of place names including reference to pigs.

“Wales is full of place names with ‘Moch’ in them,” he say in a Facebook video on Northop Hall included in the evidence submitted to the committee.

“Mochdre (Pig Town), Nant y Moch (Pig Stream), Llanrhaeadr y Mochnant (the church by the waterfall in the valley of the pigs) and Mochras, which is Shell Island’s proper name – the moorland of the pigs.”

The committee will make its recommendations on Thursday, July 9.