Bwlchgwyn
| Bwlchgwyn | |
| Denbighshire | |
|---|---|
 Pub on the A525 road through Bwlchgwyn | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 53°4’20"N, 3°5’55"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Wrexham |
| Postcode: | LL11 |
| Dialling code: | 01978 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Wrexham |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Clwyd South |
Bwlchgwyn is a village in Denbighshire, on the A525 road, five miles west of Wrexham and ten miles south-east of the town of Ruthin. It is a modest place: the 2011 census recorded a population of 855.
Name
The name Bwlchgwyn translates into English as "White Pass" which refers to the white limestone cliffs in the area. It has also been suggested that the original name was Bwlchgwynt meaning "Windy Pass".
Another suggestion to explain White Pass is that the pass is the first and last place in the district where snow settles. Similarly, nearby Gwynfryn means "White Hill".
Geography
At 1,090 feet above sea level, this is one of several places claiming to be the highest village in Wales, though Garn-yr-erw in Glamorgan is cited as being the highest by the Ordnance Survey[1]). As the village is so high, there is a good view of the Peak District, Frodsham Hill and the Cheshire Plain; with the dish of Jodrell Bank visible on clear days.
Two rivers have their sources near the village: the River Gwenfro rises on the south side of the village and the Nant-y-Ffrith flows through a wooded valley to the north.
The village is built on Cefn-y-fedw sandstone, a type of Millstone Grit from the Carboniferous period. It contains veins of lead ore and various other minerals.
History
Bwlchgwyn has been inhabited since at least the Bronze Age when a hill fort was built there (now destroyed by quarrying). Until the 19th century the area was common land used for grazing with only a few houses. As with other villages in this area, such as Coedpoeth, Gwynfryn and Minera, the village prospered in the agricultural and industrial revolutions, benefiting from the rich deposit of silica underground. Local quarries and coal mines provided employment, and the village grew. The nearby Minera Limeworks was the largest employer in the area until it closed in the 1970s. Several public houses opened in the area, one of which still remains - The King's Head Inn, seen in the photograph above. Two chapels were built in the village: the Nebo Chapel was first built in 1852 and had a peak congregation of 150. Bwlchgwyn School opened in 1875; the building stood for over 100 years before being replaced by a new school. The Welsh-language author Edward Tegla Davies was a pupil and later a teacher there.
Bwlchgwyn today
The main road through the village is the A525 between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Rhyl, which creates a high volume of traffic through the village. Today the village has its own primary school, it has a public house, The King's Head.
The village has a King George V Playing Field and a well-used community centre, which contains the village post office.
Local clubs include a local toddler group, an indoor bowls club, and karate club.
Outside links
References
- ↑ Ordnance Survey. "MapZone". http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/didyouknow/longesthighest/q_13_60.html. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
- Gwenda Lewis (2005) I Remember... My Life in Bwlchgwyn 1939-1943
