Hendy, Dyfed, Wales, UK

Hendy(1) is in Dyfed on the border with West Glamorgan, in South Wales. Its nearest neighbour is the village of Pontarddulais and there is an intense rugby rivalry between the two villages.

The name literally translates as the 'Old House', but no-one seems to know which house was referred to.

Tourist attractions include:

* One pub
* One rugby club
* One chip shop
* And a bridge

The bridge has been decreed as not being strong enough to carry two heavily laden juggernauts as required by European bureaucrats. The cost of strengthening the village bridge to motorway standards would be immense, so the local council opted for an easier and cheaper solution. The bridge then became single lane, with traffic lights at each end, so it would only be subject to the weight of a single lorry at any given time. A subsequent rethink by the council led them to a further cost cutting exercise. Leave the bridge as single lane, remove the traffic lights, and let the traffic sort itself out. This is fun at peak traffic times.

If you want to go out to eat, there is only the chip shop. Or you could go to neighbouring Pontarddulais and choose from a range of ethnic and pub cuisine.

Interesting Facts About Hendy

Hendy is the home of the England cricketer Robert Croft.

It is also home to the world's only leech farm(2).

1 Pronounced Hen Dee.
2 The leeches are used in a similar way now as they were in the 19th Century. They are attached to certain types of wounds to speed up the healing process. Additionally they produce a valuable anti-clotting agent which is used in certain medical procedures. Honest!

[via http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/]