Denbigh ( ; ) 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 rura ...

and a

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It was the original

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

of the historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the

Clwydian Hills The Clwydian Range (; also Clwydian Hills or 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 is Moel Famau. The range forms the north-western part of th ...

History

Denbigh anciently formed part of the

cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a Wales in the Early Middle Ages, medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divid ...

Rhufoniog Rhufoniog was a small sub-kingdom of the Dark Ages Gwynedd, and later a cantref in medieval Wales. Geography The cantref Rhos lay between it and the Irish Sea. Sometimes the two cantrefi were linked together as "Rhos and Rhufeiniog", which ...

. For much of its history, Rhufoniog was subordinate to the

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

, but it also spent periods under English control during the 12th and 13th centuries. By the 13th century, Denbigh was the main town of Rhufoniog. In 1284, following the

Conquest of Wales by Edward I The conquest of Wales by Edward I took place between 1277 and 1283. It is sometimes referred to as the Edwardian conquest of Wales,Examples of historians using the term include Professor J. E. Lloyd, regarded as the founder of the modern academ ...

, Rhufoniog was made part of a new

marcher lordship A marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales. A marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in France ...

called

Denbigh Denbigh ( ; ) is a market town and a community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. It was the original county town of the Denbighshire (historic), historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to ...

or Denbighland, which Edward initially granted to

Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln (c. 1251February 1311), Baron of Pontefract, Lord of Bowland, Baron of Halton and hereditary Constable of Chester, was an Kingdom of England, English nobleman and confidant of King Edward I of England, Edward I. He ...

. As part of his campaign to take and retain control of the area, Edward I decided to fortify Denbigh, ordering the construction of

Denbigh Castle Denbigh Castle and town walls ( ; ) were built to control the lordship of Denbigh after the Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England in 1282. The lands were granted to Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, who began to build a new walled town, col ...

and town walls, which were begun in 1282. The

Burgess Gate The Burgess Gate was built as part of the outer defences of Denbigh Castle between 1282 and 1294. The gate is a Grade I listed building. Located at the northern section of the medieval town walls of Denbigh, in Denbighshire, Wales, The gate was ...

, whose twin towers adorn the symbol on Denbigh's civic seal, was once the main entrance into the town. The town was involved in

the revolt ''The Revolt'' (), also published as ''Revolt'', ''The Revolt: Inside Story of the Irgun'' and ''The Revolt: the Dramatic Inside Story of the Irgun'', is a book about the militant Zionist organization Irgun Zvai Leumi, by one of its principal l ...

Madog ap Llywelyn Madog ap Llywelyn (died after 1312) was the leader of the Welsh revolt of 1294–95 against English rule in Wales. The revolt was surpassed in longevity only by the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr in the 15th century. Madog belonged to a junior branch ...

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 (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

in December. Denbigh was also burnt in 1400 during the revolt of

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...

. During the

Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...

(1455–1487), the town within the walls was largely destroyed. The focus of the settlement then shifted to a site immediately outside the old town walls to the north-east, centred on a market place along High Street. In 1536, the new county of

was created under the

Laws in Wales Act 1535 Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

, comprising the old lordship of Denbighland plus other territories. Denbigh was declared to be the county town, with the county's courts directed to be held alternately at Denbigh and

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...

. The County Hall (now the library) was built in 1572 to serve as the town's main public building, functioning as a market hall, town hall and courthouse for when the county's courts sat in Denbigh. 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 ove ...

, 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 (; "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census the community had a population ...

. 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 ...

; it is 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 ...

. In 1643, during the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, 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 gove ...

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 its history.

Railway

Denbigh railway station once served the town 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 LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world. Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connec ...

, later part of the

London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with London and North Eastern Railway, LNER, Great Western Railway, GWR and Southern Railway (UK), SR. The London, Midland an ...

. It was a junction for the Vale of Clwyd Railway line, which lead north to and , and the

Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway The Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway was a railway company that built a railway line in North Wales. It formed a link between the Mold Railway (from Chester) and the Vale of Clwyd Railway towards Rhyl. The line opened in 1869. Serving a large ...

. The former was closed in 1955, leaving Denbigh on a lengthy branch running from to , via , which subsequently closed in 1962. A southern continuation beyond Ruthin, linking up with the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...

at , had closed in 1952. The station site has been redeveloped since into a small retail park; however, remains of a platform can still be seen beside the road leading to the

Home Bargains T.J. Morris Limited (trading as Home Bargains) is a British variety store and garden centre chain founded in 1976 by Tom Morris in Liverpool, England, as Home and Bargain. History The retailer was founded by owner Tom Morris in 1976 as a sing ...

store, Aldi Supermarket, Screwfix and two charity shops.

