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[[Image:WalesClwyd.png|thumb|Clwyd shown within Wales with its original borders]]
{{infobox historic subdivision|
[[File:Rhuddlan Castle, May 2012.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rhuddlan Castle]]]]
|Name= Clwyd
'''Clwyd''' ({{IPA-cy|ˈklʊɨd}}) is a [[preserved counties of Wales|preserved county]] of [[Wales]], situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the [[River Clwyd]], which runs through the county. To the north lies the [[Irish Sea]], [[Cheshire]] is to the east and [[Shropshire]] to the south-east, both in England. The Welsh counties of [[Powys]] and [[Gwynedd]] lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd additionally shares a maritime border with the [[metropolitan county]] of [[Merseyside]] along the [[River Dee, Wales|River Dee]]. Between 1974 and 1996, it was a county with a [[county council]], one of eight counties in Wales, and was divided into six districts. In 1996, the county of Clwyd was abolished, and the new unitary authorities of [[Conwy County Borough]], [[Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire]] and [[Conwy County Borough]] were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.
|HQ= [[Mold, Flintshire|Mold]]
|Government= Clwyd County Council
|Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–)
|Start= 1974
|End= 1996
|Arms= [[Image:Clwyd arms.png|150px]] <br>''Coat of arms of Clwyd County Council''
|Origin= Administrative county of Flintshire<br />Administrative county of Denbighshire (most)<br >Rural district of Edeyrnion
|Replace= [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]] <br> [[Denbighshire]] <br> [[Flintshire]] <br> [[Wrexham County Borough|Wrexham]]<br />Preserved county of Clwyd
|Map= [[Image:WalesClwyd.png|Clwyd shown within Wales with its original borders]]<br>''Clwyd shown within Wales in its original borders''
|PopulationFirst= 390,200
|PopulationFirstYear= 1981
|PopulationSecond= 402,927
|PopulationSecondYear= 1991
|PopulationLast= 491,100 (est; 2003 borders)<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Mid_2007_UK_England_&_Wales_Scotland_and_Northern_Ireland%20_21_08_08.zip |title=2007 population estimate (using 2003 preserved borders for Wrexham, Denbighshire, Conwy and Flintshire)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|accessdate=15 October 2008}}</ref> <br> [[Preserved counties of Wales#In order of population|Ranked 2nd]]
|PopulationLastYear= 2007
|AreaFirst= 2,910 km² <br> [[Preserved counties of Wales#In order of area|Ranked 4th]]
|AreaFirstYear= 2003
|AreaLast=
|AreaLastYear=
|Divisions= [[Non-metropolitan district]]s
|DivisionsMap= [[Image:Clwyd districts.png]]
|DivisionsNames= 1. [[Colwyn]]<br> 2. [[Rhuddlan (district)|Rhuddlan]]<br> 3. [[Glyndŵr]]<br> 4. [[Delyn (district)|Delyn]]<br> 5. [[Alyn and Deeside (district)|Alyn & Deeside]]<br> 6. [[Wrexham Maelor]]
|Code=
|CodeName=
}}


This area of northeastern Wales has been settled since prehistoric times, the Romans built a fort beside a ford on the [[River Conwy]], and the Normans and Welsh disputed the territory. They built their castles at strategic locations as they advanced and retreated, but in the end, England prevailed, and [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] conquered the country in 1282. In the following centuries, the Welsh people were repressed and there were numerous uprisings and rebellions against English rule. The Act of Union in 1535 incorporated Wales under the English Crown and made it subject to English law.
'''Clwyd''' ({{IPA-cy|ˈklʊɨd}}) is a [[preserved counties of Wales|preserved county]] of [[Wales]], situated in the north-east, bordering [[England]] with [[Cheshire]] to its east, [[Shropshire]] to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of [[Gwynedd]] to its immediate west and [[Powys]] to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the [[metropolitan county]] of [[Merseyside]] along the [[River Dee, Wales|River Dee]]. Between 1974 and 1996, it was a county with a [[county council]], and it was divided into six districts. It is named after the [[River Clwyd]], which runs through the region. It was also a [[Royal Mail]] [[Postal counties of the United Kingdom|postal county]] before the postal county scheme was abolished in 1996. Clwyd [[County Council]] was based in the [[county town]] of [[Mold, Flintshire|Mold]].

Traditionally, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of this part of Wales, but with the [[Industrial Revolution]], the [[North Wales Coalfield]] was developed and parts of eastern Clwyd around the Dee estuary and [[Wrexham]] became industrialised. The advent of the railway running from Chester along the North Wales coast in the mid-nineteenth century made it easy for urban dwellers from [[Lancashire]] and [[Cheshire]] to visit the seaside towns of North Wales, and nowadays, tourism is the main source of income in Clwyd.


==History==
==History==
North Wales has had human settlements since prehistoric times. By the time the Romans reached Britain, the area that is now Clwyd was occupied by the Celtic [[Deceangli]] tribe. They lived in a chain of hill forts running through the [[Clwydian Range]] and their tribal capital was [[Canovium]] at an important river crossing on the [[River Conwy]].<ref name=Jones>{{cite book|title=Illustrated History of Chester|author=Jones, P.|year=2009|publisher=DB Publishing |isbn=9781859836842 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vb4lTZDtYOsC}}</ref> This fell to the Romans, who built their own fort here, in about 75 AD and the whole of Wales was soon under their control. After the [[End of Roman rule in Britain|Roman departure from Britain]] in AD 410, the successor states of Gwynedd and Powys controlled what is now Clwyd. From about 800 onwards, a series of dynastic marriages led to [[Rhodri the Great|Rhodri Mawr]] inheriting the kingdoms of [[Gwynedd]] and [[Powys]]. After his death, this kingdom was divided among his three sons and further strife followed, with not only Welsh battles being fought, but also many raids by [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]] and [[Saxons]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Davies|first=John|authorlink=John Davies (historian)|title=A History of Wales| publisher=Penguin| year=1994| location=London|isbn = 0-14-014581-8 |page=338}}</ref>
From the late 1950s, the radical reform of local government in Wales was considered more pressing than that in England, due to the small size of many of the existing authorities, especially the upper tier county councils. The Local Government Commission for Wales set up in 1958 was the first to recommend wholesale amalgamation of the [[administrative counties of Wales|administrative counties]] outside [[Glamorgan]] and [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]], with extensive boundary changes; however the then [[Ministry of Housing and Local Government|Minister of Housing and Local Government]] Sir [[Keith Joseph]] decided not to accept the report, noting that county amalgamations in England had been highly unpopular when proposed.<ref name="Early reform">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 117-8.</ref>


