Acton ( cy, Gwaunyterfyn) is a suburb and
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
in
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
,
Wrexham County Borough
Wrexham County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam) is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east and south-east, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the nort ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. It spans the north-eastern part of Wrexham. The area is largely residential and at its centre, lies Acton Park ( cy, Parc Gwaunyterfyn / Parc Acton), the location of the former Acton Hall.
History and geography
The name 'Acton' is thought to have been a corruption of 'Oak Town'.
The English name is at odds with the field names making up the demesne land of the former Acton Park estate which were overwhelmingly Welsh in origin e.g. 'Cae Clomendu' (pigeon house field).
The area is known in Welsh as 'Gwaunyterfyn' (boundary meadow or moor).
Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor granted land in this area to the monks of
Valle Crucis Abbey
Valle Crucis Abbey (Valley of the Cross) is a Cistercian abbey located in Llantysilio in Denbighshire, Wales. More formally ''the Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Valle Crucis'' it is known in Welsh both as ''Abaty Glyn Egwestl'' and ''A ...
in 1202 and the charters of Valle Crucis for 1200 and 1222 mention abbey lands at 'Actun'.
A 1289 survey of Wrexham townships includes 'Actone vachan' (Acton Fechan - 103 statute acres) and 'Acton vaur' (Acton Fawr - 953 statute acres).
By the late 16th century, much of the township had become part of the 'Acton Park' estate of the Jeffreys family. The family based itself at Acton Hall, which was recorded as having 11 hearths in 1670, making it one of the largest houses in the Wrexham area.
Acton was originally one of the
townships
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
of the parish of Wrexham (in 1886, the township was transferred to the new ecclesiastical parish of
Rhosddu
Rhosddu () is a suburb and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, covering the north-western parts of the city of Wrexham and comprises the wards of Grosvenor, Garden Village and Stansty.
At the 2011 Census, the population of the communit ...
).
[Wrexham](_blank)
GENUKI GENUKI is a genealogy web portal, run as a charitable trust. It "provides a virtual reference library of genealogical information of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland". It gives access to a large collection of information, with the emphas ...
Under the civil administration, the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of Acton, based on the old township's boundaries, was part of the
Wrexham Rural District
Wrexham was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 and 1974.
The rural district took over the existing Wrexham Rural Sanitary District. It consisted of the following civil parishes:
* Abenbury
* Acton†
* Allin ...
, but was abolished in 1935 and parts were transferred to the civil parishes of Bieston and Wrexham Regis. All the latter structures were abolished under the terms of the
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
.
In 1985, a
Boundary Commission
A boundary commission is a legal entity that determines borders of nations, states, constituencies.
Notable boundary commissions have included:
* Afghan Boundary Commission, an Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission, of 1885 and 1893, delineated the no ...
review led to the creation of four new
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
areas within Wrexham itself, Acton, Rhosddu,
Offa
Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...
, and
Caia Park
Caia Park () is a suburb and community in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. Created in 1985 after a boundary commission review of the four community areas within the city, of which, Caia Park occupies its east, with the others being Acton, ...
, each of which would have their own
community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.
In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...
.
[''The Wrexham Maelor (Communities) Order 1985'', HMSO, 1985, ]
The community of Acton covers approximately and comprises the electoral divisions (wards) of Acton (Acton Central & Acton Park), Borras Park, Little Acton, Maesydre and Rhosnesni. The southernmost tip of the community area is on the corner of Chester Street and Charles Street in the city centre, and is bounded by Chester Road to the west, Holt Road to the south-east and the Llanypwll link road (A5156) to the north-east. At the 2001 census, it was the most populous community in the county borough with 12,960 people in 5,412 households.
[Office for National Statistic]
(Retrieved January 2011)
The area neighbours the communities of Rhosddu to the west,
Caia Park
Caia Park () is a suburb and community in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. Created in 1985 after a boundary commission review of the four community areas within the city, of which, Caia Park occupies its east, with the others being Acton, ...
to the south,
Holt, Wales, Holt to the east and
Gresford to the north.
Acton Park
At the geographical centre of Acton lies Acton Park, the location of the former Acton Hall. The central feature of the park is the lake. It was originally constructed using puddled clay in the 18th century but during the 1970s, the pond was drained and butyl lined.
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
is popular on the lake with platforms provided for anglers. (The lake is closed for fishing during the
Wildfowl
The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on ...
nesting period). A
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
area exists and supports a diverse range of wildlife.
A designated area managed to benefit wildlife as one of the Wrexham Bio-diversity Action Plan 'Urban Green Space' areas. Native wild meadow flowers have been planted within the existing grassed areas to assist in providing habitats for insects and other fauna, increasing the bio-diversity of the parkland.
