Rhyl, Denbighshire
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Rhyl (; , ) is a
seaside town A seaside resort is a city, resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requi ...
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 ...
in
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 ...
in
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 ...
. The town lies on the coast of
North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
, at the mouth of the
River Clwyd The River Clwyd ( ; , ) is a river in Wales that rises in the Clocaenog Forest () northwest of Corwen. Its total length is . It flows due south until, at Melin-y-wig, it veers north-eastwards due to the Vale of Clwyd Fault and passes throu ...
. To the west is
Kinmel Bay Kinmel Bay () is a large seaside village in Conwy County Borough, north-east Wales. It is also an electoral ward to the county council and town council. The resort town of Rhyl lies just across the River Clwyd in the neighbouring county of De ...
and
Towyn Towyn () is a seaside resort in the Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is also an electoral ward to the town and county councils. Location It is located between Rhyl, in Denbighshire, and Abergele in Conwy. Demography According to the 2001 ...
, to the east
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. Origin of name The name Prestatyn d ...
, and to the south-east
Rhuddlan Rhuddlan () is a town, community, and electoral ward in Denbighshire, Wales. Its associated urban zone is mainly on the right bank of the Clwyd; it is directly south of seafront town Rhyl. It gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan ...
and
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 ...
. At the 2011 Census, Rhyl had a population of 25,149, with Rhyl–Kinmel Bay having 31,229. Rhyl forms a
conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
with Prestatyn and its two outlying villages, the Rhyl/Prestatyn Built-up area, whose 2011 population of 46,267 makes it North Wales's most populous non-city. Rhyl was once an elegant
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
resort town, but suffered rapid decline around the 1990s and 2000s; attempts have been made to reverse this through county investment, equal to around £15 million from Denbighshire County, however, the outcomes have been perceived with varying levels of success. Prior to being in Denbighshire since 1996, it was in the
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 ...
district of
Rhuddlan Rhuddlan () is a town, community, and electoral ward in Denbighshire, Wales. Its associated urban zone is mainly on the right bank of the Clwyd; it is directly south of seafront town Rhyl. It gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan ...
, and before that the historic county of Flintshire.


Etymology

Early documents refer to a dwelling in the area named ''Ty'n Rhyl'' ("Rhyl croft"), and a manor house with that name still exists in the oldest part of the town. Its
Welsh orthography Welsh orthography uses 29 letters (including eight digraphs) of the Latin script to write native Welsh words as well as established loanwords. Welsh orthography makes use of multiple diacritics, which are primarily used on vowels, namely th ...
has proved difficult for English writers to
transliterate Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → and → the digraph , Cyrillic → , Armenian → or L ...
as ''Rhyls opening
voiceless alveolar trill The voiceless alveolar trill differs from the voiced alveolar trill only by the vibrations of the vocal cord. It occurs in a few languages, usually alongside the voiced version, as a similar phoneme or an allophone. Proto-Indo-European develo ...
is uncommon in the English language (represented in modern Welsh by the
digraph Digraph, often misspelled as diagraph, may refer to: * Digraph (orthography), a pair of characters used together to represent a single sound, such as "nq" in Hmong RPA * Ligature (writing), the joining of two letters as a single glyph, such as " ...
'Rh'). As such the name has appeared in English texts as ''Hulle'' (1292), ''Hul'' (1296), ''Ryhull'' (1301), ''Hyll'' (1506), ''Hull'' (1508), ''yr Hyll'' (1597), ''Rhil'' (1706), ''Rhûl'' (1749), ''Rhul'' (1773), ''Rhyll'' (1830) and ''Rhyl'' (1840). The etymonic origin of the word ''Rhyl'' has been the subject of debate for more than a century. It has been suggested that it derives from a contraction of ''Yr Heol'' ("The Road"). However, this derivation is problematic as it is thought that no road of significance passed through the area before the name was already extant. Another suggested etymology is that the name is a hybrid of the unfamiliar English word "hill" and the Welsh
definite article In grammar, an article is any member of a class of dedicated words that are used with noun phrases to mark the identifiability of the referents of the noun phrases. The category of articles constitutes a part of speech. In English, both "the" ...
"yr" (''Yr Hill'', becoming ''Y Rhyl'', and then just ''Rhyl'' in English). Although this is problematic as Rhyl is situated in a very flat area with no hills, it has been suggested that the original 'hill' was a piece of dry land relatively raised above the surrounding marshes (cors y rhyl). Another suggestion is that it could have referred to a now forgotten man-made structure, such as a
motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortificati ...
outpost of
Rhuddlan Castle Rhuddlan Castle (; ) 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. Rhuddlan, which was not compl ...
guarding the mouth of the River Clwyd. One etymology that gained popularity in the twentieth century suggests that the original dwelling of ''Ty'n Rhyl'' derived from ''Tŷ'n yr haul'' (House in the Sun/House of Sunshine). This may be an example of
folk etymology Folk etymology – also known as (generative) popular etymology, analogical reformation, (morphological) reanalysis and etymological reinterpretation – is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a mo ...
, as Rhyl gained popularity as a summer destination for Welsh-speaking tourists and was advertised in English and Welsh as ''"Sunny Rhyl"''.


