Inside eerie, rat-infested estate dubbed UK’s ‘most...

WITH boarded-up houses, overflowing litter attracting rats, and piles of burnt-out fires, this notorious estate seems well worthy of the title of ‘the most depressing place to live in the UK’. Stuck on a hill 1,100ft above sea level, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the Rhondda Valley, Penrhys has never been able to shake off the bleak reputation it’s had since it was first built in the late 1960s.

Image Credit: The Sun [Boarded-up houses on the Penrhys estate in South Wales.]

It has only one shop, one takeaway and a church still operating. The old doctor’s surgery and other amenities are shut, while many of the houses lay empty, surrounded by piles of dumped furniture. But despite its outwardly scruffy appearance, the people who live in one of the poorest estates in Wales are fiercely protective of their estate. They are also excitedly anticipating the winds of change as bulldozers prepare to move in, flattening the black-stained, wind and rain-weathered buildings to make way for new houses in a £50million regeneration project.

Image Credit: The Sun [Rubbish dumped on a lawn in front of houses.]

Jan Griffiths, 72, has lived there since she married in 1970. “It was lovely when we moved here. Everybody knew everybody, there was a community centre and things going on all the time, and it was great," she tells The Sun. “Over the years there was a lot of trouble going on up here. We had people setting cars on fire, we had guns up here and things like that, but those days are gone now.". “We’ve got the church here which has everything. Everybody rallies round and there’s a lot going on, you can go to anybody for a chat," she adds.

Image Credit: The Sun [Old ice cream van.]

“It might be a bit run down, but there are lots of run-down places. Anybody who wants to criticise should come and visit and see what a welcome they get – we welcome anybody.”. But there are still some residents of Penrhys - which has been dubbed the UK's 'most depressing place' in online forums - who think the issues exist as much as they ever did. One resident who has lived on the estate for more than 50 years and asked to remain anonymous told us: “It’s s*** living here.

Image Credit: The Sun [Burned debris from a fire at the Penrhys estate in South Wales.]

"I’ve had four leaks in my house, from pipes to the roof, and it’s a struggle getting anyone to come out to look or fix anything, they don’t want to know. “I took the housing association to court because they refused to come and fix things, and I won. “I have a shed inside at the front of the house, which has no ceiling, and the council refuse to give us proper bins, so there’s rubbish everywhere on the estate which never gets cleaned up.

Image Credit: The Sun [Boarded-up shops and a building on the Penrhys estate in South Wales.]

“We have to put out black bags which get collected every four weeks, and recycling every Friday. Cats and foxes open them, and the rubbish goes all over the place. “I had rats running around in the roof, so I had to get pest control in, but I haven’t seen any recently, touch wood. “I’m stuck here, and there’s nothing for anyone to do. If I could leave tomorrow, I’d be gone in shot. “When I first moved up here as a teenager it was lovely.

Image Credit: The Sun [Doctors surgery sign on a brick building.]

"But how it is now, you wouldn’t think it’s the same site.”. Penrhys was opened in 1968, as a modern council house development, and at the time, with 951 houses and flats, it was the biggest public sector estate in Wales. The coal industry was booming and all the homes were heated by an innovative central coal system. It also met a request from the National Coal Board for 250 homes for local miners.

Image Credit: The Sun [Jan Griffiths, 72, sitting on a bench at the Penrhys estate in South Wales.]

But as the coal mines shut one by one, the redundant miners left, and deprived families from the surrounding areas were moved in. I had rats running around in the roof, so I had to get pest control in, but I haven’t seen any recently, touch wood. Because of the influx of socially impoverished families moving on to the estate, it was seen as an undesirable place to move to by some, and many of the homes remained empty.

Image Credit: The Sun [Clothing shop in a community center.]

Eventually the empty units were trashed by vandals, damaged beyond repair, and boarded up with metal doors and windows, as they remain today. Nonetheless, there remains a strong neighbourhood spirit determined to turn Penrhys's fortunes around. Neil Thomas, 46, is a community volunteer at the Llanfair Uniting Church. The local church hosts a boys and girls club, toddler group, café, homework club for primary children, dance and parkour classes and youth clubs.

Image Credit: The Sun [Damaged ice cream van.]

He said: “Because of all the church has going on there is a much better atmosphere here than there was a couple of years ago. “As well as the clubs and other events we have housing surgery Trivallis (the housing association), Citizens Advice come up, so the communication between professionals and the community is better than it’s ever been. “We also have a privately-run food bank and furniture bank. When people move up here in bad circumstances, they come with nothing, so we like to try to help them with what they need.

“There is a lot of poverty here and not a lot of employment around, although I know Asda employ quite a few people from here. “What I love about it is the community spirit. Like everywhere, no one is perfect and no one is claiming to be perfect. "A lot of the rubbish you see dumped is fly tipped by outsiders who think Penrhys don’t care, and dump stuff in the middle of the night, but we get the blame for it.