[[File:Denbigh town 02220.jpg|thumb|right|Denbigh in about 1775, from ''A tour in Wales'' by [[Thomas Pennant]]]]
In 1967, after a change of government, the [[Secretary of State for Wales]] [[Cledwyn Hughes]] published a [[white paper]] which revived the idea of amalgamation, but instead of the boundary changes proposed in the previous report, treated each county as a whole. The report recommended a single new county of [[Gwynedd]] incorporating [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]], [[Caernarfonshire]], [[Merionethshire]] and [[Anglesey]]. The white paper stated that "the need for early action is particularly urgent in Wales", and so the issue was not referred to a [[Royal Commission]] as in England.<ref name="White paper">"Local Government in Wales", [[Command paper|Cmnd.]] 3340, July 1967.</ref> Opponents criticised the proposed new county for being too large, and in November 1968 a new Secretary of State announced that Gwynedd would be divided into two.<ref name="Division of Gwynedd">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 123.</ref>
The Normans conquest of England at first had little effect on North Wales. This was to change as the city of [[Chester]] on the River Dee became the base for successive campaigns against the country in the thirteenth century. The coastal plain of Clwyd was the main invasion route used and a number of castles were built there to facilitate these advances. The castles at [[Flint Castle|Flint]] and [[Rhuddlan Castle|Rhuddlan]] date from this period, and were the first to be built by [[Edward I of England]] in North Wales during his successful conquest in 1282.<ref name=Marsh>{{cite web |url=http://www.pathfinderwalks.co.uk/pathfinder-walking-in-north-wales/ |title=Pathfinder Guide: North Wales and Snowdonia |author=Marsh, Terry |publisher=Crimson Publishing Ltd. |work=Pathfinder Guides |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> After this, the rule of the Welsh Princes was at an end and Wales became annexed to England. The country was known as the [[Principality of Wales]] during the period 1216 to 1536. From 1301, the crown's lands in north and west Wales, including Clwyd, formed part of the [[appanage]] of England's heir apparent, who was given the title "Prince of Wales". This was a time of repression for the Welsh people and there were numerous uprisings and rebellions against English rule. Under the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542|Act of Union]] of 1535, Wales became permanently incorporated under the English Crown and subject to English law.<ref name=Marsh/>


[[File:WXM-SDSC0053.jpg|thumb|right|Bersham Ironworks]]
This revised proposal was continued in a further white paper in March 1970, although this proposed that the counties be unitary authorities which would have no district councils below them. The incoming Conservative government resurrected two-tier local government in a consultative document published in February 1971, again with the same upper-tier boundaries.<ref name="Conservative proposal">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 125-6.</ref> Some minor changes having been made to the existing county boundaries due to special local factors, the [[Local Government Act 1972]] duly created Clwyd as a merger of [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]] with most of [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]], along with the [[Edeyrnion Rural District]] from [[Merionethshire]]. The 1970 white paper had introduced the name of Clwyd by reference to the [[River Clwyd]] and the [[Clwydian Range|Clwydian range of hills]]; Clwyd was the only new Welsh county which did not take its name from an ancient kingdom.
Although the [[Industrial Revolution]] did not much affect the rural parts of Clwyd, there was considerable industrial activity in the [[North Wales Coalfield]] in the north-east of the county, particularly around [[Wrexham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/1912/|title=Wales: the first industrial nation of the World|publisher= [[National Museum Wales|Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales]] |date=5 October 2008|accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> The [[Bersham Ironworks]] at [[Bersham]], in the same area, was at the forefront of technological advances and was most famous for being the original working site of the industrialist [[John Wilkinson (industrialist)|John Wilkinson]] who invented new processes for boring [[cannon]]s.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Le Nevez, Catherine|author2=Whitfield, Paul|title=The Rough Guide to Wales |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=qhsTic0-cdQC&pg=PA311 |year=2012 |publisher=Rough Guides Limited |isbn=978-1-4093-5902-9 |page=311}}</ref> The Williams-Wynn family of [[Wynnstay]] had become rich after the dissolution of the monasteries and owned vast estates in Clwyd with resources including lead, tin and copper as well as corn and timber.<ref name=Morris>{{cite book|author=Morris, Jan|title=Wales: Epic Views of a Small Country|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2EUEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT234 |year=2014 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-0-241-97024-9 |page=234}}</ref>


===Districts===
==Geography==
The county of Clwyd in northeastern Wales is bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, Gwynnedd to the west, Powys to the south, and the English counties of Shropshire and Cheshire to the southeast and east respectively, much of the eastern boundary following the course of the [[River Dee, Wales|River Dee]] and its estuary. Other large rivers in the county include the [[River Alyn]], a tributary of the Dee, the [[River Clwyd]] and the [[River Conwy]] in the west. The northern coastal strip of the county is heavily developed for tourism and has many resorts, including [[Llandudno]], [[Colwyn Bay]], [[Colwyn]], [[Abergele]], [[Rhyl]] and [[Prestatyn]]. In the northeast lies [[Deeside]], the coastal plain beside the Dee estuary, and this part of Clwyd is heavily developed for industry. The area around Wrexham and and the commuter settlements close to [[Chester]] are also heavily built up.<ref name=Atlas>{{cite book |title=Modern School Atlas|last=Philip's |year=1994 |publisher=George Philip & Son |isbn=0-540-05278-7 |page=26 }}</ref>
For second-tier local government purposes, Clwyd was divided into six districts, each being operated by a [[Subdivisions of Wales|district]] or [[borough council]].


[[File:Llwyn Uchaf grazing. - geograph.org.uk - 274623.jpg|thumb|right|Sheep grazing with the Clwydian Range behind]]
*[[Alyn and Deeside (district)|Alyn and Deeside]]
To the west of this is a ridge of mountains with a scarp slope to the west, the [[Clwydian Range]]. The highest point of these hills is [[Moel Famau]] at {{convert|1820|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}. The north central part of the county is the broad [[Vale of Clwyd]], and the best agricultural land lies here. To the south of this, the land is much higher and more rugged, and the [[Berwyn range]] is here. The central and western parts of the county are much more rural than the coastal area and the east, with part of the [[Snowdonia National Park]] lying in the western part of the county.<ref name=Atlas/> The population as of 2007 is estimated at 491,100, based on figures for the four component unitary authority areas.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Mid_2007_UK_England_&_Wales_Scotland_and_Northern_Ireland%20_21_08_08.zip Statistics.gov.uk]</ref>
*[[Colwyn]]
*[[Delyn (district)|Delyn]]
*[[Glyndŵr]]
*[[Rhuddlan]]
*[[Wrexham Maelor]]