Buildings, landmarks and attractions

Rhyl has a number of 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 ...
s and landmarks. These include the Parish Church of St Thomas in Bath Street, which is listed as Grade II*. Others are the
Midland Bank Midland Bank plc was one of the Big Four (banks)#United Kingdom, Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birming ...
building, the railway station along with two signal boxes and the public telephone box on the up platform, the Royal Alexandra Hospital, the Sussex Street
Baptist Church Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers ( believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of ...
,
Rhyl Town Hall Rhyl Town Hall () is a municipal structure in Wellington Road in Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Rhyl Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building. History The first municipal offices in Rhyl we ...
, the ''Swan'' public house in Russell Road, the
war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...
, and the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Clwyd Street. Also notable is the Grade II listed Foryd Harbour Bridge, a blue bridge with distinctive bowstring girders built in 1932. Situated over the
River Clwyd The River Clwyd ( ; , ) is a river in Wales that rises in the Clocaenog Forest () northwest of Corwen. Its total length is . It flows due south until, at Melin-y-wig, it veers north-eastwards due to the Vale of Clwyd Fault and passes throu ...
, it links Rhyl with Kinmel Bay. Another landmark is the Church of St Margaret of Antioch. The Marble Church was built by Lady Margaret in memory of her late husband, Sir Henry Peyto Willoughby de Broke. It was completed within four years and consecrated on 23 August 1860, becoming the parish church of a new parish of Bodelwyddan, covering an area formerly in that of
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 church opens daily from 9:30 to 16:30, except between 25 December and 6 January. A previous Rhyl landmark was the ornate Pavilion Theatre with five domes, which was demolished in 1974. Half a mile further down the promenade stood Rhyl Pier, opened in 1867 at long. The structure was damaged by ships in 1883 and again in 1891. It was further damaged in 1901 by fire. Storms were responsible for further damage in 1909 in 1913 was closed as unsafe. Although it reopened with a much-reduced length in 1930, it closed again in 1966 and was demolished in 1973. Rhyl's top attractions on the West Parade are Rhyl Children's Village theme park, and the Sky Tower (formerly the
Clydesdale Bank Clydesdale Bank () is a trading name used by Clydesdale Bank plc for its retail banking operations in Scotland. In June 2018, it was announced that Clydesdale Bank plc's holding company, CYBG, would acquire Virgin Money for £1.7 billi ...
tower, brought to Rhyl from the 1988
Glasgow Garden Festival The Glasgow Garden Festival was the third of the five national garden festivals, and the only one to take place in Scotland. It was held in Glasgow between 28 April and 26 September 1988. It was the first event of its type to be held in the ci ...
). The Sky Tower opened in 1989, but it was closed to the public in 2010 and transformed into an illuminated beacon in 2017. A
VUE Cinema Vue International ( , like "view"), is a multinational cinema holding company headquartered in London, England, and registered in St Helier, Jersey. It operates in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark as Vue, with international operations in ...
that closed in January 2025 is also located there. On the East Parade is the SeaQuarium. Up until 2014, Rhyl Suncentre was also an attraction on the East Parade; an indoor water leisure centre which opened in 1980 at a cost of £4.25 million and featured a heated swimming pool, water chutes and slides, and Europe's first indoor surfing pool. The local council closed the centre in early 2014 and it was demolished in 2016. A new
Travelodge Travelodge or Travelodge by Wyndham (formerly branded ''TraveLodge'') refers to several hotel chains around the world. Current operations include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and several co ...
hotel was built next to the site, which opened in early 2019. A new indoor/outdoor water park, the SC2, opened further along the promenade in 2019, and includes various pools with water chutes and slides, as well as a separate "Ninja Tag" assault course game complex. Also on the East Parade is the New Pavilion Theatre, opened in 1991. It has over 1,000 seats and is managed by Denbighshire County Council. Redevelopment of the Pavilion theatre in 2017 provided for a new façade, entrance foyer and restaurant, and refurbished bar areas.


