Gwespyr is a village in

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

on the north coast of

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 ...

in the community of

Llanasa Llanasa is a village and community in the county of Flintshire, north-east Wales. Llanasa is described as one of the ancient parishes of Flintshire. It originally comprised the townships of Gronant, Gwespyr, Kelston, Golden Grove, Picton, Trew ...

. Gwespyr had a population of 289 people in the

United Kingdom 2001 census A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...

. It overlooks

Point of Ayr :''There are two other similarly named points in the British Isles: Point of Ayre, Isle of Man and Point of Ayre, Orkney, Scotland.'' Point of Ayr ( cy, Y Parlwr Du) is the northernmost point of mainland Wales. It is situated immediately to ...

on the west side of the River Dee estuary and its sandy beaches with

dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

. The hills of the

Clwydian Range 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 of Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north, the highest point being the popu ...

behind the village form the eastern boundary of the

Vale of Clwyd The Vale of Clwyd ( cy, Dyffryn Clwyd) is a tract of low-lying ground in the county of Denbighshire in north-east Wales. The Vale extends south-southwestwards from the coast of the Irish Sea for some 20 miles (about 30 km) forming a triangl ...

. Gwespyr also looks respectively

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 peop ...

but is an alien name. It represents

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

for 'West-bury' which came to be interpreted as the 'west fort' meaning the westernmost fort in Mercia. Originally, it is thought to have been a strategic Mercian lookout which was reduced in importance with the development of a fortified Rhuddlan. Gwespyr stone has been quarried in quantity from Roman times and shipped to the rest of the UK and abroad. "Gwespyr Stone" was commercially successful for its grain, colour, and quality of cutting and shaping. It was used for many buildings around Gwespyr, and was also used to build the ancient

Maen Achwyfan Cross Maen Achwyfan Cross, near the village of Whitford, Flintshire, Wales, is a high cross dating from the late 10th or early 11th century. Standing high, it is the tallest wheel cross in Britain, and a Scheduled monument. History and description C ...

at Whitford, the chapel at

St Winefride's Well St Winefride's Well ( cy, Ffynnon Wenffrewi) is a well located in the town of Holywell, Flintshire, in Wales. It claims to be the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in Great Britain and is a grade I listed building and scheduled ancient ...

Holywell Holywell may refer to: * Holywell, Flintshire, Wales * Holywell, Swords, Ireland * Holywell, Bedfordshire, England * Holywell, Cambridgeshire, England * Holywell, Cornwall, England * Holywell, Dorset, England * Holywell, Eastbourne, East Susse ...

, stone carvings in

Rhuddlan Castle Rhuddlan Castle ( cy, Castell Rhuddlan; ) is a castle located in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales. It was erected by Edward I in 1277, following the First Welsh War. Much of the work was overseen by master mason James of Saint George. Rhudd ...

and

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 ...

St Asaph Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saints Asaph and Cyndeyrn, commonly called St Asaph Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Llanelwy), is a cathedral in St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales. It is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of St Asaph. The cathedral d ...

, The Talacre Arms

Public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in Gwespyr and

Basingwerk Abbey Basingwerk Abbey ( cy, Abaty Dinas Basing) is a Grade I listed ruined abbey near Holywell, Flintshire, Wales. The abbey, which was founded in the 12th century, belonged to the Order of Cistercians. It maintained significant lands in the Englis ...

Greenfield, Flintshire Greenfield ( cy, Maes-glas) is a village in the community of Holywell, Flintshire, north-east Wales, on the edge of the River Dee estuary. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 2,741, which remained unchanged in the 2011 cens ...

. Gwespyr stone was also found on sites such as

Prestatyn Castle Prestatyn Castle is a motte and bailey castle in Prestatyn, Wales, built in 1157 on land granted to the Norman lord Robert Banastre by King Henry II of England. It was built on level ground on the coastal plain and commanded an extensive view. N ...

and the

Roman bath house Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

in Prestatyn. There is evidence of the

stone industry Stone industry refers to the part of the primary sector of the economy, similar to the mining industry, but concerned with excavations of stones, in particular granite, marble, slate and sandstone. Other products of the industry include crushed s ...

in Gwespyr prevalent even today, though all but one quarry is disused. The quarry in use today is home to Delyn Metal.

Tourism

Gwespyr is home to two

caravan park Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

s. Tree Tops Caravan Park on New Road. won its category in Wales in Bloom since 1992. "Sea View Caravan Park" is located on Gwespyr Hill and up until the late 1990s was owned by the Reynolds family. Since its take over by Talacre Beach Leisure it has undergone regeneration. The site is a "sister park" to Talacre Beach Caravan park located in nearby

Talacre Talacre is a village in Flintshire on the north coast of Wales in the community of Llanasa and the electoral ward of Ffynnongroyw, and is the northernmost mainland settlement in Wales. The village itself has a population of 347 as of the 2011 cen ...

and they share leisure and entertainment facilities.

Religion

Gwespyr has been home to at least three

Chapels A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

during its history. Only two remain standing today, but they are now private houses. Gwespyr's chapels are listed as

Calvinistic Methodist Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...

and

Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...

. "Gwespyr Chapel", located in on Tanrallt Road, was

and built in 1860. It had a congregation averaging 136 people between 1911 - 1960. "Wesley's Memorial Chapel" is also located on Tanrallt Road and was

by denomination. The chapel was built in 1841 and was attended by an average of 140 worshipers between 1911 - 1960; services at the chapel where conducted in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...

