Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a
market town
A market town is a 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 market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
and a
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
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
,
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 ...
. Formerly, the
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the
Clwydian Hills
The Clwydian Range ( cy, Bryniau Clwyd; also known as the Clwydian Hills; or simply the Clwyds) is a series of hills in the North-east Wales, north-east of Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north, the highest po ...
.
History
Denbigh Castle
Denbigh Castle and town walls (; cy, Castell Dinbych a waliau tref; ) were a set of fortifications built to control the lordship of Denbigh after the conquest of Wales by Norman King Edward I in 1282. The King granted the lands to Henry de Lac ...
, together with its town walls, was built in 1282 by order of
King Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
. The Burgess Gate, whose twin towers adorn the symbol on Denbigh's civic seal, was once the main entrance into the town. The first
borough charter was granted to Denbigh in 1290, when the town was still contained within the
old town walls. It was the centre of the
Marcher Lordship of Denbigh
The Lordship of Denbigh was a marcher lordship in North Wales created by Edward I in 1284 and granted to the Earl of Lincoln. It was centred on the borough of Denbigh and Denbigh Castle. The lordship was held successively by several of England's ...
. The town was involved in the revolt of
Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn (died after 1312) was the leader of the Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule in Wales and proclaimed "Prince of Wales". The revolt was surpassed in longevity only by the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr in the 15th century. M ...
in 1294–1295; the castle was captured in the autumn, and on 11 November 1294 a relieving force was defeated by the Welsh rebels. The town was recaptured by
Edward I
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
in December. Denbigh was also burnt in 1400 during the revolt of
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
.
During the
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These wars were fought bet ...
(1455-1487), the town was largely destroyed, subsequently moving from the hilltop to the area of the present town market.
Leicester's Church is an unfinished church. In 1579,
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death. He was a suitor for the queen's hand for many years.
Dudley's youth was ov ...
, who was also Baron of Denbigh, planned for there to be a cathedral. His intention was to move the status of ''city'' from neighbouring
St Asaph
St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355 ...
. The project ran out of money, and when Robert Dudley died, it was left as
ruins
Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...
; now in the care of
Cadw
(, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...
.
In 1643, during the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
, Denbigh became a refuge for a
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
garrison. Surrendering in 1646, the castle and town walls eventually fell into ruin.
The town grew around the textile industry in the 1600s, hosting specialist glovers, weavers, smiths, shoemakers, saddlers, furriers and tanners. Denbigh has been an important location for the agricultural industry throughout.
Railway
Denbigh was served by a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
on the former
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom.
In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
, later part of the
LMS LMS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Labeled magnitude scale, a scaling technique
* Learning management system, education software
* Least mean squares filter, producing least mean square error
* Leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer
* Lenz ...
. The "Vale of Clwyd" line leading north to St. Asaph and Rhyl closed in 1955, leaving Denbigh on a lengthy branch running from
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
via
Mold
A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...
and Denbigh to Ruthin, which closed in 1962. A southern continuation beyond Ruthin linking up with the
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
at
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. Historically, Corwen is part of the county of Merionethshire. Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llango ...
had closed in 1952. The platform of Denbigh station can still be seen beside the road leading to the
Home Bargains
Home Bargains is a British variety store chain founded in 1976 by Tom Morris in Liverpool, England, as Home and Bargain. It is the trading name of TJ Morris Ltd.
History
The retailer was founded by owner Tom Morris in 1976 as a single store ...
store.
North Wales Hospital
At one time the majority of the population sought employment at the
North Wales Hospital
The North Wales Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Gogledd Cymru) is a Grade II* listed building in Denbigh, Denbighshire, Wales. Designed by architect Thomas Fulljames, building started in 1844 and completed in 1848. Initially a hospital for up to 200 peopl ...
, which, dating back to the 1840s, cared for people with
psychiatric
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry.
Initial psychi ...
illnesses. The hospital closed in 1995 and has since fallen into disrepair. In October 2008, a special series of episodes of
Most Haunted
''Most Haunted'' is a British paranormal reality television series. Following complaints, the broadcast regulator, Ofcom, ruled that it was an entertainment show, not a legitimate investigation into the paranormal, and "should not be taken seri ...
, titled 'Village of the Damned', was broadcast from the North Wales Hospital over 7 days. As of October 2018, the derelict building has passed into the ownership of
Denbighshire County Council
Denbighshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Denbighshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Ruthin.
Elections take place every five years. The last election was on 5 Ma ...
.
Futura Cinema
Denbigh had a town cinema on Love Lane. It opened as the Scala in 1928 before being re-branded as the Wedgwood Cinema in the late 1970s. It closed in October 1980 and was re-opened by Lewis Colwell in 1982 and renamed the Futura Cinema. The cinema closed in the 1990s, but the building remained open as a video rental store. In 1995,
Peter Moore re-opened the cinema for a short period before being arrested and convicted of the murder of four men. The video rental store closed and the building is now in ruin awaiting redevelopment. Denbigh has no permanent cinema, though Denbigh Film Club regularly operates in Theatr Twm o'r Nant.