Marine Lake

The Marine Lake, an artificial excavation in the west of the town, used to be a tourist destination, with fairground rides and a zoo. The lake is a 12-hectare human-made reservoir and it was officially opened in 1895. Rhyl Miniature Railway is the only original attraction remaining on the site, a
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
railway that travels around the lake and is now based at the new museum and railway centre. There is also a playground and numerous watersports clubs based around the lake. The Marine Lake Funfair was demolished in the late 1960s, having been replaced by the nearby Ocean Beach Funfair. Ocean Beach finally closed on 2 September 2007 and was demolished to make way for a planned new development initially called Ocean Plaza. This was to include apartments, a hotel and various retail outlets. However, work on Ocean Plaza never went ahead as scheduled and the land lay vacant for several years after the original developers, Modus Properties, went bankrupt in 2009. The site was sold to a new company, Scarborough Development Group (SDG), in 2010, but again no work commenced on the site for several years. In 2014, SDG submitted revised plans to develop the land on a much smaller scale than the original plans. Now called Marina Quay, the plans no longer include the building of new apartments on the land as
Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales () is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Countryside Council for Wales, E ...
' flood regulations now prohibit this. The plans were approved by the local authority in November 2014. In August 2015, The Range retail chain signed a 20-year lease and opened a new outlet on the site in March 2018.
Aldi Aldi (German pronunciation: ), stylised as ALDI, is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 12,000 stores in 18 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and ...
also opened a branch on the site in 2019.


Governance

For elections to
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 ...
, Rhyl is divided into six
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 t ...
s: Rhyl East, Rhyl South, Rhyl South West, Rhyl Trellewelyn, Rhyl Ty Newydd, and Rhyl West. After the 2022 local elections, eleven of Rhyl's county councillors belonged to the
Welsh Labour Welsh Labour (), formerly known as the Labour Party in Wales (), is an autonomous section of the United Kingdom Labour Party (UK), Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears have won a p ...
Party and one to the
Welsh Conservatives The Welsh Conservatives (), also known as the Welsh Conservative Party (), is the branch of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party that operates in Wales. At United Kingdom general elections, Westminster elections, it is ...
. In 2008 Rhyl West appeared as the most deprived ward in Wales in the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. The 22 councillors on Rhyl Town Council are divided among nine community wards: Bodfor, Brynhedydd, Cefndy, Derwen, Foryd, Pendyffryn, Plastirion, Trellewellyn, and Tynewydd.