North Wales Hospital

The

North Wales Hospital The North Wales Hospital () 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 people with psychiatric illness ...

was established in the 1840s, caring for people with

psychiatric Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of deleterious mental conditions. These include matters related to cognition, perceptions, mood, emotion, and behavior. Initial psychiatric assessment of ...

illnesses. The hospital became the town's largest employer. 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. ''Most Haunted'' was first shown on Living TV between 2002 and 2010. However, it has since been revived on TV and online, via an official mobile app and YouTube Channel. Pres ...

, 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 authority, unitary local authority for the county of Denbighshire, one of the principal areas of Wales, principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall, Ruthin, County Hall in Ruthin. Ther ...

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, then reopened by Lewis Colwell in 1982 and renamed the ''Futura Cinema''. The cinema closed again in the 1990s, but the building remained open as a video rental store. In 1995, Peter Moore reopened 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.

Governance

There are two tiers of local government covering Denbigh, at

(town) and

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

level: Denbigh Town Council () and

(). The town council is based at Denbigh Town Hall on Crown Square.

Administrative history

Denbigh was an

ancient 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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

and an

ancient borough An ancient borough was a historic unit of lower-tier local government in England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the co ...

, with its earliest known

municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...

being granted by Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln; it is undated but was presumably issued shortly after he was given control of the town and surrounding lordship in 1284. The original parish church of St Marcella was rebuilt around the same time the town was fortified in the late 13th century, but stands to the east of the walled town it was built to serve. The borough covered a larger area than the parish, also including parts of the neighbouring parishes of

Henllan Henllan is a village and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales, approximately 2.25 miles (3.5 km) north-west of Denbigh. The name is derived from Old Welsh language, Old Welsh, ''Hên-llan'', meaning "old church-enclosure". ...

and

Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch is a village and local government community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales, including the villages of Llanrhaeadr and Pentre Llanrhaeadr and several hamlets, including Saron, Pant Pastynog, Prion, Peniel a ...

. The borough was reformed to become a

municipal borough A municipal borough was a type of local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...

in 1836 under the

Municipal Corporations Act 1835 The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4. c. 76), sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales. The le ...

, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country. Denbigh gradually lost the functions associated with being a county town. By the 18th century, the senior courts for the county (the

great sessions The Court of Great Sessions in Wales was the main court for the prosecution of felonies and serious misdemeanours in Wales between the Laws in Wales Act 1542 and the court's abolition in 1830. It had the same powers in civil law as the King's Ben ...

prior to 1832, thereafter the

assizes The assizes (), or courts of assize, were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ex ...

) were routinely held at Wrexham rather than Denbigh, before moving to a new courthouse built in

Ruthin Ruthin ( ; ) is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales, in the south of the Vale of Clwyd. The town, castle and St Peter's Square lie on a hill, skirted by villages such as Pwllglas and Rhewl. The name comes from the Welsh ''rhud ...

in the 1780s. The county's

quarter sessions The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts that were traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388; they were extended to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535. Scotland establ ...

continued to be held alternately at Denbigh and Wrexham. The assizes and quarter sessions were abolished in 1972.

Knights of the shire Knight of the shire () was the formal title for a member of parliament (MP) representing a county constituency in the British House of Commons, from its origins in the medieval Parliament of England until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 en ...

(MPs for the Denbighshire constituency) were elected at Denbigh until the constituency's abolition in 1885. The first Denbighshire County Council was created in 1889, taking over various administrative functions previously performed by the county's

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...

s at the quarter sessions. The county council decided not to meet in a single town. It initially met alternately at Denbigh and Wrexham, as the quarter sessions did. By 1900 it had added Ruthin and

Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay () is a town, Community (Wales), community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (h ...

to the list of towns where it met, meeting at those four towns in rotation until that first incarnation of the county council was abolished in 1974. Although the council held its meetings in multiple towns, it decided to consolidate its main offices in a central location. It therefore built the County Offices at Ruthin, which opened in 1909. The borough of Denbigh was abolished in 1974 under 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 ...

. The area became part of the new district of

Glyndŵr Glyndŵr, also spelled Glyndwr, may refer to: *Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and milita ...

Clwyd Clwyd ( , ) is a preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English cerem ...

