Colwyn Bay
Encyclopedia
Demography
Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal boroughMunicipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed just the central part of the overall town and in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
contained just 9,742 people, with the others as follows: Mochdre
Mochdre, Conwy
Mochdre is a village to the west of Colwyn Bay in Conwy County Borough, north Wales. Originally part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn Bay prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974, it is now a separate community , whose population at the 2001 census was 1,862.- Origin of the name...
(1,862), Rhos-on-Sea
Rhos-on-Sea
Rhos-on-Sea also known as Llandrillo-yn-Rhos in Welsh, or Rhos or Llandrillo , is a seaside resort in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 7,110 in 2001. It is a mile to the north but effectively a suburb of Colwyn Bay, on the coast of North Wales...
(7,110), Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn , is a small town just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn Bay, but the reorganisation established it as a separate parish , whose population at the 2001 census was...
(7,626) and Llysfaen
Llysfaen
Llysfaen is a village in Conwy County Borough near the coast of north Wales and is located high above the coast. For local government purposes, it is also a community and Conwy County Borough Council ward.-Introduction:...
(2,652). This gives a total figure for the five communities of 28,992, generally referred to as the population of Colwyn Bay, making it the 16th largest urban area in Wales and the second largest settlement in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
.
According to the census of 2001, 20% of the population can speak Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
fluently. The highest percentage of speakers is in the 10–14 years age group, where 38% can speak the language.
Economy
The town is dominated by the tourist trade. A business and commercial centre with rail links and close access to the activities that are available in the surrounding countryside. Colwyn Bay is a Fairtrade TownFairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
as certified by the Fairtrade Foundation as part of the Fairtrade Towns scheme.
Community facilities
The town has parks and gardens and many places of natural beauty such as Eirias Park. Colwyn Bay has received a gold award 8 times in the Wales in Bloom competition. In 2009 and 2010 the town has been invited to enter Britain in Bloom and has been awarded silver gilt in both years. The Welsh Mountain ZooWelsh Mountain Zoo
The Welsh Mountain Zoo, sometimes called Colwyn Bay Zoo, is a zoological garden located near the town of Colwyn Bay in Conwy County, Wales. The zoo was opened on 18 May 1963 by the wildlife enthusiast and naturalist Robert Jackson...
is nearby.
Landmarks
The Victoria PierVictoria Pier
Victoria Pier is a pier in the seaside resort of Colwyn Bay on the coast of North Wales between Rhyl and Llandudno. It is 750 ft long.-History:...
has been closed to the public since 2009 when a dispute between Conwy County Borough Council
Conwy County Borough Council
Conwy County Borough Council is the governing body for Conwy County Borough, one of the unitary authority areas of Wales.-Political makeup:Elections take place every four years...
and the pier's owner lead to him being declared bankrupt. Llety'r Dryw
Llety'r Dryw
Llety'r Dryw is a house in Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Wales. It is a Grade II listed building. It was built in 1893 for John Eden and designed by the Chester firm of architects, Douglas & Fordham...
is a Grade II listed house in Abergele Road, built for the uncle of Anthony Eden and now used as the headquarters of the North Wales Police Authority. Llys Euryn
Llys Euryn
The ruined remains of Llys Euryn sit upon a wooded shoulder of Bryn Euryn — a limestone hill on the outskirts of Rhos-on-Sea in the county of Conwy, north Wales....
is a medieval manor house on Bryn Euryn
Bryn Euryn
Bryn Euryn is a mountain which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the preserved county of Clwyd, north Wales; .- External link:*...
, now in ruins.
Transport
The A55 roadA55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
passes through the town, running parallel to the North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
. The town is served by Colwyn Bay railway station
Colwyn Bay railway station
Colwyn Bay railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line.The current station consists of the platform faces that served the Up Slow and Up Fast lines. The platform faces to the Down Slow and Down Fast lines were taken out of service and have been obliterated as a result of the...
located in the town centre.
Education
Colwyn Bay has three secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s - one private and two state. Eirias High School
Eirias High School
Eirias High School is situated in Colwyn Bay, in Conwy county borough, North Wales. The school has approx 1600 pupils and over 120 teachers and staff. The school’s name is derived from its location, the grounds of Eirias Park. Its modern facilities include up-to-date science laboratories, modern...
is in Eirias Park and Ysgol Bryn Elian
Ysgol Bryn Elian
-Overview:Ysgol Bryn Elian is an 11 - 18 English-language medium Comprehensive school on Windsor Drive in Old Colwyn. Along with Eirias High School and Coleg Llandrillo Cymru it serves the state secondary education sector in the Colwyn Bay area...
is in Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn , is a small town just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn Bay, but the reorganisation established it as a separate parish , whose population at the 2001 census was...
