Woke Welsh name for village ‘will make us a laughing stock'
Residents of an historic community have hit out at 'woke' plans to reintroduce its Welsh name – which translates as 'Pig Village'.
The proposal has angered many living in the Flintshire village of Northop Hall, who claim they will become a 'laughing stock'.
The council are looking to reintroduce the name – Pentre Moch – which would be used alongside its English name.
The development comes after both the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia were officially renamed in Welsh in recent years.
Both decisions received criticism at the time and were accused of 'virtue signalling'.
Documents show the name has existed for nearly 500 years with records dating back to 1530, after the village grew from an area with several pig holdings.
But it has been known as Northop Hall, after a 13th-century manor house which was once home to ancestors of the Evans family – who were ancestors of novelist George Eliot.
'Total waste of time and money'
Jeff Sampson, who has lived in the Welsh village for 46 years, said the reintroduction was 'ludicrous'.
'I personally am not happy about it,' he told the BBC. 'I really don't think it's necessary.
'To be honest, I think it's going to make the village a laughing stock. There has been an influx of people in the village and they want a Welsh equivalent – well, just go somewhere where it's already installed.'
Others branded the move 'bloody crazy' and 'unbelievable wokeness'.
The name has been put forward by Northop Hall Community Council for possible adoption following a local consultation.
But John Gollege, the council chairman, said some residents asked him for the Welsh name to be adopted for the village.
'We're trying to display and encourage the Welsh heritage of the village,' he said. 'It is not a name change. The name will remain Northop Hall.
'Other towns and villages like Mochdre, Swindon and Swinton all have references to pigs in their names.'
However, locals have branded the move 'ridiculous' and a 'total waste of time and money'.
One woman responded: 'Why the hell would we want to be called Pig Village?
'I know that a lot of the houses on the main road had kept pigs many moons ago but, really, Pig Village?
Another agreed, saying: 'Not sure 'Pig Village' sounds an attractive name for our beautiful village.'
However, the move has support from some residents who claim the Welsh language is not heard enough.
Scott Bagley, who has lived in the village for 25 years, said: 'It's a lovely language, they should have Northop and the Welsh variation, it's a lovely place.'
Cultural heritage
In a letter to residents, the community council said Pentre Moch was embedded culturally and nationally recognised as the Welsh place name for the village.
'Many other settlements in Wales make reference to moch and they reflect their key status in the agricultural economy of the Middle Ages,' the letter said.
'The name Pentre Moch is still used today, both in written form and in conversation.
'It is in current use as it has been put down on the home address on birth registrations in the same way it was recorded on birth registrations in the 1800s.'
The adopted Welsh name would not replace Northop Hall, and residents would not need to update their addresses as it would go alongside the village's commonly used name.
In 2023, the Brecon Beacons were renamed as 'Bannau Brycheiniog' National Park in 2023 after concerns the word 'beacon' was out of step with the fight against climate change.
Officials said the symbol of a flaming beacon emitting carbon 'does not fit with the ethos' of the national park as an eco-friendly organisation.
The previous year in 2022, Snowdonia National Park Authority decided to use the names Yr Wyddfa for the mountain and Eryri for the region.
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