Sport

Association Football
Rhyl F.C. Rhyl Football Club () was a Welsh football club based in Rhyl, a seaside resort town located in Denbighshire. It withdrew from footballing activities in April 2020 and had its entire footballing record for the 2019–20 season expunged. It was ...
, commonly known as the Lilywhites, is a football club that played historically in English non-league football, but has competed since 1992 in the Welsh football pyramid. In the 2003–2004 season it won the
Welsh Premier League The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. It was found ...
, the
Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup (), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most prestigious of the cup competitions ...
and the Welsh League Cup, and was losing finalist in the FAW Premier Cup. In the 2008–2009 season it again won the Welsh Premier League. On 17 May 2010, it was announced that Rhyl's Welsh Premier licence had been revoked. Its appeal was unsuccessful and it was relegated to the Cymru Alliance, returning to the
Welsh Premier League The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. It was found ...
in 2013 after winning the Cymru Alliance title, becoming the first club in the history of the competition to complete the season unbeaten. Rhyl has played in Europe on a few occasions. On 21 April 2020, the club announced it was going to cease trading and be formally wound up. In May 2020, a phoenix club was set up under the name of
C.P.D. Y Rhyl 1879 (English: The Rhyl 1879 Football Club) is a Welsh football club based in Rhyl in Denbighshire, Wales. The team currently play in the . They are a phoenix club, continuing the legacy of Rhyl FC's following its dissolution in April 2020. Hist ...
. Rugby Union Rhyl and District RFC is the town's rugby union club. It completed a move from its old ground on the Waen in
Rhuddlan Rhuddlan () is a town, community, and electoral ward in Denbighshire, Wales. Its associated urban zone is mainly on the right bank of the Clwyd; it is directly south of seafront town Rhyl. It gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan ...
, when a new ground and clubhouse opened at Tynewydd Fields in 2018. Hockey Rhyl is home to the oldest field hockey club in Wales, formed in 1890. Its first international game was also played at Rhyl, between Ireland and Wales in 1895. Professional Wrestling Veteran promoter
Orig Williams Orig Williams (20 March 1931 – 12 November 2009) was a Welsh professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. Williams spent his wrestling career in the persona of a villainous heel under the ring name "El Bandito", and after retiring as a figh ...
, responsible for the Welsh language ''Reslo'' wrestling show on
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-speakin ...
, based his British Wrestling Federation in Rhyl and ran a wrestling training school in the town, the alumni of which included several television wrestlers including
Robbie Brookside Robert Edward Brooks (born 11 March 1966), better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a trainer/producer for the NXT brand. He has toured all over the w ...
and
Klondyke Kate Jayne Porter (born 10 May 1962) is an English female professional wrestler known by her ring name Klondyke Kate. She wrestled for All Star Wrestling, holding their British Women's Championship, which she won in a match featured in a BBC2 docume ...
.


Transport

Rhyl railway station Rhyl railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line and serves the holiday resort of Rhyl, Wales. History The station was opened to traffic on 1 May 1848, being one of the original intermediate stations on the Chester and Ho ...
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 ...
is served by through trains of
Avanti West Coast First Trenitalia West Coast Rail, trading name, trading as Avanti West Coast, is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and Trenitalia (30%) that operates the West Coast Partnership. In November 2016, the Department for Tra ...
between
Holyhead Holyhead (; , "Cybi's fort") is a historic port town, and is the list of Anglesey towns by population, largest town and a Community (Wales), community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales. Holyhead is on Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island ...
and
London Euston Euston railway station ( ; or London Euston) is a major central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station managed by Network Rail in the London Borough of Camden. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line ...
, and by
Transport for Wales Rail Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail ( and ), is a Welsh State-owned enterprises of the United Kingdom, publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Governme ...
services: to Cardiff Central via Newport and
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...
, and to
Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly is the main railway station of the city of Manchester, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England. Opened originally as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchest ...
. Other stations nearby include Abergele & Pensarn,
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. Origin of name The name Prestatyn d ...
,
Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
,
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 ...
and
Llandudno Junction Llandudno Junction (), once known as Tremarl, is a town in the Community (Wales), community of Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Llandudno Junction and neighbouring Deganwy are both part of the built-up area and community of Conwy. It take ...
. The direct Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast services to Holyhead give connections by
Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish Shipping line, shipping line company and one of the world's largest ferry operators. It services Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Stena Line is a ...
or
Irish Ferries Irish Ferries is an Irish ferry and transport company that operates passenger and freight services on routes between Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe, including Dublin Port–Holyhead; Rosslare Europort to Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Pembr ...
to
Dublin Port Dublin Port () is the seaport of Dublin, Ireland, of both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximately two-thirds of Ireland's port traffic travels via the port, which is by far the busiest on the island of Ireland. Locatio ...
. Air travel is served by the nearest airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving Liverpool, England, on the estuary of the River Mersey south-east of Liverpool city centre. Scheduled domestic, European, North African and Middle Eastern services are oper ...
which is approximately 52 km east of Rhyl. 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 The Solway Firth is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotlan ...
through the town links with the A55 Holyhead 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 ...
road at
Abergele Abergele (; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county b ...
. The
A525 road The A525 is a major route from Rhyl in Wales to Newcastle-under-Lyme in England. The route passes near Denbigh, through Ruthin, through Wrexham and near Whitchurch. The route is a dual carriageway just south of Rhyl. As of 10 March, 2010, the ...
runs south from the town to
Rhuddlan Rhuddlan () is a town, community, and electoral ward in Denbighshire, Wales. Its associated urban zone is mainly on the right bank of the Clwyd; it is directly south of seafront town Rhyl. It gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
. Several
Arriva Buses Wales Arriva Buses Wales () 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 services in Wales and northe ...
bus services are run along the main coast road between Chester and Holyhead, linking the resorts. Another route runs between Rhyl and Denbigh.


