Holywell ( ; ) 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

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 ...

Flintshire Flintshire () is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, the Dee Estuary to the north-east, the English county of Cheshire to the east, Wrexham County Borough to the south, and Denbighshire to the west. ...

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 lies to the west of the

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

of the River Dee. The community includes Greenfield. In 2011, it had a population of 8,886.

Etymology

The name Holywell is literally ' + ' in reference to St Winefride's Well, which is situated in the town. Similarly, its Welsh name, ', is a compound of ' "town" + ' "well", meaning "town of hewell".

History

The

of Holywell is known for St Winefride's Well, a

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, Spring (hydrosphere), spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christianity, Christian or Paganism, pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualitie ...

surrounded by a

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

. It has been a site of Christian

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

since about 660, dedicated to Saint Winefride who, according to legend, was beheaded there by Caradog who attempted to attack her. The well is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and the town bills itself as ''The

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a ...

of Wales''. Many pilgrims from all over the world continue to visit Holywell and the well. From the 18th century, the town grew around the

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

and

cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

ing industries. The water supply from the mountains above the town, which flows continually and at a constant temperature, supplies the well and powered many factories in the Greenfield Valley. In addition to lead and cotton, copper production was of great importance. Thomas Williams, a lawyer from Anglesey, built factories and smelteries for copper in Greenfield Valley, bringing the copper from Anglesey to St. Helens and then to Greenfield Valley where it was used to make items including manilas (copper bracelets), neptunes (large flat dishes to evaporate seawater to produce salt) and

copper sheathing Copper sheathing is a method for protecting the hull of a wooden vessel from attack by shipworm, barnacles and other marine growth through the use of copper plates affixed to the surface of the hull, below the waterline. It was pioneered and d ...

. The copper sheathing was used to cover the hulls of the wooden ships trading in the warmer Caribbean waters, giving rise to the expression 'copper bottomed investment'. The sheathing was also applied to Royal Navy ships and was instrumental in Nelson's victories - two copper plates from HMS ''Victory'' are in Greenfield Valley Heritage Park museum. The wealth generated from these industries led to the development of the town. Holywell Town Hall was completed in 1896. St James' Parish Church is a grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

and Holy Trinity Church in Greenfield is grade II listed. The town is also served by the modern St Peter's Church on Rose Hill,

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

in 2008.

Railway

Holywell Junction railway station Holywell Junction was a junction station, junction railway station located on the north-eastern edge of the town of Holywell, Flintshire, Holywell and village of Greenfield, Flintshire, Greenfield, in Flintshire, North Wales. It is sited on the ...

in Greenfield was a stop on the

North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Main Line ( or ; ), also known as the North Wales Coast Line (), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The lin ...

. The station was closed in 1966 and trains now run through the site; the station building, by Francis Thompson for the Chester and Holyhead Railway (1848), is listed Grade II*. There is a campaign to reopen the station. Holywell Town railway station, at the head of the steeply-climbing

LNWR 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 ...

Holywell branch line from Holywell Junction, opened in 1912 and finally closed in 1957. It now forms part of the ''Greenfield Valley'', a tarmacked path.

Demography

In the 2011 census the population of the

, which includes the village of Greenfield, was recorded as 8,886. The census figure for the larger Holywell built-up area was 9,808. The community consists of four

electoral wards The wards and electoral divisions in the United Kingdom are electoral districts at sub-national level, represented by one or more councillors. The ''ward (subnational entity), ward'' is the primary unit of English electoral geography for civil pa ...

of the

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 Tŷ Dewi Sant, Ewloe since 2025. It was previously based at County Hall in Mold. Elections take place ...

local authority:

Geography

Holywell is split into four distinct areas: Pen-y-Maes, the Strand, the Holway and the town centre. The Holway, located on the west side of the town, is the largest of the residential areas of Holywell. The near-contiguous village of Greenfield is located to the north east of the town on the B5121 road. Villages within the Holywell catchment area include: Bagillt, Brynford, Carmel,

Gorsedd Gorsedd Cymru (), or simply the Gorsedd (), is a society of Welsh-language poets, writers, musicians and others who have contributed to the Welsh language and to public life in Wales. Its aim is to honour such individuals and help develop and p ...

, Halkyn, Holway, Lixwm, Lloc,

Mostyn Mostyn is a village and Community (Wales), community in Flintshire, Wales, and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward lying on the estuary of the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, located near the town of Holywell, Flin ...

