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Denbighshire (historic)

 

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Denbighshire (historic)



 
 
Denbighshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county, which covered an area in north-east Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
. It was a maritime county, bounded to the north by the Irish Sea
Irish Sea

The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of...
, to the east by Flintshire
Flintshire (historic)

Flintshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales, which mostly lay on the north-east coast of Wales....
, Cheshire
Cheshire

Cheshire is a Counties of England in North West England. The county town, and the location of the county council, is the City status in the United Kingdom of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town in terms of area and population is Warrington....
 and Shropshire
Shropshire

Shropshire , alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated, in print only, Shrops, is a Counties of England in the West Midlands of England....
, to the south by Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury....
 and Merionethshire
Merionethshire

Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales of Wales, and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974....
, and to the west by Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire

Caernarfonshire , sometimes also spelt as Caernarvonshire and Carnarvonshire, is one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales....
.

Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in the United Kingdom in England and Wales, on 1 April 1974....
, the use of Denbighshire for local government
Local government in the United Kingdom

The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved English parliament....
 and ceremonial
Lord Lieutenant

The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history....
 purposes ended on April 1, 1974, with the creation of the new county of Clwyd
Clwyd

Clwyd is a preserved counties of Wales of Wales, situated in the North Wales, bordering England and Cheshire to its East, Shropshire to the South-East, Gwynedd to its immediate West and Powys to the South....
.






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Denbighshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county, which covered an area in north-east Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
. It was a maritime county, bounded to the north by the Irish Sea
Irish Sea

The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of...
, to the east by Flintshire
Flintshire (historic)

Flintshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales, which mostly lay on the north-east coast of Wales....
, Cheshire
Cheshire

Cheshire is a Counties of England in North West England. The county town, and the location of the county council, is the City status in the United Kingdom of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town in terms of area and population is Warrington....
 and Shropshire
Shropshire

Shropshire , alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated, in print only, Shrops, is a Counties of England in the West Midlands of England....
, to the south by Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury....
 and Merionethshire
Merionethshire

Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales of Wales, and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974....
, and to the west by Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire

Caernarfonshire , sometimes also spelt as Caernarvonshire and Carnarvonshire, is one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales....
.

Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in the United Kingdom in England and Wales, on 1 April 1974....
, the use of Denbighshire for local government
Local government in the United Kingdom

The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government in England is decided by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and Government of the United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved English parliament....
 and ceremonial
Lord Lieutenant

The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history....
 purposes ended on April 1, 1974, with the creation of the new county of Clwyd
Clwyd

Clwyd is a preserved counties of Wales of Wales, situated in the North Wales, bordering England and Cheshire to its East, Shropshire to the South-East, Gwynedd to its immediate West and Powys to the South....
. The present county
Subdivisions of Wales

For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services....
 of Denbighshire
Denbighshire

Denbighshire is a principal area and county in North Wales. It is named after the Denbighshire , but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales....
 was created on April 1, 1996, covering a substantially different area.

History

Denbighshire was created by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542
Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542

The Laws in Wales Acts 1535?1542 were a series of parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to Kingdom of England and the norms of English administration introduced in order to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction, which is frequently referred to as England and Wales....
 from areas previously in the Marches. It was formed from Cantref
Cantref

A Cantref was a medieval Wales land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law.Land in medieval Wales was divided into cantrefs, which were themselves divided into smaller Cwmwd ....
i
taken as follows;

From Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd

Gwynedd is one of several Wales successor states that emerged in 5th-century sub-Roman Britain. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the Deceangli which were collectively known as Venedotia in late Romano-British documents....
:

  • Rhos
  • Rhufoniog
  • Dyffryn Clwyd


From Powys Fadog
Powys Fadog

Powys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Kingdom of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160....
:

  • Iāl
  • Maelor Gymraeg
    Maelor

    Maelor is a Wales-England border area of north-east Wales. It originated as a Cantref of the Kingdom of Powys, focused on Bangor-on-Dee....
  • Nanheudwy
  • Cynllaith


