Denbigh
| Denbigh Welsh: Dinbych | |
| Denbighshire | |
|---|---|
 Denbigh Castle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SJ055665 |
| Location: | 53°11’14"N, 3°24’57"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 8,783 (2001) |
| Post town: | Denbigh |
| Postcode: | LL16 |
| Dialling code: | 01745 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Denbighshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Vale of Clwyd |
Denbigh is a market town in Denbighshire and its county town. Denbigh lies 8 miles northwest of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph, about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry.
Notable buildings in Denbigh include Denbigh Castle, the town walls begun in 1282 including the Burgess Gate, and Leicester's Church. This is an unfinished church begun in 1579 by Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, who was also Baron of Denbigh. It was planned as a cathedral with the title of city to be transferred from neighbouring St Asaph, but the project ran out of money and the grounds now lie derelict.
Other attractions in the town include a library and museum.
History
The town received its first borough charter in 1290, when the town was still contained within the old town walls. Denbigh was involved in the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294-5; the castle was captured in the autumn, and on 11 November 1294 a relieving force was defeated by the Welsh rebels. The town was recaptured by King Edward I in December. Denbigh was also burnt in 1400 during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr.
During the Wars of the Roses, the town was largely destroyed, subsequently moving from the hilltop to the area of the present town market.[1]
In 1643, Denbigh became a refuge for a Royalist garrison during the English Civil War, which surrendered in 1646. Thereafter, the castle and town walls fell into ruin.[2]
The railway came to Denbigh in the nineteenth century and hr town was served by a railway station. The "Vale of Clwyd" line leading north to St Asaph and Rhyl closed in 1955, leaving Denbigh on a lengthy branch running from Chester by way of Mold and Denbigh to Ruthin, which closed in 1962. The platform of Denbigh station can still be seen beside the road.
At one time the majority of the population sought employment at the North Wales Hospital, which cared for people with psychiatric illnesses. The hospital closed in the late 1990s.
Culture and sport
Denbigh hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1882, 1939 and 2001.
A barrel rolling competition is held on Boxing Day in the town square, a tradition begun some 50 years ago.
Denbigh Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Wales having been established in 1844. The club plays at the Ystrad Road ground and plays in the North Wales Cricket League. The 1st X1 play in Division 1 with the 2nd X1 in Division 3.
Just outside Denbigh to the north west, adjoining the Denbigh Golf Club and the Tarmac quarry, is the historic and ancient deciduous woodland of Crêst. This woodland is endangered due to environmental pressure and competing land use in the area.
References
- ↑ "Denbigh, Clwyd, Wales". http://nautarch.tamu.edu/projects/denbigh/town.htm. Retrieved 30 November 2007.
- ↑ "Welcome to Denbigh". http://www.denbigh.com/. Retrieved 30 November 2007.