Education

The town has two secondary schools: Rhyl High School and Christ the Word Catholic School. Christ the Word teaches both primary and secondary school pupils and was opened in 2019 as a merger of Blessed Edward Jones Catholic School and its feeder Ysgol Mair. Both schools provide education to the age of 16, with
sixth-form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare ...
provision being available at Rhyl Sixth Form centre located in the Rhyl branch of Coleg Llandrillo. In addition to the primary provision at Christ the Word Catholic School, there are five other dedicated primary schools in Rhyl: Christ Church Primary School, Ysgol Bryn Hedydd, Ysgol Emmanuel, Ysgol Llywelyn, and the Welsh-medium Ysgol Dewi Sant. There is also a
special school Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual d ...
in Rhyl called Ysgol Tir Morfa. The first Welsh-medium secondary school in Wales started in Rhyl, as
Ysgol Glan Clwyd Ysgol Glan Clwyd (or Ysgol Uwchradd Glan Clwyd) is a Welsh-language, Welsh Medium of instruction, medium secondary school, and was the first of its kind. It opened in 1956, initially at Rhyl on the coast before moving inland to St Asaph in 1969 ...
was opened in the town in 1956 before moving to its present site at St Asaph in 1969.


Media

Television signals are received from the Moel-y-Parc TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated in
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. Origin of name The name Prestatyn d ...
. Local radio stations are
BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Wales is a Wales, Welsh national radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the Welsh opt-out service of BBC Radio 4. As of August 2022, the stat ...
,
BBC Radio Cymru BBC Radio Cymru is a Welsh language radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts across Wales on FM, DAB, digital TV and BBC Sounds. The station broadcasts general factual and entertainment pro ...
,
Capital North West and Wales Capital North West and North Wales is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Capital network. It broadcasts to Cheshire, the Wirral Peninsula & North Wales. The station was previously part of the Heart radio net ...
,
Capital Cymru Capital Anglesey & Gwynedd, formerly known as Capital Cymru, is a local radio station owned and operated by Global. The station broadcasts to Anglesey and Gwynedd via the Arfon transmitting station. Previously, the station formed part of the He ...
,
Heart North and Mid Wales Heart North and Mid Wales is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. It broadcasts to North and Mid Wales.Point FM and Rhyl Radio, a community based station. The town is served by the local newspaper, ''Rhyl Journal'' which publishes on Wednesdays. ''
North Wales Weekly News The ''North Wales Weekly News'' is one of a group of newspapers published weekly in Llandudno. History The newspaper was first published on 14 February 1889 by local printer Robert Evans Jones as the ''Weekly News and Visitors’ Chronicle fo ...
'' is another local newspaper which also covers the area.