. Another chapel belonging to the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is an Anglicanism, Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishop ...

was built during the 1960s in a stunning location perched on the top of Gwespyr Hill opposite the

Reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

. The structure was built out of tin and was nicknamed "The Tin Chapel" by the locals. The church was opened after the closure of its counterparts on Tanrallt Road but closed in the late 1970s and the congregation was moved to nearby

Parish Church. Church services were also held every other Sunday at Gwespyr Village Hall by the Minister from

to aid the elderly community who could not make the journey to nearby

. These services ceased due to falling numbers and changes at the Village Hall in 2001.

Gwespyr Village Hall

Gwespyr Village Hall was built in 1952. It was used initially by the local people as a meeting place and a variety of clubs where subsequently formed and based at the Hall, including a

Bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

Club, Indoor

Shooting range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, sports venue, venue or playing field, field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or shooting sport, competitions. So ...

club,

Bingo Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers ** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland ** Bi ...

, a

Youth club A youth center or youth centre, often called youth club, is a place where young people can meet and participate in a variety of activities, for example table football, association football (US soccer, UK football), basketball, table tennis, vid ...

and a

Snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

club. The Village Hall could be rented by local residents for parties and events. In the 1980s, two extensions were built, funded by

Local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

grants. A sub

Post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

was introduced at that time. The Village Hall was also home to Gwespyr Sounds Productions between 1998 - 2004 for its bands and music acts to rehearse. The Village Hall became redundant in 2004. A new committee was formed in June 2010 and registered as a

Charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

and work began to regenerate the building. New events and openings began in May 2011. The Village Hall once again became redundant during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. A new committee was formed and the hall is due to re-open in 2022.

War Memorial

Gwespyr War Memorial sits in a small memorial garden near the top of Gwespyr Hill and was designed by R.Bruce Esq of

. It commemorates all of those men who fought in World War I, together with the one soldier who died in action. One soldier killed in World War II is commemorated. The memorial was originally erected by Sir Pyres William Mostyn Baronet to commemorate

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

's diamond jubilee 14 August 1897. Gwespyr_War_Memorial

Legend

Frank Nicholson of Gwespyr was a Welsh

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

, a

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 ...

winner, and a wireless singer, who was attacked and killed by a stallion while walking home on a footpath leading from Talacre Abbey (known by the locals as "the park") to Gwespyr on Monday 8 October 1928. Three weeks later a woman was seriously injured by the stallion at the same place.

Amenities

Public Houses

The village is home to two public houses. "The Masons Arms" is located near the top of Gwespyr Hill. The pub was owned by

Allied Breweries Allied Breweries was the result of a 1961 merger between Ind Coope (of Burton), Ansells (of Birmingham), and Tetley Walker (of Leeds). In 1978, Allied Breweries merged with the food and catering group J. Lyons and Co to form Allied Lyons. The bre ...

and served

Ansells Ansells Brewery was a regional brewery founded in Aston, Birmingham, England in 1858. It merged with Taylor Walker and Ind Coope in 1961 to form Allied Breweries. The brewery remained in operation until 1981, after which production transferred ...

beer until the mid-1990s when the pub was bought by private owners. The pub is still open today. "The Talacre Arms" was situated midway up Gwespyr Hill. The pub was popular during the 1960s when it was owned by

Marston's Brewery Marston's plc is a British pub and hotel operator. Founded by John Marston in 1834, it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Marston's disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Ca ...

until the mid-1990s when it was bought by private owners; it closed in May 2011 and is now a residential building.

Restaurants

On the corner of the A548 and Gwespyr Hill is Amber Coffee House inside the Ivy Emporium. Amber Coffee House sits on the site of the former 'The Lodge'

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

which was popular for its live music while serving mainly the holidaying public. In more recent times, Amber Coffee House is on the

A548 road List of A roads in zone 5 in Great Britain starting north/east of the A5, west of the A6, south of the Solway Firth/Eden Estuary The River Eden is a river in Fife in Scotland, and is one of Fife's two principal rivers, along with the Lev ...

. Directly across is "The Totem Pole" which is a small village

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

. It has a theme throughout that is based on the

Indigenous peoples of the Americas The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

Playground

There is a play area across from the Masons Arms

that is maintained by

Flintshire County Council Flintshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Flintshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. It is based at County Hall in Mold. Elections take place every five years. The last election was on 5 May 2022. Histor ...

. The play area has a top and bottom part. The top is home to typical play equipment white the bottom area is one of many empty quarries - this is now home to a

basketball court In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor sur ...

Shops

The Village shop was located on Tanrallt Road but closed in the early 1990s and became a private residence. The village shop prior to it closing was very traditional selling groceries. It also served as the Village

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

until its closure. At the bottom of Gwespyr Hill on the A548 coast road is the local garage and shop 'Lobitos', which started life in the 1950s as a general car repair garage, fuel station and cafe serving the locality and holiday traffic along the North Wales coast.

Transport

Bus services are provided by

Arriva Buses Wales Arriva Buses Wales ( cy, Bysiau Arriva Cymru) is a bus operator providing services in northern Wales and Chester in northern England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus. History Crosville Motor Services was formed in 1919 and operated serv ...

. There are two bus stops serving the village, one on Tanrallt Road across from the former shop and the other on the A548 coast road next to the old Cam Gas Store.

References

{{authority control Villages in Flintshire