Boys Village

Coordinates: 51°23′N 3°25′W / 51.39°N 3.41°W / 51.39; -03.41

Boys Village
Boys Village
Boys Village  Boys Village shown within Wales
OS grid reference	ST0267
Principal area	Vale of Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
List of places: UK • Wales • Vale of Glamorgan

Boys Village is a village in West Aberthaw in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.

Boys Village, St. Athan opened in 1930 as a summer camp for the sons from families in the mining communities from South Wales Valleys. It offered them a place to play and be free, as well as being close to the nearby beach. Over the ages its usage developed (but not necessarily changed) to be used as a camp for youths and apprenticeships etc as well.

Now derelict, demolition work commenced late 2008. Since then several buildings have been removed or cleared including the fire-damaged Sir Maynard Jenour building, which was built in the 1980s, the recreation building and a few residential and administrative buildings. The swimming pool roof which collapsed many years after the site's closure has also been removed from site. Much of the debris that littered the remaining buildings has been cleared, partially by looters and partially by the demolition services.

Despite being derelict, on-site there is no evidence of drug users or homeless persons inhabiting Boys Village. There is however much vandalism and it is frequented by numerous graffiti artists. Much of the graffiti is in the gym, as the walls are both large and clear, thus acting as perfect canvases for graffiti art.

There are many rumours about Boys Village being haunted or plagued by a troubled past. This is entirely untrue; there were no murders in the church or fires that killed many young boys. The site declined in line with the decline in coal mining in the Welsh valleys. Without the money put in by the miners it no longer had the finances to operate and subsequently closed.

References

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External links

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