. The area of the pre-1974 borough became a

called Denbigh, with its community council taking the name Denbigh Town Council. The upper tiers of local government were reorganised again in 1996, when the modern Denbighshire, and its county council were created.

Population

The population at the 2001 Census was 8,783, increasing to 8,986 in the 2011 census., reducing in the 2021 census to 8,669

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 () 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 the first voluntary hospital i ...

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 games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

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, also called as Offering Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part ...

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 Glen Williams. St Brigid'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 2009 the school only accepted girls. The schools current headteacher is Leah Crimes. 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 (

), Ysgol Glan Clwyd (

), Denbigh College, and Llysfasi College (

Deeside Deeside () is the name given to a predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages in Flintshire and Cheshire on the England–Wales border, Wales–England border lying near the canalised stretch of the River Dee, Wales, River Dee t ...

) have joined to offer a combined 6th form under the title 'The Dyffryn Clwyd Consortium'.

Site of Special Scientific Interest

Crest Mawr Wood Crest Mawr Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the preserved county of Clwyd, north Wales. See also *List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Clwyd Lists of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Clwyd comprise: * List o ...

(''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 ...

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 Leaf, 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: ') 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. Competito ...

in 1882, 1939, 2001 and 2013.

Notable people

Note:

Earl of Denbigh Earl of Denbigh (pronounced 'Denby') is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1622 for William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, William Feilding, Viscount Feilding, a courtier, admiral, and brother-in-law of the powerful George Vill ...

is an extant title of nobility held since 1622 by the Feilding family of

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

. Despite taking their title from the town they are not known to have any other connection. *

Rhoda Broughton Rhoda Broughton (29 November 1840 – 5 June 1920) was a Welsh literature in English, Welsh novelist and short story writer.Robert Hadji, "Rhoda Broughton" in Jack Sullivan (literary scholar), Jack Sullivan (ed) (1986) ''The Penguin Encyclopedia ...

(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 wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

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 recei ...

(1881–1954) doctor and occupational therapy pioneer. * Shefali Chowdhury (born 1988), actor, notably in the Harry Potter films *

CDawgVA Connor Marc Colquhoun ( /kəˈhuːn/ ''kə-HOON''; born 26 July 1996), known online as CDawgVA, is a Welsh streamer, YouTuber, voice actor, and podcaster currently based in Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with the Kadokawa-backed agency GeeXPlu ...

(born 1996), YouTuber and podcaster, presenter of

Trash Taste ''Trash Taste'' () is a weekly audio and video podcast hosted by The Anime Man, Joey Bizinger, Gigguk, Garnt Maneetapho, and CDawgVA, Connor Colquhoun – three Tokyo-based content creators primarily focusing on anime and Japanese pop culture. ...

(1532–1588), also known as ''Baron of Denbigh'' *

Thomas Gee Thomas Gee (24 January 181528 September 1898), was a Welsh Nonconformist (Protestantism), 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 ...

(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 Gorsedd Cymru, 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 C ...

of the

. *

Dr Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson ( – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The ''Oxford Di ...

(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 Edward Taylor Jones F.R.S.E. LL.D. (1872–1961) was a British physicist. He was Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow University from 1925 to 1943. Life He was born in Denbigh in north Wales on 24 December 1872. He studied Science at the ...

(1872–1961), physicist * Eirian Llwyd (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 William Salesbury and Willi ...

(1527–1568), a Welsh

cartographer Cartography (; from , '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 imagined reality) can ...

, 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. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

and

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

. * Thomas Myddelton (1550–1631) a Welsh merchant, Lord Mayor of London & MP *

Twm o'r Nant Twm o'r Nant ('Tom from the Brook') 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), wh ...

(1739–1810),

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

, real name ''Thomas Edwards'' *

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

(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 h ...

'' *

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 The Salusbury family was an Anglo-Welsh family notable for their social prominence, wealth, literary contributions and philanthropy. They were patrons of the arts and were featured in William Shakespeare's The Phoenix and the Turtle and other wor ...

, 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-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author, and politician famous for his exploration of Central Africa and search for mis ...

(1841–1904), a journalist and explorer * Mark Webster (born 1983) Welsh darts international, winner of the

BDO World Darts Championship The BDO World Darts Championship was a professional darts tournament organised by the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and held annually from 1978 to 2020. The championship was first held at the Heart of the Midlands Nightclub in the Englis ...

2008 *

Bryn Williams Bryn 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 and well- ...

(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 1 January 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios ...

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 (16 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. As a naturalist he had ...

'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