Notable people

In birth order:


Music

*
Wayne Bickerton Wayne Bickerton (born Arthur Ronald Bickerton; 11 July 1941 – 29 November 2015) was a British record producer, songwriter and music business executive. He became well known, with Tony Waddington, as writer and producer of a series of UK chart ...
(1941–2015), record producer and musician *
Kim Simmonds Kim Maiden Simmonds (5 December 1947 – 13 December 2022) was a Welsh musician. He was the founder, guitarist, primary songwriter and sole constant member of the blues rock band Savoy Brown, which he formed in 1965. Simmonds had led Savoy Br ...
(1947–2022), lead singer, guitarist and founding member of ''
Savoy Brown Savoy Brown (originally Savoy Brown Blues Band) were a British blues rock band formed in Battersea, southwest London, in 1965. Part of the late 1960s blues rock movement, Savoy Brown primarily achieved success in the United States, where they p ...
'', was born in
Newbridge, Caerphilly Newbridge () is a town and community in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales. It lies within the historic boundaries of the county of Monmouthshire. Etymology The Welsh placename for Newbridge is often incorrectly shown on OS Maps a ...
. * Michael Leslie Peters (born 1959), lead singer and founding member of ''
The Alarm The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977 under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the group soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language ...
'', was born in
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. Origin of name The name Prestatyn d ...
, grew up in Rhyl and attended Rhyl High School. *
Steve Strange Stephen John Harrington (28 May 1959 – 12 February 2015), known professionally as Steve Strange, was a Welsh singer and nightclub host and promoter. Strange began his career in several short-lived punk rock, punk bands of the late 1970s. Qui ...
(1959–2015), lead singer of the band '' Visage'', was born in
Newbridge, Caerphilly Newbridge () is a town and community in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales. It lies within the historic boundaries of the county of Monmouthshire. Etymology The Welsh placename for Newbridge is often incorrectly shown on OS Maps a ...
, but lived in Rhyl as a child. *
Lisa Scott-Lee Lisa Scott-Lee (born 5 November 1975) is a British singer from St Asaph, Wales. She is a member of the pop group Steps, formed in 1997. Scott-Lee signed a record deal with Mercury Records and launched a solo career in 2003, achieving only min ...
(born 1975), singer and dancer founding member of '' Steps''. *
The Alarm The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977 under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the group soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language ...
(1981–1991), rock band


Politics

* Isaac Jenks (1816–1888), ironmaster and
Mayor of Wolverhampton This is a list of mayors of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England, historically part of Staffordshire. Wolverhampton has elected a town council, which in turn has elected a Mayor, since 1848. Mayors of Wolverhampton 19th century 20th ...
, died at Rhyl. *
Mungo Lewis Mungo Turnbull Lewis (November 13, 1894 – January 12, 1969) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1936 to 1945. Early life and career Lewis was born at Rhyl, in North Wales. His family mo ...
(1894–1969),
Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
politician * Ann Jones (born 1953),
Welsh Labour Welsh Labour (), formerly known as the Labour Party in Wales (), is an autonomous section of the United Kingdom Labour Party (UK), Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears have won a p ...
and
Co-operative Party The Co-operative Party () is a centre-left List of political parties in the United Kingdom, political party in the United Kingdom, supporting co-operative values and principles. The party currently has an electoral pact with the Labour Party. E ...
MS * Gareth Davies (born 1988),
Welsh Conservative The Welsh Conservatives (), also known as the Welsh Conservative Party (), is the branch of the United Kingdom Conservative Party that operates in Wales. At Westminster elections, it is the second-most popular political party in Wales by vote ...
MS


The arts

* Patrick Garnett (1932–2006),
Swinging Sixties The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London denoted as its centre. It saw a flourishing in ...
architect *
Nathan Penlington Nathan Penlington (born in Rhyl, North Wales), is a writer, poet, live literature producer and magician. His work has appeared on stage, in print and on the radio. Career Nathan Penlington currently performs at venues and festivals across the ...
(living), poet and magician


