Rhyl
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2008) |
Rhyl
| |
|---|---|
 Rhyl | |
| Population | 24,889 (2001) |
| OS grid reference | SJ015815 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | RHYL |
| Postcode district | LL18 |
| Dialling code | 01745 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Rhyl (Welsh: Y Rhyl, pronounced [ə ˈr̥ɨl]) is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire (within the preserved county of Clwyd, and the historic county of Flintshire), at the mouth of the River Clwyd (Welsh: Afon 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. At the 2001 Census, Rhyl had a population of 24,889.[1] The conurbation of Abergele-Rhyl-Prestatyn has a population of over 60,000.
Rhyl has long been a popular tourist destination for people all over Wales and North West England. Rhyl is accessible by road, rail, air via Liverpool Airport, and sea via Holyhead.
Once an elegant Victorian resort, there was an influx of people from Liverpool and Manchester after World War II changing the face of the town. The area had declined dramatically by 1990, but has since improved due to a series of regeneration projects bringing in major investment. European funding, secured by the Welsh Government, has produced millions for the development of Rhyl's seafront.
The town is also home to one of three acute general hospitals in North Wales. Glan Clywd Hospital is the smallest of the three (after Wrexham Maelor and Bangor) and provides emergency care and general surgery.
Etymology
The origin of the name "Rhyl" is not fully known. However, the name appears in old documents variously as Hyll (1506), Hull (1508), [Leidiart] yr Hyll (1597), Rhil (1706), Rhûl (1749), Rhul (1773) Rhyll (1830), and Rhyl (1840),[2] all of which are variations (and some anglicizations) of an uncertain original form. Other suggestions have been made that it might derive from the similar sounding Yr Hill (as in "The Hill") or Yr Heol "(The Street)". Another theory is that the name Rhyl originates from the Welsh 'Ty yn yr haul' meaning 'House in the sun' written 'Ty'n yr haul' note that the oldest known dwelling is actually called 'Ty'n rhyl' and that the town marketed itself as a resort as 'Sunny Rhyl'.
Buildings and landmarks
A Rhyl landmark was the Pavilion Theatre, an ornate building with five domes, which was demolished in 1973 and the adjacent pier which was finally removed in 1972. Rhyl's top attractions on the West Parade are now the 250-foot (76 m) high Sky Tower, which opened in 1989, and Rhyl Children's Village theme park.
On the East Parade is the SeaQuarium and the Rhyl Suncentre, an indoor leisure swimming pool featuring an indoor monorail, as well as Europe's first indoor surfing pool. Next door stands the New Pavilion Theatre, which opened in 1991. A run of traditional beach shops runs alongside the sea front. The Carneddau Mountains can be seen from the beach.
Barratt's of Tyn Rhyl is the oldest house in Rhyl. It is run as a hotel and restaurant.
The derelict Welsh Baptist Tabernacular chapel built in 1867 has been bought by the Muslim community and been renamed the Islamic Cultural Centre.
Marine Lake
The Marine Lake, an artificial excavation in the west of the town, used to be a tourist destination, with fairground rides and a zoo. Rhyl Miniature Railway is the only original attraction remaining on the site, a narrow gauge railway that travels around the lake and is now based at the new museum and railway centre. There is also a playground and numerous watersports clubs based around the lake.
The Marine Lake Funfair was eventually replaced by the Ocean Beach Funfair and demolished in the late 1960s. Ocean Beach finally closed on 2 September 2007 to make way for Ocean Plaza, a development which includes flats, a hotel and retail outlets, including a supermarket.[3]
Regeneration project
In an effort to regenerate and boost declining tourism, a number of projects are underway or being proposed. As well as the £85 million Ocean Plaza complex on the site of the former Ocean Beach Funfair,[3] projects include the Drift Park development on the promenade and the reopening of the town's miniature railway around the Marine Lake.
The West End of Rhyl is undergoing much reconstruction. One of the major investments is at Rhyl College, a satellite site of Llandrillo College, with the investment being worth approximately £4 million.[4] 2010 part of Rhyl College the new Sixth form centre.
Ann Jones, who has lived in Rhyl all her life, has been the Assembly Member for the Vale of Clwyd since 1999. Chris Ruane has been the MP for Rhyl since 1997.
They have partnered with Sony to redesign Rhyl cinema, it will be in 3D and in 4K resolution, it will be ready for July 2011.
Education
The first Welsh medium secondary school was opened in Rhyl in 1956 on Rhuddlan Road and was called Ysgol Glan Clwyd. The school then moved to St. Asaph in 1969. The building now houses Rhyl's Welsh medium primary school Ysgol Dewi Sant, which in 2009 celebrated 60 years.
Sport
Rhyl Football Club are a successful football team in the Welsh football pyramid. In the 2003–04 season they won the Welsh Premiership Championship, the Welsh Cup and the Welsh League Cup, and were losing finalists in the FAW Premier Cup. In the 2008–09 season they again won the Welsh Premier League.
Transport
Rhyl railway station is situated on the North Wales Coast Line and is served by through trains provided by Virgin Trains between Holyhead and London Euston, and Arriva Trains Wales services to Cardiff Central via Newport and Crewe, and to Manchester Piccadilly.
The A548 road runs through the town, connecting it to the A55 Holyhead to Chester road at Abergele.
Notable people
- Arthur Cheetham - The first film-maker based in Wales, worked in Rhyl.
- Ruth Ellis – The last woman to be hanged in Britain in 1955.
- Ched Evans – Professional footballer.
- Lee Evans – Comedian.
- Albert Gubay – Founder of Kwik Save.
- Sir Robert Jones, Bt, KBE, CB (1857–1933), orthopaedic surgeon.
- Ted Hankey – Darts player.
- Adrian Henri – Poet and painter.
- Nerys Hughes – Television actress.
- Sir John T. Houghton, leading scientist, former Chief Executive of the Met Office and former co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Peter Moore – Serial killer.
- Mike Peters – Member of The Alarm.
- Lisa Scott-Lee – Member of pop group Steps.
- Steve Strange – Pop singer.
- Sara Sugarman – Hollywood director.
References
- ^ "2001 Census: Rhyl". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
- ^ "Rhyl". Place Name Research Centre. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
- ^ a b "End of an era for Rhyl's funfair". BBC News. 2 September 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
- ^ "£4m for Rhyl Creates New Opportunities and Jobs". Coleg Llandrillo Rhyl. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
External links
- BBC Rhyl page
- Phil Gould's memories of the North Wales Amusement Parks in the '70s (From themagiceye)
- Phil Gould's memories of the North Wales and South Wales Amusement Parks in the '80s (From themagiceye )