Clwyd is bordered by the preserved counties of [[Gwynedd]] to the west, [[Powys]] to the south, [[Shropshire]] to the south-east, [[Cheshire]] to the east and [[Merseyside]] over the [[River Dee, Wales|River Dee]]. Since the 2003 boundary changes, its coastline has extended from the [[Dee Estuary]] in Flintshire through to [[Llanfairfechan]] in Conwy.
These were abolished, along with the county itself, on 1&nbsp;April 1996.
Clwyd consists of the whole of the [[historic counties of Wales|historic]] county of [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]], and most of [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]]. Since 2003 it has also included the former district of [[Aberconwy (district)|Aberconwy]], which lies in the historic county of [[Caernarfonshire]]. [[Edeyrnion Rural District]] was also part of [[Merionethshire]].<ref name=2003Act/>


===Coat of Arms===
==Economy==
The economy of Clwyd depends on a mixture of industrial, agricultural and tourism activities. The land uses of any region depend on the underlying geology which influences the soil types. In the Clwydian Range, lead and [[Spar (mineralogy)|spar minerals]] have been mined in the past, and limestone quarried from [[Llantysilio Mountain]], [[Ruabon Moors|Ruabon Mountain]] and [[Minera Mountain]] near Wrexham.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/geodiversity/ |title=Geodiversity |publisher=Clwydian Range and Dee Valley |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> The [[Minera Limeworks]] were once the largest lime workings in North Wales. Later, road building stone was extracted but the quarries closed in 1992.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.minerahistory.com/the_calch.html |title='The Calch' - Minera Limeworks |publisher=MineraHistory.com |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> Coal mining in the [[North Wales Coalfield]] ceased in the second half of the twentieth century but used to be a large source of employment in the area.<ref name=nwales>{{Citation |url=http://www.cmhrc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nwalescf.htm|title=The North Wales Coalfield |year=1953 |publisher=Coalmining History Research Centre|accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> The main products being manufactured in industrial east Clwyd include aircraft components (Airbus), engines (Toyota), paper (Shotton Paper) and steel processing, and the port of [[Mostyn]] builds and supports [[Offshore wind power|offshore windfarms]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flintshire.gov.uk/en/Business/Advice-and-guidance/Investing-in-Flintshire.aspx |title=Flintshire |work=Investing in Flintshire |publisher=Flintshire County Council |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref>
Clwyd County Council's coat of arms was granted in December 1974. It features the cross and choughs from Flintshire's shield, which itself came from the traditional arms of [[Edwin of Tegeingl]]. The black lion of the Princes of Powys Fadog is taken from Denbighshire's shield.


Agriculture, largely based on livestock, has traditionally been the main occupation in the central and western parts of the county. There are a mix of large and small farm businesses, and a thriving dairy sector in the Vale of Clwyd.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/contact-us/clwyd/ |title=Clwyd |date=5 December 2014 |publisher=NFU Cymru |accessdate=19 April 2016}}</ref> Many of the towns have livestock markets and the farming industry supports farm machinery merchants, vets, feed merchants, contractors and all the ancillary trades connected with agriculture.<ref name=Morris/> With their incomes on the decline, farmers have found opportunities in tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and value-added food products.<ref name=Nienaber>{{cite book|author=Nienaber, Birte|title=Globalization and Europe's Rural Regions |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RFurCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA79 |year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-12709-3 |pages=76–83}}</ref>
===Abolition===
Clwyd County Council and its districts were abolished by the [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994]], and local government would be replaced by the four [[unitary authorities]] of [[Flintshire]], [[Wrexham County Borough]], [[Denbighshire]], and parts of [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]] (along with some smaller communities moving to [[Powys]]). The Act also abolished the County, and states the term "county" would be synonymous with the "principal areas" created by the 1994 Act. However the Act then created a further set of "preserved counties", which were based on the 8 created by the 1972 Act. These Preserved Counties, similar in respect to [[England|English]] [[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial counties]], would be retained for a variety of purposes, including [[Lieutenancy]] and [[Shrievalty]].


[[File:The pier, Rhyl, Wales-LCCN2001703538.jpg|thumb|right|The Pier at [[Rhyl]], about 1900]]
Clwyd County Council and its six districts ceased operations at midnight on 1 April 1996, and local government was immediately transferred to the new principal areas of [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]], [[Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire]] and [[Wrexham (county borough)|Wrexham]]. The Preserved County of Clwyd also came into effect as of that date.
Tourism is nowadays the main source of income in Clwyd. The upland areas with their sheep farms and small, stone-walled fields are attractive to visitors, and redundant farm buildings are often converted to self-catering accommodation while the farmhouses themselves supply bed-and-breakfast opportunities. The arrival of the railway on the coast in the mid-nineteenth century opened up travel from Merseyside and caused a boom in tourism, with guesthouses in seaside towns offering board and lodging for the urban visitors. More recently caravan sites and holiday villages have blossomed and there has been an increase in the ownership of "second homes".<ref>{{cite book|author1=Boniface, Brian G. |author2=Cooper, Chris |author3=Cooper, Robyn|title=Worldwide Destinations: The Geography of Travel and Tourism|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6abUvExxZiIC&pg=PA129 |year=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-08-097040-0 |pages=129, 152–153}}</ref>


Various initiatives designed to boost the economy of North Wales are being attempted in 2016. These include the Northern Gateway project on the former [[MoD Sealand|Sealand RAF site]] on Deeside, and a redevelopment project for the former Rhyl seafront and [[funfair]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Six projects to kick-start the North Wales economy in 2016 |url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/six-projects-kick-start-north-10669404 |newspaper=Daily Post |date=1 January 2016 |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref>
==2003 boundary review==


==Administrative history==
In 2003, the borders of Clwyd were changed to cover the remainder of [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]] (which had previously been part of [[Gwynedd]]), which was part of a Wales-wide re-organisation of the preserved counties, so that boundaries of the preserved counties would contain whole current principal areas only.<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2003/20030974e.htm The Preserved Counties (Amendment to Boundaries) (Wales) Order 2003] Retrieved on 19 May 2009</ref>
From the late 1950s, the radical reform of local government in Wales was considered more pressing than that in England, due to the small size of many of the existing authorities, especially the upper tier county councils. The Local Government Commission for Wales set up in 1958 was the first to recommend wholesale amalgamation of the [[administrative counties of Wales|administrative counties]] outside [[Glamorgan]] and [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]], with extensive boundary changes; however the then [[Ministry of Housing and Local Government|Minister of Housing and Local Government]] Sir [[Keith Joseph]] decided not to accept the report, noting that county amalgamations in England had been highly unpopular when proposed.<ref name="Early reform">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 117-8.</ref>


