Welcome to this Village Sign cache - the first of the series to be placed in Wales.
Village signs is a series of caches based on the ornate signs that depict the heritage, history and culture of the villages that put them up (normally on the village green!). The signs can be made of different materials from fibreglass to wood, from forged steel to stone. They can depict anything from local industry to historical events. The tradition probably stated in Norfolk or Suffolk and has now spread across most of the country.
Ystradowen is a small village twelve miles west of Cardiff, located in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales; its nearest town is Cowbridge which is about three miles to the south.
The village was served by a railway station between 1865 and 1951. The name Ystradowen means "Owen's Valley" in English. Local amenities include St Owain's parish church, public house and garage/village shop. Notable residents have included Tom Jones who owned a home in the village until 1998.
For a more detailed history of the village can be obtained from the Ystradowen village web site
In the last 20 years or so, Ystradowen has won the best kept village in the Vale of Glamorgan on five occassions and the village is rightly proud of these achievements. The winning years are displayed on the village sign itself.
When searching for the cache please note that it is placed in a residential area and therefore be mindful of the locals when parking and retrieving the cache. The cache is small so please only initial the log and bring your own writing implement.
If anybody would like to expand the Village Sign Series, please do. I would ask that you request a number for your cache first at www.villagesignseries.co.uk so we can keep track of the Village Sign numbers and names to avoid duplication.