In 2008, Wrexham County Borough Council secured Heritage Lottery Funding to allow them to prepare design proposals for the refurbishment of the park, the ideas that have been drawn up so far are in the early stages but they include a Discovery Centre, Lakeside Pavilion and extending the bowling greens.
Estate history
![Acton Park, Wrexham](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Acton_Park%2C_Wrexham.jpg)
The Acton estate has passed through several owners throughout the years. The prominent Jeffreys family (motto ''Pob dawn o Dduw'', "Every Gift from God"), had their seat at Acton Hall in the 17th century, the family's prosperity having been founded by Anglesey circuit judge John Jeffreys (d. 1622). Jeffreys had built up the estate by expanding and consolidating the possessions of the descendants of the Trevor family in the Wrexham common fields.
[George Jeffereys biograph]
National Library of Wales
The most famous member of the family was
George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of
Wem, (May 15, 1645 – April 18, 1689), better known as Judge Jeffreys or "The Hanging Judge", who was born in Acton. He became notorious after the severe punishments he handed down at the trials of the supporters of the
Duke of Monmouth
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
during the reign of King
James II.
In 1680 he became Chief Justice of Chester, and later Lord Chief Justice of England, despite
Charles II reportedly damning Jeffreys' character:
:"He has no learning, no sense, no manners and has more impudence than ten street walkers." In 1688 when James II fled the country, Jeffreys also tried to flee, but was arrested in
Wapping
Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...
and placed in the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
"for his own safety", because the mob was outrageous against him. He died there the following year.
![Acton Park Gorsedd stones (15)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Acton_Park_Gorsedd_stones_%2815%29.JPG)
Sir Griffith Jeffreys (Judge Jeffreys' nephew) rebuilt the family home between 1687 - 1695. His wife Dame Dorothy set up a charity in her will which helped found many of the first schools in Wrexham.
The estate was eventually sold by the Jeffreys family in 1747. After the Jeffreys the house belonged to Philip Egerton and then Ellis Yonge before being purchased by
Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet, for £27,000.
The parkland was originally laid out in 1785 by Sir Foster Cunliffe, who also added a new wing to the hall, designed by
James Wyatt
James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806.
Early life
W ...
. Many of the mature specimen trees which survive today were planted at this time and the general park layout and positioning of the lake were part of the original design.
Later generations did little to improve the property. Sir Robert Henry Cunliffe, 4th Baronet (1785–1859), stuccoed the walls of the house, while
Sir Robert Alfred Cunliffe (1839–1905), faced it with stone in such a way that the house seemed to be of three different styles - none matching the other. After the death of
Sir Foster Cunliffe, 6th Baronet (1875–1916) in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the estate was bought in 1917 by Sir
Bernard Oppenheimer
Sir Bernard Oppenheimer, 1st Baronet (13 February 1866 – 13 June 1921) was a South African-United Kingdom, British diamond merchant and philanthropist.
Business and philanthropy
Oppenheimer was chairman of Pniel's Ltd, the New Vaal River Diamo ...
. The
Denbighshire Hussars
The Denbighshire Hussars was a Wales, Welsh Yeomanry regiment of the British Army formed in 1794. It saw service in the First World War before being converted into a unit of the Royal Artillery. The lineage has been continued by 398 (Flint & Den ...
were billeted in the house and grounds at that time. Oppenheimer opened a diamond cutting training school and workshop in the grounds of Acton Park. The scheme was designed to ensure jobs for ex-servicemen. It was the 'Homes Fit For Heroes' ethos in action, but Sir Bernard's death in 1921 led to the workshop closing.
![Acton Park lake, Wrexham](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Acton_Park_lake%2C_Wrexham.jpg)
Nine Acre Field and sixty acres by Rhosnesni Lane were bought by the Borough Council.
Patrick Abercrombie
Sir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie (; 6 June 1879 – 23 March 1957) was an English regional and town planner. Abercrombie was an academic during most of his career, and prepared one city plan and several regional studies prior to the Second World ...
was commissioned to design a quality housing scheme for the sixty acres. Building started in 1920, with a commemorative foundation stone being laid at Cilcen Grove by Mayor Thomas Sauvage J.P on the 30th July 1920. Abercrombie's design survives to this day. The rest of the estate was turned into smallholdings for ex-soldiers. There were seven market garden and four dairy holdings.
Alderman William Aston purchased the house and grounds on the death of Sir Bernard. His initial plan to turn the hall into a technical school never took off. Instead the hall became a showroom and store for Aston's furniture company. The grounds were opened to the public.
In 1939 the War Office requisitioned Acton Park and Nissen huts were erected in the grounds for the soldiers while the officers were billeted in the house. The
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...
, the
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...
, the
South Wales Borderers
The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years.