Geography

In the south and west of the county, the mountains of the Clwydian Range rise from 1000 to high. The east is hilly. There is some level ground along the coastal strip. The highest points are Moel Sych and Cader Berwyn at . Pistyll-y-Rhaeader
Pistyll Rhaeadr

Pistyll Rhaeadr is the tallest waterfall in England and Wales and the fifth tallest in the United Kingdom....
 is a spectacular waterfall. The chief rivers are the Clwyd
River Clwyd

The River Clwyd is a river in North Wales.It has its source in the Clocaenog Forest five miles north west of Corwen. It flows due south until at Melin-y-Wig it veers northeastwards, tracking the A494 road to Ruthin....
 and the Dee
River Dee, Wales

The River Dee is a river. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between them.The river source in Snowdonia, Wales, flows north via Chester, England, and discharges to the sea into an estuary between Wales and the Wirral Peninsula ....
. The River Conwy
River Conwy

The River Conwy is a river in North Wales Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
 runs north along the western boundary.

The main towns in the area today are Rhyl
Rhyl

Rhyl is a seaside resort on the Irish Sea, in the county of Denbighshire , northeast Wales, 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....
, Denbigh
Denbigh

Denbigh is a market town in Denbighshire, North Wales, United Kingdom. Before 1888, it was county town of Denbighshire . Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph....
, Llangollen
Llangollen

Llangollen is a small town in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee, Wales and on the edge of the Berwyn range mountains....
, Llanrwst
Llanrwst

Llanrwst The growth of the town in the 13th century was considerably aided by an edict by Edward I of England, who built Conwy Castle, prohibiting any Welshman from trading within of that town....
, and Ruthin
Ruthin

Ruthin , pronounced RITH-in , is 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 the River Clwyd ....
. The most important industries are agriculture and tourism.

Places of special interest

  • Bodnant Garden
    Bodnant Garden

    Bodnant Garden is a National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty property in Tal-y-Cafn, near Colwyn Bay, North Wales. Bodnant Garden is situated above the River Conwy and overlooks the valley towards the Carneddau range of mountains....
    s, Tal-y-Cafn ;
  • Chirk Castle ;
  • Denbigh Castle ;
  • Eliseg's Pillar ;
  • Plas Newydd, Llangollen ;
  • Valle Crucis Abbey .


Municipal reform

An administrative county
Administrative county

An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
 of Denbighshire was created in 1889 by the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888

The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales....
. The county was governed by an elected county council
County council

A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries....
, who took over the functions of the Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions

The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were periodic courts held in each county and county borough in England and Wales until 1972, when together with the Assize courts they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court of England and Wales for England and Wales....
 courts.

The administrative county was subdivided into municipal borough
Municipal borough

Municipal boroughs were a type of local government 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....
s and urban
Urban district

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
 and rural district
Rural district

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Administrative county....
s.

  • The boroughs of Denbigh
    Denbigh

    Denbigh is a market town in Denbighshire, North Wales, United Kingdom. Before 1888, it was county town of Denbighshire . Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph....
     and Ruthin
    Ruthin

    Ruthin , pronounced RITH-in , is 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 the River Clwyd ....
     were reformed in 1835 by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
    Municipal Corporations Act 1835

    The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 - sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales....
    . The county's third borough, Wrexham
    Wrexham

    Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham , and the largest town in North Wales, located to the east of the region....
     was incorporated in 1857. Colwyn Bay urban district was incorporated in 1934.
  • Three urban districts were formed by the Local Government Act 1894
    Local Government Act 1894

    The Local Government Act 1894 was an act of parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London....
    : Abergele and Pensarn
    Abergele

    Abergele is an old Roman Britain trading town, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in the county borough of Conwy ....
     (renamed Abergele in 1935), Colwyn Bay and Colwyn
    Colwyn Bay

    Colwyn Bay is a town and seaside resort in Conwy county borough on the north coast of Wales. The A55 road passes through the town, running parallel to the North Wales Coast Line....
     (renamed Colwyn Bay in 1926, and incorporated as a borough in 1934) and Llangollen
    Llangollen