, Pantasaph,

Pentre Halkyn Pentre Halkyn () is a small village in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated approximately two miles from Holywell, Flintshire, Holywell, and is off Junction 32 of the A55 road, A55 North Wales Expressway. It has a quarry, a small hotel, and a loc ...

, Rhes-y-Cae, Trelawnyd, Whitford and Ysceifiog. In addition there are other smaller scattered communities within this area. All of these are within a six-mile radius of Holywell. These villages are all connected to Holywell by a frequent bus service.

Amenities

The town centre contains many small businesses and national stores, serving not only the shopping needs of the people of the town itself, but also those of the surrounding villages within the town's natural catchment area. Part of the centre of the historic market town has been designated a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

. The town contains a

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

, with over 500 pupils, and four

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

s. There is also a

leisure centre A leisure centre, sports centre, or recreation centre is a purpose-built building or site, usually owned and provided by the local government authority, where people can engage in a variety of sports and exercise, and keep fit. Typical facilit ...

. The old cottage hospital was located in Pen-y-Maes until it closed. A new facility, known as the Holywell Community Hospital, opened in March 2008. In 2007, a group of locals proposed a circular walk way, the ''St Beuno's Circular Walk'', joining all of the historical and religious locations of the town.

Sport

Holywell has a local football team, Holywell Town who play in the

Cymru North The Cymru North is a regional association football, football league in Wales, covering the northern half of the country. It initially had clubs with semi-professional status. Together with the Cymru South, it forms the second tier of the Welsh fo ...

league, the second tier of Welsh football. Although Holywell does not have a

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 ...

team carrying the name of the town, a number of junior and senior cricketers from the area play for nearby village team Carmel & District Cricket Club; their ground is located a short distance from Holywell between the villages of Carmel and Lloc.

Transport

The nearest railway station to Holywell is now at , away; it is a stop on the North Wales Main Line.

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; ; ) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consisting of itself and its subsidiaries: Trans ...

operates services to , , , , , and . Arriva Buses Wales operates a regular service on route 11 to

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

, via Flint railway station.

Notable people

* Saint Winifred, a 7th century Welsh virgin martyr, inspired St Winefride's Well *

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 ...

(1726–1798) naturalist, traveller, writer and antiquarian; lived at Downing Hall near Whitford. * Rear Admiral Thomas Totty (1746–1802) naval officer of the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. * Sarah Edith Wynne (1842–1897) operatic soprano and concert singer. * Teresa Helena Higginson (1844–1905) Roman Catholic mystic. * Charles Sidney Beauclerk (1855–1934), Catholic priest, revived the town as a pilgrimage centre. * Frederick Rolfe (1860–1913), gay novelist and obsessive letter writer; died in Venice *

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Flintshi ...

(1905–1987) writer, dramatist and actor, attended Holywell Grammar School * Sir Ronald Waterhouse (1926–2011), High Court judge. * Dorothy Miles (1931–1993) poet and activist in the

deaf community Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

. * Jennifer Toye (1933–2022), operatic soprano with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company * Ann Clwyd (born 1937 in Pentre Halkyn-2023) politician, MP for Cynon Valley for 35 years; went to Holywell Grammar School. *

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as nom ...

(born 1947), actor on film and TV, educated at Holywell Grammar School * Gareth Jones (born 1961), TV presenter, ''(Gaz Top)'' brought up in Holywell. * Richard and Adam (Johnson) (born ca.1980), classical singers.

Sport

* Gerry Hitchens (1934–1983), footballer with over 500 club caps, retired to Holywell from 1977 where he is buried. * Alan Fox (1936–2021) footballer with 441 club caps mainly for

Wrexham A.F.C. Wrexham Association Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Wrexham, Wales. Formed in 1864, it is the oldest club in Wales and the third-oldest professional association football team in the world. The club compe ...

Mike England Harold Michael England (born 2 December 1941) is a Welsh former footballer and manager. Playing career Playing as a central defender, England began his career at Blackburn Rovers in 1959, before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in July 1966, ult ...

(born 1941), footballer and manager, with 622 club caps and 44 for

* Ron Davies (1942–2013), footballer with 644 club caps and 29 for

* Barry Horne (born 1962), footballer with 570 club caps and 59 for

* Ian Buckett (born 1967), rugby player, born near here and attended school in Holywell. * Gareth Jelleyman (born 1980) footballer, with over 360 club caps * Thomas Casson Local Actor

References

External links

Photos of Holywell and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
{{authority control Towns in Flintshire Communities in Flintshire Christian pilgrimages Water wells in Wales

Etymology

History

Railway

Demography

Geography

Amenities

Sport

Transport

Notable people

Sport

See also

References

External links