In 1967, after a change of government, the [[Secretary of State for Wales]] [[Cledwyn Hughes]] published a [[white paper]] which revived the idea of amalgamation, but instead of the boundary changes proposed in the previous report, treated each county as a whole. The report recommended a single new county of [[Gwynedd]] incorporating [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]], [[Caernarfonshire]], [[Merionethshire]] and [[Anglesey]]. The white paper stated that "the need for early action is particularly urgent in Wales", and so the issue was not referred to a [[Royal Commission]] as in England.<ref name="White paper">"Local Government in Wales", [[Command paper|Cmnd.]] 3340, July 1967.</ref> Opponents criticised the proposed new county for being too large, and in November 1968 a new Secretary of State announced that Gwynedd would be divided into two.<ref name="Division of Gwynedd">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 123.</ref>
These moves were met with some criticism, as the preserved counties were created to sustain a stable and continuing layout, irrespective of interim local government reviews affecting principal areas. This led to some areas, such as the Aberconwy district, moving to a preserved county it had never been administered by in the past, and therefore these moves went generally unreported due to the preserved county's limited status. The Boundary Commission proceeded to retain the 8 preserved counties, and modified their borders in 2003 to match with the incumbent principal area boundaries.


This revised proposal was continued in a further white paper in March 1970, although this proposed that the counties be unitary authorities which would have no district councils below them. The incoming Conservative government resurrected two-tier local government in a consultative document published in February 1971, again with the same upper-tier boundaries.<ref name="Conservative proposal">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 125-6.</ref> Some minor changes having been made to the existing county boundaries due to special local factors, the [[Local Government Act 1972]] duly created Clwyd as a merger of [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]] with most of [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]], along with the [[Edeyrnion Rural District]] from [[Merionethshire]].<ref name="Later reform">Bruce Wood, "The Process of Local Government Reform 1966–74", George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1976, p. 127-130.</ref> The 1970 white paper had introduced the name of Clwyd by reference to the [[River Clwyd]] and the [[Clwydian Range|Clwydian range of hills]]; Clwyd was the only new Welsh county which did not take its name from an ancient kingdom.
The 2003 arrangement brings towns such as [[Llandudno]], [[Conwy]] and [[Betws y Coed]] into the preserved county of Clwyd.
<ref>{{cite news|title=Ancient Welsh names restored in council titles|work=The Times|date=19 December 1972}}</ref>


[[Image:Clwyd districts.png|thumb|District of Clwyd:<br> 1, Colwyn<br>2, Rhuddlan<br>3, Glyndwr<br>4, Delyn<br>5, Alyn & Deeside<br>6, Wrexham Maelor ]]
{{Geographic Location
| Centre = Clwyd
| Northeast = [[Merseyside]]
| East = [[Cheshire]]
| Southeast = [[Shropshire]]
| South = [[Powys]]
| Southwest =
| West = [[Gwynedd]]
| Northwest =
| North =
}}


For second-tier local government purposes, Clwyd was divided into six districts: [[Alyn and Deeside (district)|Alyn and Deeside]],[[Colwyn]], [[Delyn (district)|Delyn]], [[Glyndŵr]], [[Rhuddlan]] and [[Wrexham Maelor]], each being operated by a [[Subdivisions of Wales|district]] or [[borough council]].<ref name="Later reform"/> These were abolished, along with the county itself, on 1&nbsp;April 1996.<ref name=1994Act>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/19/contents |title=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 |work=The National Archives |publisher=legislation,gov.uk |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> Clwyd County Council's coat of arms was granted in December 1974. The design of the shield, crest and motto includes elements taken from the arms of the councils of the former Flintshire and Denbighshire. The green and white wave represents the Vale of Clwyd and the Clwydian Range lying between the two parts of the county. The cross and [[chough]]s come from Flintshire's shield, which itself incorporated the traditional arms of [[Edwin of Tegeingl]], while he black lion of the Princes of Powys Fadog is taken from Denbighshire's shield. The motto, ''Tarian Cyfiawnder Duw'' can be translated as "The shield of Justice is God".<ref>{{cite web|title=Clwyd coat of arms|url=http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=West_Glamorgan|publisher=Heraldry of the World|accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref>
==Legacy==
Many local organisations still make use of the "Clwyd" name. Some of organisations and facilities include:


Clwyd County Council and its districts were abolished by the [[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994]], and local government would be replaced by the four [[unitary authorities]] of [[Flintshire]], [[Wrexham County Borough]], [[Denbighshire]], and parts of [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]] (along with some smaller communities moving to [[Powys]]). The Act also abolished the County, and states the term "county" would be synonymous with the "principal areas" created by the 1994 Act. However the Act then created a further set of "preserved counties", which were based on the eight created by the 1972 Act. These Preserved Counties, similar in respect to [[England|English]] [[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial counties]], would be retained for a variety of purposes, including [[Lieutenancy]] and [[Shrievalty]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.highsheriffs.com/Clwyd/ClwydHistory.htm |title=Clwyd: County history |year=2010 |publisher=High Sheriff's Association of England and Wales |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref>
*[[Clwyd Theatr Cymru]] in [[Mold, Flintshire|Mold]]
*[[Clwyd Family History Society]]
*[[Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust]]
*[[Clwyd League]]
*[[Clwyd Area Scouts]]
*[[Clwyd County Darts Association]]
*Clwyd Pension Fund (Local Government pension scheme inherited from Clwyd County Council, now providing pension schemes for Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire unitary authorities and former districts).


Clwyd County Council and its six districts ceased operations at midnight on 1 April 1996, and local government was immediately transferred to the new principal areas of [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]], [[Denbighshire]], [[Flintshire]] and [[Wrexham (county borough)|Wrexham]]. However, although bearing the same names, the boundaries of Flintshire and Denbighshire were substantially different from those of the earlier counties. As it happened, the county records for historic Flintshire had been retained at the [[Hawarden]] branch of the Clwyd Records Office while those for historic Denbighshire had continued to be held at the [[Ruthin]] branch, so there was no problem in segregating the records.<ref name=GenukiDenbighshire>{{cite web |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/DEN |title=Denbighshire |publisher=Genuki |accessdate=18 April 2016}}</ref>
The position of [[Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd]] also continues as the [[Monarch]]'s personal representative as with the other seven preserved counties of Wales. The current Lord Lieutenant is ''Trefor Jones'', who has held the position since 2001.


