Caerwys is a town in

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

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 is just under two miles from the A55 North Wales Expressway and one mile from the A541

Mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of spores containing fungal secondary metabolites. The spores are the dispersal units of the fungi. Not ...

Denbigh Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills. History ...

road. At the 2001 Census, the population of Caerwys

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, villag ...

was 1,315, with a total ward population of 2,496. Following reorganisation the community population fell at the 2011 Census to 1,283 with the ward raising to 2,569. The community includes Afonwen.

History

Caerwys is mentioned in the ''

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

'' as a small

market town A market town is a Human settlement, settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular marketplace, market; this distinguished it from a village or ...

. The well-maintained church is dedicated to

St. Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

. It has two parallel

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

s. The oldest part of the building is a stone tower whose base is said to have been part of a Roman observation tower . Within the church is the cover slab of a tomb reputed to have been that of Elizabeth Ferrers, the wife of Dafydd ap Gruffudd,

prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...

(d. 1283). A short, informative booklet about the church was written in 1936 and updated in 1995. As well as being surrounded by

areas of outstanding natural beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of rural area, countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for protected area, conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are desig ...

and views across mountains and valleys, the centre of Caerwys has been designated a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

. In 1377 income from the Farm of Cayrouse was listed as part of the Principality issued to the

Earl of Chester The Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England, extending principally over the counties of Cheshire and Flintshire. Since 1301 the title has generally been granted to heirs apparent to the English throne, and ...

under the

County Palatine of Chester Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's coun ...

, Caerwys being part of the Aticross Unhidated hundred. In 1568 Queen

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

appointed a commission to control the activities of "minstrels, rhymers and bards", in Wales.

Simwnt Fychan Simwnt Fychan (c. 1530 – 1606) was a Welsh language poet and genealogist, probably born in Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd in north-east Wales. He was a colleague of the poet and scholar Gruffudd Hiraethog. In 1567 Queen Elizabeth I of England appointed ...

was summoned to meet at Caerwys and was appointed "pencerdd", i.e. the senior bard. Caerwys and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

have important historical connections. Local

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles * ...

Thomas Wynne Thomas Wynne (July 20, 1627 – January 16, 1692) was personal physician of William Penn and one of the original settlers of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania. Born in Ysceifiog, Wales, where his family dated back seventeen generatio ...

, sailed to

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

on the ship ''Welcome'' in 1682 with

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...

. Wynne was one of the founding fathers of Philadelphia and became the first speaker of the Provisional Assembly, as well as a provincial judge. The original street plan of Philadelphia was designed on the street pattern of Caerwys. Many

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

names crop up in the city, and several buildings built in Philadelphia resemble buildings in the Caerwys area, some of which still stand today. Caerwys hosted two of the most important eisteddfodau of the early modern era one in 1523, during the reign of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...

at which Tudur Aled was present and the other, sanctioned by

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

, in 1568. St Michael's Church, Caerwys - geograph

Notable people

(1627 in Ysceifiog – 1692), physician to

, settler of

* John Wynne (ca.1666 in Maes-y-coed – 1743),

Bishop of St Asaph The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph. The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is ...

and of

Bath and Wells The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the C ...

* Thomas Jones of Denbigh (1756 at Penucha – 1820), writer and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

. * Angharad Llwyd (1780 at Caerwys - 1866), antiquary and prizewinner at the

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

.British Listed Buildings
/ref> * Rowland Ellis (1841 in Caerwys – 1911), Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney *

Myfanwy Talog Myfanwy Talog Williams ( 31 March 1944 – 11 March 1995), known professionally as Myfanwy Talog, was a Welsh actress and the long-term partner of English actor David Jason. Personal life Talog was born on 31 March 1944 in Caerwys, Flintshir ...

(1944 in Caerwys – 1995), actress and TV presenter with the BBC

Sport

The local football team Caerwys F.C. play in the Clwyd League. In the 2009/2010 season, they finished 3rd. They have a rivalry with many clubs including

Holywell Town Holywell Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Treffynnon) is a Welsh football club from Holywell, Flintshire. They are nicknamed 'The Wellmen', and play their home games at the Achieve More Training Stadium (commonly known as 'Halkyn Road ...

, Denbigh Town, and Ruthin Town. They also have a Summer League team and have a rivalry with

Ysceifiog Ysceifiog, also written Ysgeifiog, is a small village, community and parish in Flintshire, Wales. It lies on a back road just north of the A541 highway between Nannerch and Caerwys. The name translates roughly as "a place where elder trees grow". ...

References

External links

Caerwys Town CouncilPhotos of Caerwys and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
{{authority control Towns in Flintshire Communities in Flintshire