It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. I ...
and the
Gurkhas
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recru ...
were just a few of the regiments who stayed at Acton during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
In 1943 the American 33rd Signals Construction Battalion and 400th Armoured Field Artillery Battalion were billeted at Acton Park. Wrexham was host to men from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
and
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.
Eagles Meadow
Eagles Meadow () is a medium-sized shopping centre in Wrexham city centre. Previously this area has had a variety of uses over hundreds of years, originally used as stables for local gentry, and later a car park hosting a market. It was developed ...
became their vehicle store, the Butter Market their canteen, Acton School Hall the venue for their dances and chewing gum was sold at the US Army store in Garden Village. The
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
was still segregated and the black soldiers were billeted at 'The Studio' by the junction of Chester Road and Grove Road.
![Japanese Garden, Acton Park, Wrexham (4)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Japanese_Garden%2C_Acton_Park%2C_Wrexham_%284%29.JPG)
The house just survived occupation by the US Army, but in a very poor state. The north wing was demolished just after the war. People plundered the park for firewood in the tough years of rationing in 1945-47.
In 1947 the Council was presented with the hall and parklands by, the then owner, Alderman William Aston. By then the grounds had become very overgrown and a programme of restoration was implemented. However, by 1954 the house was still in a dilapidated condition. Alderman Hampson campaigned for the house to be saved as the city's museum. He failed and the demolition team set to work in August 1954.
Nothing remains of the house today, only the gateway with its Four Dogs, the lodges and parts of the original stone boundary wall are left.
The grounds of Acton Hall were opened to the public as a pleasure garden shortly after the land was bought in the 1920s.
The park now features a bowling green, tennis courts, children's play areas, a Japanese garden and a lake with abundant wildlife. There is also a
Gorsedd, a circle of standing stones, to mark the site of the dedication ceremony for the 1977 National Eisteddfod, which was held on nearby Borras Airfield.
Welsh Cup Final
In 1878
the Racecourse
The Racecourse is an open area on the River Wear in Durham, England of total that has been used as a sports ground since at least 1733. It forms part of Durham University's sports facilities as well as hosting local sports clubs. The Raceco ...
was unavailable as a venue for the
first Welsh Cup Final, so Sir Robert Cunliffe provided land measuring x within Acton Park as a playing field for the final.
Housing
![ActonHall01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/ActonHall01.jpg)
From the 30th July 1920 until 1970, about half of the park was developed as an area for housing. The remaining of the original estate forms the majority of the present day park. The site of the original hall had been in use for several years as a waste disposal site for local residents, but in 2005 a residential development was built in the style of the original hall consisting mainly of flats with a small number of houses within the original boundaries of Acton Hall.
Governance
The community is divided into five
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
s - Acton, Borras, Little Acton, Maesydre and Rhosnesni - which each elect a councillor to
Wrexham County Borough Council
Wrexham County Borough Council () is the governing body for Wrexham County Borough, a principal area in north Wales, covering Wrexham and the surrounding area.
History
Elections take place every five years. The Labour Party held power on the ...
.
There is also an elected
community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.
In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...
with 16 community councillors representing six community wards (the Acton county ward being subdivided into Acton Central and Acton Park).
Public houses
* The Acton Park
* The Four Dogs
* The Cunliffe Arms
* The Gate Hangs High
Schools
*
Acton Park Primary School Acton may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Acton
Australia
* Acton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Acton, Tasmania, a suburb of Burnie
* Acton Park, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, formerly known as Acton
Canada ...
*
Alexandra Primary School
*
Borras Park CP School
Borras ( cy, Borras / Bwras) is a hamlet in Wrexham County Borough, Wales to the north-east of the city of Wrexham. It is part of the community (Wales), community of Holt, Wrexham, Holt.
The nearby residential area of Borras Park is named afte ...
*
Rhosnesni High School
Rhosnesni High School, also known as Ysgol Rhosnesni High School or simply Ysgol Rhosnesni, is an English-medium mixed comprehensive secondary school in Rhosnesni, Wrexham, Wales. It was created in 2003 and maintained by Wrexham County Boroug ...
*
Barkers Lane Community Primary School
Barkers or Barkers Men's Clothing is a New Zealand menswear fashion brand and retail chain. It has 31 stores around the country, including 13 in Auckland. It was established in Auckland CBD in 1972, and is headquartered in Grafton, Auckland. The ...
Churches
* St Margaret's Church (not actually in Acton, but serves part of the Acton community)
* St John's Church
* Borras Park Evangelical Church
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church)
References
External links
Acton Community Council WebsitePhoto of Acton HallBBC on Judge Jeffreys
Areas of Wrexham
Communities in Wrexham County Borough
Wards of Wrexham County Borough