Population
The population at the
2001 Census was 8,783,
increasing to 8,986 in the 2011 census.
Amenities
Attractions in the town include Denbigh Library, Denbigh Castle and the castle walls, Cae Dai 1950s museum, Theatr Twm o'r Nant, medieval parish church St Marcella's, and a small shopping complex. Denbigh Boxing Club is located on Middle Lane.
Denbigh Community Hospital
Denbigh Community Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Cymunedol Dinbych) is a community hospital in Denbigh, Wales. It is managed by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
History
The hospital has its origins in the Denbighshire Dispensary which became t ...
was established in 1807.
Denbigh Town Hall is a Grade II* listed building.
Denbigh Cricket Club is one of the oldest
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
clubs in Wales having been established in 1844. The club plays at the Ystrad Road ground and plays in the North Wales Cricket League. The 1st XI play in the Premier Division having won the Division 1 championship in 2010 with the 2nd XI in Division 3.
For over 50 years, a barrel rolling competition has been held on
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
in the town square.
Secondary schools
There are three secondary schools located in Denbigh.
Denbigh High School is the larger of the two, consisting of nearly 600 pupils and approximately 60 staff. The current headmaster is Dr. Paul Evans.
St Bridget's is a Catholic voluntary aided school on Mold Road on the outskirts of the town which caters for pupils between the ages of 3 – 19. There is a strict admissions policy and until recently the school only accepted girls. The schools current headteacher is Mrs Rona Jones.
Myddleton College is the former
Howell's Preparatory School and is an independent co-educational day and boarding school.
All 3 of these High Schools in Denbigh, along with Ysgol Brynhyfryd (
Ruthin
Ruthin ( ; cy, Rhuthun) is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales, in the south of the Vale of Clwyd. It is Denbighshire's county town. The town, castle and St Peter's Square lie on a hill, skirted by villages such as Pwllglas and ...
), Ysgol Glan Clwyd (
St Asaph
St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355 ...
), Denbigh College, and Llysfasi College (
Deeside
Deeside ( cy, Glannau Dyfrdwy) is the name given to a predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages in Flintshire and Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the ...
) have joined to offer a combined 6th form under the title ‘The Dyffryn Clwyd Consortium’.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Crest Mawr Wood (''alt. - Crêst'') is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
to the north west, adjoining Denbigh Golf Club and the Tarmac Quarry, an historic and ancient
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
woodland. This woodland is endangered due to environmental pressure and competing land use in the area.
National Eisteddfodau
Denbigh hosted the
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, 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 Eur ...
in 1882, 1939, 2001 and 2013.
Notable people
![Henry Morton Stanley 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Henry_Morton_Stanley_1.jpg)
*
Rhoda Broughton
Rhoda Broughton (29 November 1840 – 5 June 1920) was a Welsh novelist and short story writer.Robert Hadji, "Rhoda Broughton" in Jack Sullivan (ed) (1986) ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural'' Viking Press, 1986, , p. 285 ...
(1840–1920),
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
*
Elizabeth Casson
Elizabeth Casson OBE (14 April 1881 – 17 December 1954) was a British medical doctor and an occupational therapy pioneer. Initially training as a secretary, Casson began studying medicine at the University of Bristol when she was 32. She rece ...
(1881–1954) doctor and occupational therapy pioneer.
*
Shefali Chowdhury (born 1988), actor, notably in the Harry Potter films
*
Connor Marc Colquhoun
Connor Marc Colquhoun (born 26 July 1996), known online as CDawgVA, is a Welsh YouTuber and voice actor based in Tokyo. He is affiliated with the Kadokawa-backed agency GeeXPlus.
Career
Colquhoun created his YouTube channel CDawgVA in February ...
(born 1996), known online as ''CDawgVA'', Anime Youtuber and podcaster, presenter of
Trash Taste
''Trash Taste'' ( ja, トラッシュ・テイスト) is a weekly audio and video podcast hosted by Joey Bizinger, Garnt Maneetapho, and Connor Colquhoun – three Tokyo-based content creators primarily focusing on anime and Japanese pop cu ...
*
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death. He was a suitor for the queen's hand for many years.
Dudley's youth was ov ...
(1532–1588), also known as ''Baron of Denbigh''
*
Thomas Gee
Thomas Gee (24 January 181528 September 1898), was a Welsh Nonconformist preacher, journalist and publisher.
Gee was born in Denbigh, Wales. At the age of fourteen he went into his father's printing office, Gwasg Gee, but continued to attend ...