The Preserved County of Clwyd came into effect on the same day that Clwyd County Council was abolished. The preserved county was almost identical to the 1974–96 county, but had a few minor changes in line with changes to local government boundaries, the communities of [[Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant]], [[Llansilin]] and [[Llangedwyn]] being transferred from Clwyd to [[Powys]].<ref name=Review>{{cite web | url = http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/preserved/preserved_final_proposals_e.htm | title = Review of Preserved County Boundaries Final Proposals | publisher = Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales |accessdate=18 April 2016}}</ref>
==Geography==
Clwyd is bordered by the preserved/[[ceremonial counties]] of [[Gwynedd]] to the west, [[Powys]] to the south, [[Shropshire]] to the south-east, [[Cheshire]] to the east and [[Merseyside]] over the [[River Dee, Wales|River Dee]]. Since the 2003 boundary changes, its coastline has extended from the [[Dee Estuary]] in Flintshire through to [[Llanfairfechan]] in Conwy. The east of the county is fairly urbanised, particularly areas such as [[Wrexham]], [[Deeside]] and the commuter settlements close to [[Chester]]. The west, however is more rural, with [[Snowdonia National Park]] in eastern areas of Conwy. Large coastal settlements include [[Rhyl]] and [[Prestatyn]] in Denbighshire, moving westwards to [[Abergele]], [[Colwyn Bay]] and [[Llandudno]]. Central areas of Clwyd feature the mountainous [[Clwydian Range]] and [[Berwyn range]], and the [[Vale of Clwyd]] in the central north is a rich agricultural area. The population as of 2007 is estimated at 491,100, based on figures for the four component unitary authority areas.


==2003 boundary review==
Clwyd consists of the whole of the [[historic counties of Wales|historic]] county of [[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]], and most of [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]]. Since 2003 it has also included the former district of [[Aberconwy (district)|Aberconwy]], which lies in the historic county of [[Caernarfonshire]]. [[Edeyrnion Rural District]] was also part of [[Merionethshire]].
[[Image:WalesCeremonialClwyd.png|frame|right|150px|Clwyd as a [[Preserved counties of Wales|preserved county]] since 2003.]]
[[Image:WalesCeremonialClwyd.png|frame|right|150px|Clwyd as a [[Preserved counties of Wales|preserved county]] since 2003.]]
In 2003, the borders of Clwyd were changed to cover the remainder of [[Conwy (county borough)|Conwy]] (which had previously been part of [[Gwynedd]]), which was part of a Wales-wide re-organisation of the preserved counties, so that boundaries of the preserved counties would contain whole current principal areas only.<ref name=2003Act>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2003/20030974e.htm The Preserved Counties (Amendment to Boundaries) (Wales) Order 2003] Retrieved on 19 May 2009</ref>

These moves were met with some criticism, as the preserved counties were created to sustain a stable and continuing layout, irrespective of interim local government reviews affecting principal areas. This led to some areas, such as the Aberconwy district, moving to a preserved county it had never been administered by in the past, and therefore these moves went generally unreported due to the preserved county's limited status. The Boundary Commission proceeded to retain the eight preserved counties, and modified their borders in 2003 to match with the incumbent principal area boundaries. The 2003 arrangement brings towns such as [[Llandudno]], [[Conwy]] and [[Betws y Coed]] into the preserved county of Clwyd.<ref name=2003Act/>

==Legacy==
Many local organisations still make use of the word "Clwyd" in their name, often because their membership covers a wider area than their present unitary authority. These organisations include the [[Clwyd Theatr Cymru]], which is based in [[Mold, Flintshire|Mold]] and is the largest producing arts centre in Wales. It provides young people the opportunity to get involved in drama. The [[Clwyd Family History Society]] can help its members to access many historical documents concerning northeastern Wales,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clwydfhs.org.uk/ |title=Clwyd Family History Society |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> and the [[Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust]] is one of four archaeological trusts covering the whole of Wales.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpat.org.uk/ |title=Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> The [[Clwyd County Darts Association]] organises tournaments and takes part in inter-county matches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clwydcountydarts.co.uk/ |title=Clwyd County Darts Association |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref> The Clwyd Pension Fund is the Local Government pension scheme inherited from Clwyd County Council, now providing pension schemes for Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire unitary authorities and former districts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clwydpensionfund.org.uk/ |title=Clwyd Pension Fund |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref>

The position of [[Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd]] also continues as the [[Monarch]]'s personal representative, as with the other seven preserved counties of Wales. The current Lord Lieutenant is Henry George Fetherstonhaugh, who was appointed in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lord-lieutenant-for-county-clwyd |title=Lord Lieutenant for County Clwyd |date=17 January 2013 |publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref>

==Landmarks==
[[File:Traphont Pontcysyllte Sir Wrecsam 03.JPG|thumb|right|[[Narrowboat]] crossing the [[Pontcysyllte Aqueduct]]]]
The [[Pontcysyllte Aqueduct]] was built by [[Thomas Telford]] in 1805 and is the largest aqueduct in the United Kingdom; it carries the [[Llangollen Canal]] over the River Dee and is a [[World Heritage Site]], being considered a masterpiece of civil engineering.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1303 |title=Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal |publisher=UNESCO |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley constitute an [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]], one of just five in the whole of Wales.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northeastwales.co.uk/what-to-see-and-do/denbighshire/clwydian-range.aspx |title=Clwydian Range |publisher=North East Wales |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> [[Denbigh]], [[Colwyn]] and [[Ruthin]] are historic towns and [[Llangollen]] hosts the [[Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod]] in July each year.<ref name=Attractions>{{cite web |url=http://www.britainexpress.com/attraction-county.htm?County=Clwyd |title=Attractions in Clwyd |publisher=Britain Express |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref>

[[The Gop]] is a Neolithic mound, the second largest such structure in Britain being only superseded by [[Silbury Hill]]. [[Caer Drewyn]] is one of many [[Iron Age]] hill forts in the county that attest to human occupation of this area for millennia. [[Maen Achwyfan Cross]] is a carved 10th century wheel cross depicting Celtic and Viking symbols.<ref name=Attractions/> The castles of [[Rhuddlan Castle|Rhuddlan]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.castlewales.com/rhudln.html |title=Rhuddlan Castle |author=Thomas, Jefferey L. |year=2009 |work=Castles of Wales |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> and [[Flint Castle|Flint]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.castlewales.com/flint |title=Flint Castle |author=Hale, Lise; Hale; Irma |year=2009 |work=Castles of Wales |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> were built by the Normans during their invasion of North Wales and [[Castell Dinas Brân]] was a Welsh fortress of the same period. [[St Asaph Cathedral]] also dates from the thirteenth century as does the medieval Cistercian abbey of [[Valle Crucis Abbey|Valle Crucis]].<ref name=Attractions/>

