Llanrwst ('church or parish of Saint Grwst'; ) 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

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 ...

on the

A470 road The A470 (also named the Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road) is a trunk road in Wales. It is the country's longest road at and links the capital Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. While previously one had to navigate t ...

and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough,

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 ...

, and the historic county of

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 ...

. It developed round the

wool trade Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

and became known also for the making of

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

s and clocks. Today, less than a mile from the edge of

Snowdonia Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Name and extent It was a commonly held belief that the nam ...

, its main pursuit is

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

. Notable buildings include

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

s, two 17th-century chapels, and the Parish Church of St Grwst, which holds a stone coffin of

Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...

. The 2011 census gave it a population of 3,323.

History

The site of the original church dedicated to St Grwst was Cae Llan in Llanrwst (land now occupied by the Seion Methodist Chapel). The current church of

St Grwst ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

is on land which was donated in about 1170 by Rhun ap Nefydd Hardd, a member of the royal family of the

Kingdom of Gwynedd The Kingdom of Gwynedd (Medieval Latin: ; Middle Welsh: ) was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain. Based in northwest Wales, th ...

, specifically to build a new church so dedicated. Llanrwst developed around the

, and for a long time the price of wool for the whole of Britain was set here. The growth of the village in the 13th century was considerably aided by an edict by

Edward I of England 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 ...

(who built Conwy Castle) prohibiting any Welshman from trading within of the town of Conwy. Llanrwst, located some from that town, was strategically placed to benefit from this. In 1276, Llywelyn 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 rulers ...

, seized the town, declaring it the Free Borough of Llanrwst independent of the

diocese of Llanelwy The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese of the Church in Wales in north-east Wales, named after Saint Asaph, its second bishop. Geography The Anglican Diocese of St Asaph in the north-east corner of Wales stretches from the borders of Chester i ...

. This the bishop contested, but the borough kept its freedom for the lifetime of Llywelyn and later through efforts by

Aberconwy Abbey Aberconwy Abbey was a Cistercian foundation at Conwy, later transferred to Maenan near Llanrwst, and in the 13th century was the most important abbey in the north of Wales. A Cistercian house was founded at Rhedynog Felen near Caernarfon in 118 ...

, which ripped down banners relating to the bishopric or to

. A century later, after the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

moved to

Maenan Abbey Maenan Abbey (formally: The Abbey Church of Saint Mary and All Saints; alternatively: Abaty Maenan, or Maynan Abbey; now Maenan Abbey Hotel) was a monastic religious house located in Maenan, Conwy, Wales. It is situated near Llanrwst. History ...

, the town had its own

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

and flag, the origin of the local motto ''"Cymru, Lloegr a Llanrwst"'' (Wales, England and Llanrwst). This motto, a testament to this apparent independence, has now become synonymous with the song of that title by a local band,

Y Cyrff (1983–1991; The Bodies) was a Welsh language indie band in the 1980s, initially formed at the Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy secondary school in Llanrwst, Conwy. The original line-up consisted of Barry Cawley (bass), Emyr Davies (vocals), Dylan Hughes ...

. When the

Llanrwst Almshouses & Museum Trust This list of museums in Wales contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organisations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientifi ...

closed in 2011, it returned to the community the 12th-century Llanrwst flag, as an emblem central to the town's belief in its independence.Talk of the town
''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

'', 28 April 2006. In 1610 Sir John Wynn of Gwydir had the historic Llanrwst

Almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

s built to house poor people of the parish. These closed in 1976, but were restored in 1996 with the aid of Heritage Lottery funding, reopening as a museum of local history and community focal point. It held a collection of over 100 items relating largely to the rural Conwy valley, and a number associated with the renowned Llanrwst Bards of the late 19th century. It closed as a museum in 2011, but reopened in 2013 as the new council chamber. Grade I- listed Pont Fawr, a narrow, three-arched stone bridge said to have been designed by

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (; 15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was the first significant architect in England and Wales in the early modern period, and the first to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry in his buildings. As the most notable archit ...

, was built in 1636 by Sir Richard Wynn (son of Sir John Wynn) of

Gwydir Castle Gwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy valley, Wales, a mile to the west of the ancient market town of Llanrwst and to the south of the large village of Trefriw. An example of a fortified manor house dating back to c1500, it is located on the ...

. It links the town with Gwydir, a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

dating from 1492, a 15th-century

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

known as

Tu Hwnt i'r Bont Tu Hwnt i'r Bont ('Beyond the Bridge') is a 15th-century grade II listed building in the Community of Llanrwst, in the county of Conwy, in north Wales. It is situated on the left bank of the River Conwy across Pont Fawr ('Big Bridge') from the to ...

, and a road from nearby Trefriw. In 1947, Llanrwst Town Council allegedly sought in vain for a seat on the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

as an independent state within Wales. This is not confirmed in the

minutes available online. Llanrwst hosted 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 ...

in 1951, 1989 and 2019.

Geography

Llanrwst lies between above sea level on the eastern bank of the River Conwy. The A470 trunk route between North and South Wales runs through the town, joined by the A548 main road from Rhyl,

Prestatyn Prestatyn is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085, History Prehistory There is evidence that the ...

and

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 ...

. To the south-west is

Gwydir Forest Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet, John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle ...

. On the hills above is Moel Maelogan

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used Wind power, to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundre ...