(1815–1898), a Welsh Nonconformist preacher, journalist and publisher.
*
David Griffith (1800–1894), known as ''"Clwydfardd"'' a Welsh poet and
Archdruid
Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.
The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the and the Chairing of the ...
of the
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, 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 Eur ...
.
*
Dr Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford D ...
(1709–1784), visited friends and relation in Denbigh many times and has an urn memorial in his honour in the woods nearby.
*Professor
Edward Taylor Jones FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(1872–1961), physicist
*
Eirian Llwyd
Eirian Llwyd (1951 – 29 January 2014) was a Welsh artist and wife of former Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones.
Biography
Llwyd was born at Prion near Denbigh, Wales. After nursing in Liverpool between 1969-73 she worked as a midwife at St As ...
(1951–2014), printmaker and wife of former Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones
*
Humphrey Llwyd
Humphrey Llwyd (also spelled Lhuyd) (1527–1568) was a Welsh cartographer, author, antiquary and Member of Parliament. He was a leading member of the Renaissance period in Wales along with other such men as Thomas Salisbury and William ...
(1527–1568), a Welsh
cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
, author, antiquary and MP.
*Sir
Hugh Myddleton
Sir Hugh Myddelton (or Middleton), 1st Baronet (1560 – 10 December 1631) was a Welsh clothmaker, entrepreneur, mine-owner, goldsmith, banker and self-taught engineer. The spelling of his name is inconsistently reproduced, but Myddelton appear ...
(1560–1631), royal jeweller,
goldsmith
A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...
and
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...
.
*
Thomas Myddelton (1550–1631) a Welsh merchant, Lord Mayor of London & MP
*
Twm o'r Nant
Twm o'r Nant was the pseudonym of a Welsh language dramatist and poet, Thomas Edwards (January 1739 – 3 April 1810), also known as ''Tom of the Dingle''. He was famous for ''anterliwtau'' (interludes or short plays), which he performed mainly ...
(1739–1810),
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
, real name ''Thomas Edwards''
*
Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter (, 28 July 186622 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'', which was he ...
(1866–1943), spent summers with her aunt and uncle at Gwaenynog Hall between 1895 and 1913 and used their large garden as inspiration for ''
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter that follows mischievous and disobedient young Peter Rabbit as he gets into, and is chased around, the garden of Mr. McGregor. He escapes and returns ho ...
''
*
Susan Reynolds
Susan Reynolds FBA (27 January 1929 – 29 July 2021) was a British medieval historian whose book ''Fiefs and Vassals: the Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted'' (1994) was part of the academic critique on the concept of feudalism as classically por ...
(1929–2021) a medieval historian
*
Kate Roberts (1891–1985), Welsh language writer.
*Several members of the
Salusbury Family, who represented Denbigh over the years.
*
Sir Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh Americans, Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Afr ...
(1841–1904), a journalist and explorer
*
Mark Webster (born 1983) Welsh darts international, winner of the
BDO World Darts Championship
The WDF World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the World Darts Federation. It would previously organised by the British Darts Organisation (BDO), who held it 43 times from 1978 to 2020.
The champio ...
2008
*
Bryn Williams
Bryn Dwyfor Williams (born 6 June 1977) is a chef originally from Denbigh, Wales. He is the head chef and sole proprietor of Odette's Restaurant, Primrose Hill, London. He shot to fame as merely a sous chef in 2006 by beating established an ...
(born 1977), TV chef who won the ''
Great British Menu
''Great British Menu'' is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four-course banquet.
Format
Series one and two were presented by Jennie Bond, the former BBC Royal correspondent, where ...
''
BBC TV
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 19 ...
programme.
Gallery
File:A North View of Denbigh Castle, in north Wales.jpeg, 1750 hunting scene by John Boydell
File:Denbigh town 02220.jpg, Denbigh c.1778 from Thomas Pennant
Thomas Pennant (14 June Old Style, OS 172616 December 1798) was a Welsh natural history, naturalist, traveller, writer and antiquarian. He was born and lived his whole life at his family estate, Downing Hall near Whitford, Flintshire, in Wales ...
's ''A Tour in Wales''
File:Denbigh castle, Denbighshire.jpg, Town and castle in 1786
File:Denbigh castle, Denbighshire.jpeg, 1808 engraving by James Storer
File:DV405 no.131 Denbigh Castle.png, Denbigh painted by a travelling French artist c.1830
File:This north-east view of the hospital at Denbigh, for the treatment of the insane.jpeg, North-east view of the hospital, 1850s
File:Fairytale River.jpg, Fairytale River
References
External links
*
BBC Wales's Denbigh website*http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/docs/cadw/publications/Urban_Character_Denbigh_EN.pdf
{{Authority control
Denbigh
Former county towns in Wales
Towns in Denbighshire