I had just been reading about the relationship of Winifred Coombe Tennant with her sons Alexander and Henry (in "Wales' Unknown Hero" by Bernard Lewis) when the first two names came up in correspondence.
"In 1935, Mrs Winifred Coombe-Tennant and Mr Alexander Coombe-Tennant gifted a plot of land to Coedffranc Parish Council for the purposes of sport and recreation. The land to be known as Tennant Park and gifted in response to the Prince of Wales Appeal at the Silver Jubilee for land to be made available for young people to take part in physical activities. Mr Coombe-Tennant was presented with a fountain pen by the Parish Council and a silver cigarette box by Skewen Rugby Club (Western Mail 9th May 1935 and Neath Guardian 10th May 1935) "
In 1951 ceremonial gates to a new access to the park were erected and in 1952 a plaque commemorating the Festival of Britain was placed on them.
The Coombe Tennants were extensive land-owners (and the Coombe Tennant Estate still has holdings) hereabouts as a result of George Tennant's entrepreneurship in the early 19th century. (There is no connection with the great Liberal family of the same name as far as I am aware.)
The gates and the access path are now in a sorry state and there is agitation to attend to them. The matter is now in the hands of the community council and I hope there will be more news after next week's town council meeting.
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