Scholarship and literature

* Thomas Aubrey (1808–1867),
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
minister of religion and preacher * Edward Ross Wharton (1844–1896), classical scholar, etymologist and lexicographerBibliography backing description
Retrieved 7 February 2017.
/ref> *
Vernon R. Young Vernon Robert Young (November 15, 1937 – March 30, 2004) was an expert on protein and amino acid requirements and researched how the human body processes nutrients into protein. Young was a principal organizer of amino acid Workshops sponsor ...
(1937–2004), research scientist specializing in
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
and
amino acid Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although over 500 amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the 22 α-amino acids incorporated into proteins. Only these 22 a ...
requirements * Bob Griffiths (born 1953), born in Rhyl,
Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an 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 bishops. The position is currently held b ...
priest,
British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...
chaplain, then Archdeacon of Wrexham


Sport

* William Roberts (born 1863, fl. 1880s – 1890s), international footballer * Don Oakes (1928–1977), professional footballer (
Arsenal F.C. The Arsenal Football Club, commonly known as simply Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, North London, England. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. In domestic football, Arsenal h ...
) *
Elliott Hewitt Elliott Jack Hewitt (born 30 May 1994) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for club Mansfield Town. He can play in a variety of different positions, including right-back, centre-back, winger or central midfield. He is known for his ve ...
(born 1994), professional footballer (
Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club is a professional football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, following promotion from the National League in the 2022–23 season. Founded in 1862, ...
) * David Harrison (born 1972),
jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...
, winner of 1992
Royal Hunt Cup The Royal Hunt Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to ...
at
Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...
, grew up in Rhyl and attended Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School. *
Ched Evans Chedwyn Michael Evans (born 28 December 1988) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for club Preston North End, where he also serves as a first-team coach. Born in Rhyl, Evans was signed by Manchester City from Chester City's youth ...
(born 1988), footballer (
Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's histor ...
) *
James Chester James Grant Chester (born 23 January 1989) is a former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back. Starting at Manchester United F.C., Manchester United, he later went ...
(born 1989), international footballer (
Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional Association football, football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English foot ...
)


Stage and broadcasting

*
Ruth Ellis Ruth Ellis (; 9 October 1926 – 13 July 1955) was a Welsh-born nightclub hostess and convicted murderer who became the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom following the fatal shooting of her lover, David Blakely. In her teens, ...
(1926–1955), nightclub hostess and murderer, was the last woman hanged in the UK. *
Nerys Hughes Nerys Hughes (born 8 November 1941) is a Welsh actress and narrator, known primarily for her television roles, including her parts in the BBC TV series '' The Liver Birds'' (1971-1978) and '' The District Nurse'' (1984-1987). Early life and e ...
(born 1941), actress *
Carol Vorderman Carol Jean Vorderman (born 24 December 1960) is a Welsh broadcaster, media personality, and writer. Her media career began when she joined the Channel 4 game show ''Countdown'', appearing with Richard Whiteley from 1982 until his death in 2005, ...
(born 1960), TV broadcaster and game-show host, attended Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School. *
Sara Sugarman Sara Sugarman (born 13 October 1962) is a Welsh actress and filmmaker whose work includes Walt Disney Pictures, Disney's ''Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen'' (2004) and ''Very Annie Mary'' (2001). She has also appeared in films including ''D ...
(born 1962), actress and film director *
Alexa Davies Alexa Davies is a Welsh actress best known for her roles as Aretha in '' Raised by Wolves'', Kate in ''Detectorists'', Yvonne in ''Cradle to Grave'', young Rosie in ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'', and Meg in ''Dead Pixels''. She grew up in Rh ...
(born 1995), actress best known for Young Rosie in ''
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' is a 2018 jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson (playwright), Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel and prequel to t ...
''


Climate

The climate is cool and temperate in Rhyl. The climate here is classified as Cfb by the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
. The average temperature in Rhyl is . Annual precipitation averages .


References


External links


BBC Rhyl pageRhyl town council pageRhyl Tourism promotion page
{{authority control Seaside resorts in Wales Towns in Denbighshire Populated coastal places in Wales