[[Bodnant Garden]] is a formal garden in a landscaped setting,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden |title=Bodnant Garden |publisher=National Trust |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> and [[Erddig|Erddig Hall]] is a stately home, both owned by the [[National Trust]]. Other fine country houses in Clwyd include [[Trevor Hall, Denbighshire|Trevor Hall]] and [[Faenol Fawr, Bodelwyddan]], while [[Plas Mawr]] and [[Aberconwy House]] are historic town houses in [[Conwy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/aberconwy-house |title=Aberconwy House |publisher=National Trust |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref> Also in Conwy is the [[Conwy Suspension Bridge]], one of the first such bridges in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/conwy-suspension-bridge |title=Conwy Suspension Bridge |publisher=National Trust |accessdate=21 April 2016}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Virgin Voyager, Flint railway station (geograph 4031998).jpg|thumb|right|Virgin Voyager approaching [[Flint railway station]]]]
The [[North Wales Coast Line]] is the railway line from [[Crewe]] to [[Holyhead]], operated by [[Virgin Trains]]. Trains leaving Crewe pass through Chester, cross the River Dee into Wales, and continue through [[Flint railway station|Flint]], [[Shotton railway station|Shotton]], [[Holywell Junction railway station|Holywell junction]], [[Prestatyn railway station|Prestatyn]], [[Rhyl railway station|Rhyl]], [[Colwyn Bay railway station|Colwyn Bay]], [[Llandudno Junction railway station|Llandudno Junction]], [[Conwy railway station|Conwy]] and [[Bangor (Gwynedd) railway station|Bangor]], to [[Holyhead railway station|Holyhead]], from where there is a ferry service to Ireland. Passengers can change at Shotton for the [[Borderlands Line]], which links Wrexham with [[Bidston]] on the [[Wirral Peninsula]] in England.

There are no motorways in Clwyd. The [[A55 road|A55]] dual carriageway road passes from Chester through [[St Asaph]] to the North Wales coast at [[Abergele]], after which it runs parallel to the railway line through Conway and Bangor to terminate at Holyhead. The [[A548 road|A548]] passes from Chester to Abergele through Deeside and along the coast, before leaving the coast and terminating at [[Llanrwst]]. The main road from London is the [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5]] which enters Clwyd at [[Chirk]] and passes northwestwards through [[Llangollen]], [[Corwen]] and [[Betws-y-Coed]] to join the A55 and terminate at Bangor. The [[A543 road|A543]] crosses the Denbigh Moors from southeast to northwest, and the [[A525 road|A525]] links Ruthin with St Asaph.<ref>{{cite book |title=Concise Road Atlas: Britain |year=2015 |publisher=AA Publishing |isbn=978-0-7495-7743-8 |pages=47–55 }}</ref> There are local bus services between the main centres of population.


==See also==
==See also==
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== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|30em}}


{{Wales preserved counties}}
{{Wales preserved counties}}

Revision as of 18:57, 21 April 2016

Clwyd shown within Wales with its original borders
Rhuddlan Castle

Clwyd (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈklʊɨd]) is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the county. To the north lies the Irish Sea, Cheshire is to the east and Shropshire to the south-east, both in England. The Welsh counties of Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, it was a county with a county council, one of eight counties in Wales, and was divided into six districts. In 1996, the county of Clwyd was abolished, and the new unitary authorities of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Conwy County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.

This area of northeastern Wales has been settled since prehistoric times, the Romans built a fort beside a ford on the River Conwy, and the Normans and Welsh disputed the territory. They built their castles at strategic locations as they advanced and retreated, but in the end, England prevailed, and Edward I conquered the country in 1282. In the following centuries, the Welsh people were repressed and there were numerous uprisings and rebellions against English rule. The Act of Union in 1535 incorporated Wales under the English Crown and made it subject to English law.

Traditionally, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of this part of Wales, but with the Industrial Revolution, the North Wales Coalfield was developed and parts of eastern Clwyd around the Dee estuary and Wrexham became industrialised. The advent of the railway running from Chester along the North Wales coast in the mid-nineteenth century made it easy for urban dwellers from Lancashire and Cheshire to visit the seaside towns of North Wales, and nowadays, tourism is the main source of income in Clwyd.

History

North Wales has had human settlements since prehistoric times. By the time the Romans reached Britain, the area that is now Clwyd was occupied by the Celtic Deceangli tribe. They lived in a chain of hill forts running through the Clwydian Range and their tribal capital was Canovium at an important river crossing on the River Conwy.[1] This fell to the Romans, who built their own fort here, in about 75 AD and the whole of Wales was soon under their control. After the Roman departure from Britain in AD 410, the successor states of Gwynedd and Powys controlled what is now Clwyd. From about 800 onwards, a series of dynastic marriages led to Rhodri Mawr inheriting the kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys. After his death, this kingdom was divided among his three sons and further strife followed, with not only Welsh battles being fought, but also many raids by Danes and Saxons.[2]

Denbigh in about 1775, from A tour in Wales by Thomas Pennant

The Normans conquest of England at first had little effect on North Wales. This was to change as the city of Chester on the River Dee became the base for successive campaigns against the country in the thirteenth century. The coastal plain of Clwyd was the main invasion route used and a number of castles were built there to facilitate these advances. The castles at Flint and Rhuddlan date from this period, and were the first to be built by Edward I of England in North Wales during his successful conquest in 1282.[3] After this, the rule of the Welsh Princes was at an end and Wales became annexed to England. The country was known as the Principality of Wales during the period 1216 to 1536. From 1301, the crown's lands in north and west Wales, including Clwyd, formed part of the appanage of England's heir apparent, who was given the title "Prince of Wales". This was a time of repression for the Welsh people and there were numerous uprisings and rebellions against English rule. Under the Act of Union of 1535, Wales became permanently incorporated under the English Crown and subject to English law.[3]

Bersham Ironworks

Although the Industrial Revolution did not much affect the rural parts of Clwyd, there was considerable industrial activity in the North Wales Coalfield in the north-east of the county, particularly around Wrexham.[4] The Bersham Ironworks at Bersham, in the same area, was at the forefront of technological advances and was most famous for being the original working site of the industrialist John Wilkinson who invented new processes for boring cannons.[5] The Williams-Wynn family of Wynnstay had become rich after the dissolution of the monasteries and owned vast estates in Clwyd with resources including lead, tin and copper as well as corn and timber.[6]