. Ysgol Bryn Elian mainly serves Old Colwyn and Eirias High School mainly serves Colwyn Bay, Rhos on Sea and Penrhyn Bay. Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos is a private co-educational boarding school in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. It is located on multiple sites around the town including a site in the neighbouring village of Rhos-on-Sea where it keeps its watersports equipment for easy access to the beach.The school, as it exists today,...
is a private school, which is on multiple sites in the town. The town's primary schools are Princess Road School, Ysgol Pendorlan, Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, Ysgol Ty Gwyn Jones and Saint Joseph's R.C. Primary and the Welsh-language Ysgol Bod Alaw.
Religious sites
Anglican churches in and around the town include the parish church St Paul's ChurchSt Paul's Church, Colwyn Bay
St Paul's Church, Colwyn Bay is the parish church of the town of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Rhos, the archdeaconry of St Asaph, and the Diocese of St Asaph...
, St David's Welsh Church
St David's Welsh Church, Colwyn Bay
St David's Welsh Church, Colwyn Bay is in Rhiw Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is an Anglican church in the parish of Colwyn Bay with Bryn-Y-Maen, the deanery of Rhos, the archdeaconry of St Asaph, and the diocese of St Asaph...
, St John the Baptist's Church
St John the Baptist's Church, Old Colwyn
St John the Baptist's Church, Old Colwyn, is in Station Road, Old Colwyn, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the parish of Colwyn, the deanery of Rhos, the archdeaconry of St Asaph and the diocese of St Asaph. St John's is the daughter church of...
and Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen
Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen
Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen is in the small village of Bryn-y-Maen on the B5113 road some 3km to the south of Colwyn Bay in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Rhos, the archdeaconry of St Asaph and the diocese of St Asaph. The church is known...
to the south of the town.
Notable people
- See :Category:People from Colwyn Bay
- Carl DaleCarl DaleCarl Dale is a Welsh former professional footballer. He remains a cult favourite among the fans of his former teams.-Club career:...
, footballer for Chester CityChester City F.C.Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
and Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, as well as several non-league clubs. - Two-time James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
actor Timothy DaltonTimothy DaltonTimothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
. - Richard EllisRichard Ellis (astronomer)Richard Salisbury Ellis CBE FRS is the Steele Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology ....
, the California-based astronomer, was born and went to school in Old Colwyn - Monty PythonMonty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
star Terry JonesTerry JonesTerence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
(from Old ColwynOld ColwynOld Colwyn , is a small town just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn Bay, but the reorganisation established it as a separate parish , whose population at the 2001 census was...
). - Cricketer Tony LewisTony LewisAnthony Robert Lewis CBE is a former Welsh cricketer, who went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage in the 1990s, and become president of the MCC. Lewis attended Christ's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University. He also played county cricket for Glamorgan, and...
who captained Glamorgan. - MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Alun MichaelAlun MichaelAlun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
. - Soap star William RoacheWilliam RoacheWilliam Patrick Harry Roache MBE is a British actor, best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street...
, (Ken Barlow in Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
), who attended Rydal Penrhos, a private school in the town. - Rachel Taylor - Welsh (http://www.wru.co.uk/19814.php?player=54286&includeref=dynamic)women's rugby international playerWomen's international rugby unionWomen's rugby union has a history going back to the late 19th century but it was not until 1982 that the first international fixture took place. The match was organised in connection with the Dutch Rugby Union's 50th anniversary...
who at one time captained Colwyn Bay under 11's rugby team. - Mickey Thomas who played for Manchester United, ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Shrewsbury Town and Wrexham lives in Mochdre. - Mike Walker ex professional footballer and former manager of Everton FC and Norwich City FC
- Helen WillettsHelen WillettsHelen Sarah Willetts is a meteorologist on the BBC. She appears regularly on BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 2, as well as BBC One. Helen is an occasional weather forecaster on the BBC News at Ten and the BBC News channel...
, a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
weather reporter. - Big Breakfast presenter Paula YatesPaula YatesPaula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.-Early life:...
. - William DaviesWilliam Davies (priest)William Davies was a Welsh Roman Catholic priest. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987. There is a chapel in Anglesey built as a memorial to him.-Life:...
, a Welsh Roman Catholic priest and martyr, beatified in 1987.
See also
- MochdreMochdreMochdre may refer to:*Mochdre, Conwy, North Wales*Mochdre, Powys, West Wales...
, a village to the west that was originally part of the Borough.