Denbigh
Encyclopedia
Denbigh is a market town
and community
in Denbighshire
, Wales
. Before 1888, it was the county town
of Denbighshire
. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin
and to the south of St Asaph
. It is about 13 miles (20 km) from the seaside resort of Rhyl
. The town grew around the glove
-making industry. Its population at the 2001 Census
was 8,783.
The first borough charter
was granted to Denbigh in 1290, when the town was still contained within the old town walls
. The town was involved in the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn
in 1294-95; 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 Edward I in December. Denbigh was also burnt in 1400 during the revolt of Owain Glyndwr
.
During the Wars of the Roses
, the town was largely destroyed, subsequently moving from the hilltop to the area of the present town market.
In 1643, Denbigh became a refuge for a Royalist
garrison during the English Civil War
. Surrendering in 1646, the castle and town walls eventually fell into ruin.
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. The project ran out of money and the grounds now lie derelict.
Other attractions in the town include a library and museum. Denbigh Boxing Club is located on Middle Lane.
Denbigh was once served by a railway station
on the former London and North Western Railway
, later part of the LMS
. The "Vale of Clwyd" line leading north to St. Asaph and Rhyl closed in 1955, leaving Denbigh on a lengthy branch running from Chester
via Mold
and Denbigh to Ruthin, which closed in 1962. A southern continuation beyond Ruthin linking up with the Great Western Railway
at Corwen
had closed in 1952. The platform of Denbigh station can still be seen beside the road leading to the Kwik Save
store.
Denbigh hosted National Eisteddfods in 1882, 1939 and 2001.
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.
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 XI play in the Premier Division having won the Division 1 championship in 2010 with the 2nd XI in Division 3.
For over 50 years, a barrel rolling competition is held on Boxing Day
in the town square.
Just outside Denbigh to the north west, adjoining 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.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and community
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 Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Before 1888, it was the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
and to the south of St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
. It is about 13 miles (20 km) from the seaside resort of Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. The town grew around the glove
Glove
A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...
-making industry. Its population at 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....
was 8,783.
The first borough charter
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
was granted to Denbigh in 1290, when the town was still contained within the old town walls
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
. The town was involved in the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
in 1294-95; 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 Edward I in December. Denbigh was also burnt in 1400 during the revolt of Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
.
During the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, the town was largely destroyed, subsequently moving from the hilltop to the area of the present town market.
In 1643, Denbigh became a refuge for a Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
garrison during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. Surrendering in 1646, the castle and town walls eventually fell into ruin.
Notable buildings in Denbigh include Denbigh Castle
Denbigh Castle
Denbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th-century conquest of Wales by Edward I.The castle, which stands on a rocky promontory above the Welsh market town of Denbigh, Denbighshire, was built upon an earlier Welsh stronghold. It was defended by a unique triple-towered gateway.A planned...
, 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
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
, who was also Baron of Denbigh. It was planned as a cathedral with the title of city to be transferred from neighbouring St. Asaph. The project ran out of money and the grounds now lie derelict.
Other attractions in the town include a library and museum. Denbigh Boxing Club is located on Middle Lane.
Denbigh was once served by a railway station
Denbigh railway station
Denbigh railway station served the town of Denbigh in Wales. It closed to passengers in 1962 and freight in 1964....
on the former London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
, later part of the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
. The "Vale of Clwyd" line leading north to St. Asaph and Rhyl closed in 1955, leaving Denbigh on a lengthy branch running from Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
via Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
and Denbigh to Ruthin, which closed in 1962. A southern continuation beyond Ruthin linking up with the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
at Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
had closed in 1952. The platform of Denbigh station can still be seen beside the road leading to the Kwik Save
Kwik Save
Kwik Save was a discount supermarket chain in the United Kingdom until 2007. Its stores were small to medium sized high street supermarkets, mainly located in areas with below average incomes...
store.
Denbigh hosted National Eisteddfods in 1882, 1939 and 2001.
At one time the majority of the population sought employment at the North Wales Hospital
North Wales Hospital
The North Wales Hospital was a hospital for people with psychiatric illnesses located in Denbigh, North Wales....
, which cared for people with psychiatric illnesses. The hospital closed in the late 1990s.
Denbigh Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
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 XI play in the Premier Division having won the Division 1 championship in 2010 with the 2nd XI in Division 3.
For over 50 years, a barrel rolling competition is held on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
in the town square.
Just outside Denbigh to the north west, adjoining Denbigh Golf Club and the Tarmac Quarry, is the historic and ancient deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woodland of Crêst. This woodland is endangered due to environmental pressure and competing land use in the area.
Notable people
- Rhoda BroughtonRhoda BroughtonRhoda Broughton was a novelist.-Life:Rhoda Broughton was born in Denbigh in North Wales on 29 November 1840. She was the daughter of the Rev. Delves Broughton youngest son of the Rev. Sir Henry Delves-Broughton, 8th baronet. She developed a taste for literature, especially poetry, as a young girl...
, poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary... - Humphrey Llwyd, cartographer
- Sir Hugh MyddletonHugh MyddletonSir Hugh Myddelton , 1st Baronet was a Welsh goldsmith, clothmaker, banker, entrepreneur, mine-owner and self-taught engineer...
, royal jeweller, goldsmithGoldsmithA goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
and entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to... - Twm o'r NantTwm o'r NantTwm o’r Nant was the pen name of Welsh language dramatist and poet Thomas Edwards . He was born in Llannefydd, Denbighshire, north-east Wales. He was famous for his anterliwtau , performed mainly around his native Denbighshire, north Wales.-External links:...
, playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder... - Several members of the Salusbury FamilySalusbury FamilyThe Salusbury family is an Anglo-Welsh family notable for their social prominence, wealth, literary contributions and philanthropy. The family started a bank, Salusbury and Co., which later shut down during the Great Depression.-Rise to prominence:...
, who represented Denbigh in its various forms for multiple years - Henry Morton StanleyHenry Morton StanleySir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
, journalist and explorer - Mark WebsterMark Webster (darts player)Mark Webster is a left-handed Welsh darts player who lives in Denbigh. Known as Webby, he plays in Professional Darts Corporation events, having previously won the 2008 BDO World Championship. Mark became a full time professional in 2009, having previously been a fully qualified Gas registered...
Welsh darts international, winner of the BDO World Darts ChampionshipBDO World Darts ChampionshipThe BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
2008 - Bryn WilliamsBryn WilliamsBryn Dwyfor Williams is a chef originally from Dinbych , North Wales. He is the head chef and sole proprietor of Odette's Restaurant, Primrose Hill, London...
, TV chef who won the Great British MenuGreat British MenuGreat British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four course banquet. The first series banquet was for the Queen on her 80th birthday. The second series was to cook for the British Ambassador to France at the British Embassy...
BBC TV programme. - Kate Roberts, writer
- Shefali ChowdhuryShefali ChowdhuryShefali Chowdhury is a British actress best known for playing the role of Parvati Patil in the Harry Potter film series.-Life and career:Chowdhury was born in Denbigh, Wales and moved to Birmingham when she was six...
, actor, notably in the Harry Potter films
External links
- BBC Wales's Denbigh website
- Denbigh Asylum photos taken in 2007
- Denbigh Cricket Club
- Denbigh Cricket Club Ystrad Road Ground
- Exploring Denbigh Asylum
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Denbigh and surrounding area
- North Wales Hospital, Denbigh History and Photos of Denbigh Hospital