Geography

The county of Clwyd in northeastern Wales is bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, Gwynnedd to the west, Powys to the south, and the English counties of Shropshire and Cheshire to the southeast and east respectively, much of the eastern boundary following the course of the River Dee and its estuary. Other large rivers in the county include the River Alyn, a tributary of the Dee, the River Clwyd and the River Conwy in the west. The northern coastal strip of the county is heavily developed for tourism and has many resorts, including Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, Colwyn, Abergele, Rhyl and Prestatyn. In the northeast lies Deeside, the coastal plain beside the Dee estuary, and this part of Clwyd is heavily developed for industry. The area around Wrexham and and the commuter settlements close to Chester are also heavily built up.[7]

Sheep grazing with the Clwydian Range behind

To the west of this is a ridge of mountains with a scarp slope to the west, the Clwydian Range. The highest point of these hills is Moel Famau at 1,820 ft (555 m). The north central part of the county is the broad Vale of Clwyd, and the best agricultural land lies here. To the south of this, the land is much higher and more rugged, and the Berwyn range is here. The central and western parts of the county are much more rural than the coastal area and the east, with part of the Snowdonia National Park lying in the western part of the county.[7] The population as of 2007 is estimated at 491,100, based on figures for the four component unitary authority areas.[8]

Clwyd is bordered by the preserved counties of Gwynedd to the west, Powys to the south, Shropshire to the south-east, Cheshire to the east and Merseyside over the River Dee. Since the 2003 boundary changes, its coastline has extended from the Dee Estuary in Flintshire through to Llanfairfechan in Conwy. Clwyd consists of the whole of the historic county of Flintshire, and most of Denbighshire. Since 2003 it has also included the former district of Aberconwy, which lies in the historic county of Caernarfonshire. Edeyrnion Rural District was also part of Merionethshire.[9]

Economy

The economy of Clwyd depends on a mixture of industrial, agricultural and tourism activities. The land uses of any region depend on the underlying geology which influences the soil types. In the Clwydian Range, lead and spar minerals have been mined in the past, and limestone quarried from Llantysilio Mountain, Ruabon Mountain and Minera Mountain near Wrexham.[10] The Minera Limeworks were once the largest lime workings in North Wales. Later, road building stone was extracted but the quarries closed in 1992.[11] Coal mining in the North Wales Coalfield ceased in the second half of the twentieth century but used to be a large source of employment in the area.[12] The main products being manufactured in industrial east Clwyd include aircraft components (Airbus), engines (Toyota), paper (Shotton Paper) and steel processing, and the port of Mostyn builds and supports offshore windfarms.[13]

Agriculture, largely based on livestock, has traditionally been the main occupation in the central and western parts of the county. There are a mix of large and small farm businesses, and a thriving dairy sector in the Vale of Clwyd.[14] Many of the towns have livestock markets and the farming industry supports farm machinery merchants, vets, feed merchants, contractors and all the ancillary trades connected with agriculture.[6] With their incomes on the decline, farmers have found opportunities in tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and value-added food products.[15]

The Pier at Rhyl, about 1900

Tourism is nowadays the main source of income in Clwyd. The upland areas with their sheep farms and small, stone-walled fields are attractive to visitors, and redundant farm buildings are often converted to self-catering accommodation while the farmhouses themselves supply bed-and-breakfast opportunities. The arrival of the railway on the coast in the mid-nineteenth century opened up travel from Merseyside and caused a boom in tourism, with guesthouses in seaside towns offering board and lodging for the urban visitors. More recently caravan sites and holiday villages have blossomed and there has been an increase in the ownership of "second homes".[16]

Various initiatives designed to boost the economy of North Wales are being attempted in 2016. These include the Northern Gateway project on the former Sealand RAF site on Deeside, and a redevelopment project for the former Rhyl seafront and funfair.[17]

Administrative history

From the late 1950s, the radical reform of local government in Wales was considered more pressing than that in England, due to the small size of many of the existing authorities, especially the upper tier county councils. The Local Government Commission for Wales set up in 1958 was the first to recommend wholesale amalgamation of the administrative counties outside Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, with extensive boundary changes; however the then Minister of Housing and Local Government Sir Keith Joseph decided not to accept the report, noting that county amalgamations in England had been highly unpopular when proposed.[18]

In 1967, after a change of government, the Secretary of State for Wales Cledwyn Hughes published a white paper which revived the idea of amalgamation, but instead of the boundary changes proposed in the previous report, treated each county as a whole. The report recommended a single new county of Gwynedd incorporating Denbighshire, Flintshire, Caernarfonshire, Merionethshire and Anglesey. The white paper stated that "the need for early action is particularly urgent in Wales", and so the issue was not referred to a Royal Commission as in England.[19] Opponents criticised the proposed new county for being too large, and in November 1968 a new Secretary of State announced that Gwynedd would be divided into two.[20]

This revised proposal was continued in a further white paper in March 1970, although this proposed that the counties be unitary authorities which would have no district councils below them. The incoming Conservative government resurrected two-tier local government in a consultative document published in February 1971, again with the same upper-tier boundaries.[21] Some minor changes having been made to the existing county boundaries due to special local factors, the Local Government Act 1972 duly created Clwyd as a merger of Flintshire with most of Denbighshire, along with the Edeyrnion Rural District from Merionethshire.[22] The 1970 white paper had introduced the name of Clwyd by reference to the River Clwyd and the Clwydian range of hills; Clwyd was the only new Welsh county which did not take its name from an ancient kingdom. [23]

District of Clwyd:
1, Colwyn
2, Rhuddlan
3, Glyndwr
4, Delyn
5, Alyn & Deeside
6, Wrexham Maelor

For second-tier local government purposes, Clwyd was divided into six districts: Alyn and Deeside,Colwyn, Delyn, Glyndŵr, Rhuddlan and Wrexham Maelor, each being operated by a district or borough council.[22] These were abolished, along with the county itself, on 1 April 1996.[24] Clwyd County Council's coat of arms was granted in December 1974. The design of the shield, crest and motto includes elements taken from the arms of the councils of the former Flintshire and Denbighshire. The green and white wave represents the Vale of Clwyd and the Clwydian Range lying between the two parts of the county. The cross and choughs come from Flintshire's shield, which itself incorporated the traditional arms of Edwin of Tegeingl, while he black lion of the Princes of Powys Fadog is taken from Denbighshire's shield. The motto, Tarian Cyfiawnder Duw can be translated as "The shield of Justice is God".[25]