; the power generated by its turbines is fed to the town sub-station. File:St Grwst.jpg, Church of St Grwst File:Llanrwst.jpg, The River Conwy at Llanrwst File:Llanrwst from bridge over Afon Conwy - geograph.org.uk - 456111.jpg, Tu Hwnt i'r Bont File:Llanrwst from Gwydir.jpg, An elevated view of Llanrwst from Gwydir Forest

Governance

Llanrwst was the name of the

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 ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

County Council between 1973 and 1996, electing one county councillor. Llanrwst now divides into two such wards, Gower and

Crwst Crwst is an electoral wards of town of Llanrwst, Conwy County Borough, Wales. It covers the southern part of the town, with its western border defined by the River Conwy and its northern border (dividing it from Llanrwst's Gower ward) defined by ...

, each sending a councillor to Conwy County Borough Council. In 2017, Plaid Cymru's Aaron Wynne was elected to the Crwst ward at the age of 20 years, making him Wales's youngest county councillor and Conwy County Borough Council's youngest ever elected member. The town also elects members to Llanrwst Town Council.

Demography

In the 2011 census the town population was put at 3,323, 61 per cent being

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 ...

speakers. At one time Llanrwst was the Wales's eighth largest town, with a higher population than

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

. The change in the town population in the 19th and 20th centuries appears in the chart below. Llanrwst Population Graph 1801-2001

Transport

Llanrwst has two

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 ...

s, Llanrwst and North Llanrwst, on the Conwy Valley Line, which terminated here before being extended to

Betws-y-Coed Betws-y-coed (; '' en, prayer house in the wood'') is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located in the historic county of Caernarfonshire, right on the boundary with Denbighshire, in the Gwydir Forest. ...

in 1867 and

Blaenau Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,00 ...

in 1879. It was originally envisaged that the railway would pass closer to the river, on the site of today's Central Garage. The Victoria Hotel was built opposite the bridge in anticipation of this. Had the line been built on the west bank of the River Conwy, as originally planned, to serve the inland port of Trefriw across the river from Llanrwst, it is unlikely that Llanrwst would have gained its present status. File:Llanrhwst Bridge 02417.jpg, 18th century water colour of Llanrwst Bridge File:Llanroost bridge over the river Conway in north Wales.jpeg, Plan of bridge, 1753 File:Llanrwst bridge.jpeg, Engraving, 1790 File:Llanrwst bridge - built by Inigo Jones.jpeg, Early 19th century File:Llanawrst i.e. Llanrwst bridge, north Wales.jpeg, Engraving, 1842

Education

Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy is a bilingual co-educational comprehensive school in the town of Llanrwst in Conwy County Borough, North Wales. The school serves the community of Llanrwst and the many surrounding villages including the rural districts of B ...

, previously Llanrwst Grammar School, is a bilingual

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

with about 790 pupils. According to the latest inspection report by

Estyn Estyn is the education and training inspectorate for Wales. Its name comes from the Welsh language verb ''estyn'' meaning "to reach (out), stretch or extend". Its function is to provide an independent inspection and advice service on quality ...

, it has a

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

pass rate of 71 per cent (based on five GCSEs, grades A–C), putting the school in equal 24th place, just outside the top 10 per cent of secondary schools in

. It is also the second best-performing secondary school in Conwy, behind

Eirias High School Ysgol Eirias, (English: Eirias School) is a secondary school situated in Colwyn Bay, in Conwy county borough, North Wales. The school has approximately 1600 pupils and over 120 teachers and staff. The school’s name is derived from its location, ...

in Colwyn Bay. There is a Christian-based youth club in Seion Chapel called Clwb Cyfeillion.

Sport

Llanrwst hosts Llanrwst United FC, with two senior teams. The first plays in the Welsh Alliance League and the reserves in Clwyd League Division 2. The club has a junior section of eight teams, playing in the Aberconwy and Colwyn League.

Llanrwst Cricket Club Llanrwst ('church or parish of Saint Grwst'; ) is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed round the wool trade and became known also ...

plays in the North Wales Premier Cricket League. Since 2012, there has been an annual half marathon round the town.

Notable people

In birth order: * Evan Owen Allen (1805–1852), Welsh-language journalist and poet, born at Pant-y-llin, near Llanrwst * Peter Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir (1920-2008), Welsh politician, born in Llanrwst, a former Secretary of State for Wales * Mark Roberts (born 1967) of Catatonia and its predecessor

, known for the song ''Cymru, Lloegr a Llanrwst'' * Kai Owen (born 1975), actor notable as Rhys Williams in '' Torchwood'' *

Glyn Wise ''Big Brother 2006'', also known as ''Big Brother 7'', was the seventh series of the British reality television series '' Big Brother''. The show followed a total of twenty-two contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside ...

(born 1988), runner-up as a

Big Brother 7 (UK) ''Big Brother 2006'', also known as ''Big Brother 7'', was the seventh series of the British reality television series '' Big Brother''. The show followed a total of twenty-two contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside ...

contestant on television in 2006, attended Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy. *

Alex Frew Alex Frew (24 October 1877 – 29 April 1947) was an international rugby union forward who played for both Scotland and South Africa. Amateur career He played for Kilmarnock RFC before moving to Edinburgh University. He was capped by Scotland ...

(born 1988), graphic designer, created the Wales brand and Transport for Wales brand identities. * Erin Mai (born 2005 or 2006), Wales's representative at the 2019 edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with " Calon yn Curo (Heart Beating)" after victory at the

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking ...

show Chwilio am Seren

References

External links

A Vision of Britain Through TimeBritish Listed BuildingsGeographOffice for National Statistics
{{authority control Articles containing video clips Towns in Conwy County Borough Former electoral wards of Gwynedd