    Llangollen is a small town in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee, Wales and on the edge of the Berwyn range mountains....
    , as successors to urban sanitary districts
    Sanitary district

    Sanitary Districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:...
    . in 1897 Llanrwst
    Llanrwst

    Llanrwst The growth of the town in the 13th century was considerably aided by an edict by Edward I of England, who built Conwy Castle, prohibiting any Welshman from trading within of that town....
     urban district was formed.
  • Eight rural districts were formed (also by the 1894 Act), based on existing rural sanitary districts: Chirk
    Chirk Rural District

    Chirk was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1935.The rural district was formed from parts of Oswestry and Corwen Sanitary district....
    , Llangollen
    Llangollen Rural District

    Llangollen was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire, Wales, from 1894 to 1935.The rural district comprised part of the existing Corwen Sanitary district, and consisted of three civil parishes:...
    , Llanrwst
    Llanrwst Rural District

    Llanrwst was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1935.The rural district was formed from the part of Llanrwst sanitary district in Denbighshire....
    , Llansillin
    Llansillin Rural District

    Llansillin was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1935.The rural district was formed from parts of Corwen, Llanfyllin and Oswestry Sanitary district in Denbighshire....
    , Ruthin
    Ruthin Rural District

    Ruthin was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1974.The rural district was formed from the area of Ruthin Sanitary district....
    , St Asaph (Denbigh)
    St Asaph (Denbigh) Rural District

    St Asaph was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1935.The rural district was formed from the parts of St Asaph Sanitary district in Denbighshire....
    , Uwchaled
    Uwchaled Rural District

    Uwchaled was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire , Wales, from 1894 to 1935. The name denoted the upper reaches of the River Aled, and originated in the medieval cwmwd of Uwch Aled....
     and Wrexham
    Wrexham Rural District

    Wrexham was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 and 1974.The rural district took over the of the existing Wrexham Sanitary district....
    .


Two civil parish
Civil parish

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a civil parish is usually the lowest unit of local government, below district and county councils....
es: Llaneilian yn Rhos and Llansanffraid Glan Conway were administered as part of Conway Rural District
Conway Rural District

Conway was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarvonshire, North Wales from 1894 to 1934.The rural district had the same area as the Conway Sanitary District, created in 1875....
 in the neighbouring county of Carnarvonshire. This area was sometimes called Glan Conway Rural District
Glan Conway Rural District

Glan Conway was an area in the administrative county of Denbighshire which was administered by the Conway Rural District in the neighbouring county of Caernarvonshire....
.

In 1935 the rural districts were reorganised by a County Review Order
Local Government Act 1929

The Local Government Act, 1929 made changes to poor law and local government in England and Wales.The act abolished the system of poor law unions in England and Wales and their boards of guardians, passing their powers to local authorities....
, and reduced to five in number: Aled
Aled Rural District

Aled was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire , Wales, from 1935 to 1974.The district was created by a Local Government Act 1929 in 1935 which reoganised districts in the county....
, Ceiriog
Ceiriog Rural District

Ceiriog was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1935 to 1974.The rural district was formed by a Local Government Act 1929 in 1935 from the merger of Chirk Rural District and Llansillin Rural District Rural districts....
, Hiraethog
Hiraethog Rural District

Hiraethog was a rural district of the administrative county of Denbighshire , Wales, from 1935 to 1974. The district took its name from the historic district of Mynydd Hiraethog....
, Ruthin and Wrexham.

The administrative county were abolished in 1974, with the bulk becoming part of Clwyd
Clwyd

Clwyd is a preserved counties of Wales of Wales, situated in the North Wales, bordering England and Cheshire to its East, Shropshire to the South-East, Gwynedd to its immediate West and Powys to the South....
. The urban district of Llanrwst and five rural parishes were included in Gwynedd
Gwynedd

Gwynedd is a Administrative divisions of Wales in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although one of the biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated....
.

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