Clwyd County Council and its districts were abolished by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, and local government would be replaced by the four unitary authorities of Flintshire, Wrexham County Borough, Denbighshire, and parts of Conwy (along with some smaller communities moving to Powys). The Act also abolished the County, and states the term "county" would be synonymous with the "principal areas" created by the 1994 Act. However the Act then created a further set of "preserved counties", which were based on the eight created by the 1972 Act. These Preserved Counties, similar in respect to English Ceremonial counties, would be retained for a variety of purposes, including Lieutenancy and Shrievalty.[26]

Clwyd County Council and its six districts ceased operations at midnight on 1 April 1996, and local government was immediately transferred to the new principal areas of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. However, although bearing the same names, the boundaries of Flintshire and Denbighshire were substantially different from those of the earlier counties. As it happened, the county records for historic Flintshire had been retained at the Hawarden branch of the Clwyd Records Office while those for historic Denbighshire had continued to be held at the Ruthin branch, so there was no problem in segregating the records.[27]

The Preserved County of Clwyd came into effect on the same day that Clwyd County Council was abolished. The preserved county was almost identical to the 1974–96 county, but had a few minor changes in line with changes to local government boundaries, the communities of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Llansilin and Llangedwyn being transferred from Clwyd to Powys.[28]

2003 boundary review

Clwyd as a preserved county since 2003.

In 2003, the borders of Clwyd were changed to cover the remainder of Conwy (which had previously been part of Gwynedd), which was part of a Wales-wide re-organisation of the preserved counties, so that boundaries of the preserved counties would contain whole current principal areas only.[9]

These moves were met with some criticism, as the preserved counties were created to sustain a stable and continuing layout, irrespective of interim local government reviews affecting principal areas. This led to some areas, such as the Aberconwy district, moving to a preserved county it had never been administered by in the past, and therefore these moves went generally unreported due to the preserved county's limited status. The Boundary Commission proceeded to retain the eight preserved counties, and modified their borders in 2003 to match with the incumbent principal area boundaries. The 2003 arrangement brings towns such as Llandudno, Conwy and Betws y Coed into the preserved county of Clwyd.[9]

Legacy

Many local organisations still make use of the word "Clwyd" in their name, often because their membership covers a wider area than their present unitary authority. These organisations include the Clwyd Theatr Cymru, which is based in Mold and is the largest producing arts centre in Wales. It provides young people the opportunity to get involved in drama. The Clwyd Family History Society can help its members to access many historical documents concerning northeastern Wales,[29] and the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust is one of four archaeological trusts covering the whole of Wales.[30] The Clwyd County Darts Association organises tournaments and takes part in inter-county matches.[31] The Clwyd Pension Fund is the Local Government pension scheme inherited from Clwyd County Council, now providing pension schemes for Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire unitary authorities and former districts.[32]

The position of Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd also continues as the Monarch's personal representative, as with the other seven preserved counties of Wales. The current Lord Lieutenant is Henry George Fetherstonhaugh, who was appointed in 2013.[33]

Landmarks

Narrowboat crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct was built by Thomas Telford in 1805 and is the largest aqueduct in the United Kingdom; it carries the Llangollen Canal over the River Dee and is a World Heritage Site, being considered a masterpiece of civil engineering.[34] The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley constitute an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of just five in the whole of Wales.[35] Denbigh, Colwyn and Ruthin are historic towns and Llangollen hosts the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July each year.[36]

The Gop is a Neolithic mound, the second largest such structure in Britain being only superseded by Silbury Hill. Caer Drewyn is one of many Iron Age hill forts in the county that attest to human occupation of this area for millennia. Maen Achwyfan Cross is a carved 10th century wheel cross depicting Celtic and Viking symbols.[36] The castles of Rhuddlan[37] and Flint[38] were built by the Normans during their invasion of North Wales and Castell Dinas Brân was a Welsh fortress of the same period. St Asaph Cathedral also dates from the thirteenth century as does the medieval Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis.[36]

Bodnant Garden is a formal garden in a landscaped setting,[39] and Erddig Hall is a stately home, both owned by the National Trust. Other fine country houses in Clwyd include Trevor Hall and Faenol Fawr, Bodelwyddan, while Plas Mawr and Aberconwy House are historic town houses in Conwy.[40] Also in Conwy is the Conwy Suspension Bridge, one of the first such bridges in the world.[41]

Transport

Virgin Voyager approaching Flint railway station

The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead, operated by Virgin Trains. Trains leaving Crewe pass through Chester, cross the River Dee into Wales, and continue through Flint, Shotton, Holywell junction, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Conwy and Bangor, to Holyhead, from where there is a ferry service to Ireland. Passengers can change at Shotton for the Borderlands Line, which links Wrexham with Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England.

There are no motorways in Clwyd. The A55 dual carriageway road passes from Chester through St Asaph to the North Wales coast at Abergele, after which it runs parallel to the railway line through Conway and Bangor to terminate at Holyhead. The A548 passes from Chester to Abergele through Deeside and along the coast, before leaving the coast and terminating at Llanrwst. The main road from London is the A5 which enters Clwyd at Chirk and passes northwestwards through Llangollen, Corwen and Betws-y-Coed to join the A55 and terminate at Bangor. The A543 crosses the Denbigh Moors from southeast to northwest, and the A525 links Ruthin with St Asaph.[42] There are local bus services between the main centres of population.

See also

Further reading

  • Gordon Emery - Curious Clwyd (1994) ISBN 1-872265-99-5

References

  1. ^ Jones, P. (2009). Illustrated History of Chester. DB Publishing. ISBN 9781859836842.
  2. ^ Davies, John (1994). A History of Wales. London: Penguin. p. 338. ISBN 0-14-014581-8.
  3. ^ a b Marsh, Terry. "Pathfinder Guide: North Wales and Snowdonia". Pathfinder Guides. Crimson Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Wales: the first industrial nation of the World". Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. 5 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  5. ^ Le Nevez, Catherine; Whitfield, Paul (2012). The Rough Guide to Wales. Rough Guides Limited. p. 311. ISBN 978-1-4093-5902-9.
  6. ^ a b Morris, Jan (2014). Wales: Epic Views of a Small Country. Penguin Books Limited. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-241-97024-9.
  7. ^ a b Philip's (1994). Modern School Atlas. George Philip & Son. p. 26. ISBN 0-540-05278-7.
  8. ^ Statistics.gov.uk
  9. ^ a b c The Preserved Counties (Amendment to Boundaries) (Wales) Order 2003 Retrieved on 19 May 2009
  10. ^ "Geodiversity". Clwydian Range and Dee Valley. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  11. ^ "'The Calch' - Minera Limeworks". MineraHistory.com. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
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53°05′N 3°16′W / 53.09°N 3.27°W / 53.09; -3.27

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