Abergele
Encyclopedia
Abergele is a community
and old Roman
trading town
, situated on the north coast of Wales
between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay
and Rhyl
, in Conwy County Borough. Its northern suburb
of Pensarn
lies on the Irish Sea
coast and is known for its beach
, where it is claimed by some that a ghost ship has been sighted. Abergele and Pensarn railway station
serves both resorts. Abergele is often overlooked due to the popularity of nearby Rhyl
, Prestatyn
, Colwyn Bay
, Llandudno
and Conwy
.
for estuary and 'Gele' the name of the river which flows through the town. Gele is a dialectal form of gelau, which means spear, describing the action of the river cutting through the land. It has also been suggested this river is named because its waters flash brightly.
and is known for Gwrych Castle
. The town is surrounded by woodland
covered hill
sides, which contain cave
s with rare lesser horseshoe bat
. The highest hill is Moelfre Isaf
(1038 ft) to the south of the town. There are also outstanding views from Cefn-yr-Ogof (669 ft), Tower Hill (587 ft) and Tan-y-Gopa
.
Abergele (including Pensarn) has a population
of around 10,000 and is part of the Abergele/Rhyl
/Prestatyn
urban area with a population of 64,000.
Approximately 29% of Abergele has a significant knowledge of Welsh
. The town also has satellite villages such as Saint George
, Betws yn Rhos
, Rhyd-y-foel, Belgrano, Llanddulas
and Llanfair Talhaearn.
studies as part of the Genetic history of Europe
on the y-chromosomes of men in Abergele have revealed that there is a significant percentage of E1b1b1a2 haplogroup
in Abergele. Membership in Y chromosome haplogroup E1b1b1a2 (E-V13) was found to average at 38.97% in a small sample of 18 male y-chromosomes in Abergele. This genetic marker is found at its highest concentrations in the Balkans at over 40% in areas, but at much lower percentages in Northern Europe
at less than 5%. The reason for drastically higher levels of E1b1b in Abergele is most likely due to the heavy Roman Army
presence in Abergele as most of the Roman Soldiers
that came to Britain did not come from Italy
, rather from other parts of the Roman Empire
. Other notable levels of genetic marker E-V13 have been found in a few other towns in Britain that were known to have had a heavy Roman presence nearly 2000 years ago.
.
Sites of historical interest include two Iron Age
hillforts; Castell Cawr at Tan y Gopa and Fort Dinorben (now virtually disappeared owing to limestone
quarry
ing) at St George. On Gallt y Felin Wynt, a hill above the town popularly known as Tower Hill or Bryn Tŵr is a 17th century watchtower
, partially restored in 1930. There is another Iron Age fort at Pen y Corddyn Mawr hill above Rhyd y Foel
. There is also another watchtower, the Lady Emilys Tower which is located near Cefn yr Ogof
.
Gwrych Castle
was built between 1819-1825 at the behest of Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh. From 1894 until 1946 it was the residence of the Dundonald family. Gwrych Castle's present owner, Californian businessman Nick Tavaglione, who bought the landmark in December 1989 put Gwrych up for auction on 2 June 2006, but it failed to sell. The condition of the property is being monitored by the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust. It is undergoing renovation.
The boxer
s Bruce Woodcock
(in the late 1940s) and Randolph Turpin (in 1952) trained at Gwrych Castle and the film Prince Valiant
starring Edward Fox
and Katherine Heigl
, star of Knocked Up
, was filmed there in 1996.
A curious undated inscription can be found on a tombstone in St Michael's parish church
(built on the site of a 'clas' or Celtic monastery
). It states "Here lieth in St Michael's churchyard a man who had his dwelling three miles to the north." As the sea is little more than half a mile away at this point, this suggests that the sea has made some considerable advance over the centuries.
Outside the church is a penitential stone where sinners had to do penance by standing, dressed in white, by the stone and bessech the congregation for mercy as they entered and left the church.
In 1868 the Abergele Train Disaster
was, up to that time, the worst railway disaster in Britain. The 33 people who died are buried in a mass grave in the local churchyard.
A sanatorium
was built just outside Abergele in 1910. In 1914 this was acquired by Manchester City Council. A children's sanatorium was built on the same site. The sanatorium was taken over by the newly formed NHS
in 1948 and was closed later, when the introduction of antibiotics made the building redundant.
On 30 June 1969, the evening before the investiture of Prince Charles in Caernarfon
, two members of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru
(Welsh Defence Movement), Alwyn Jones and George Taylor, were killed when the bomb they were planting outside government offices exploded prematurely.
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
and old Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
trading town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
, situated on the north coast of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
and Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, in Conwy County Borough. Its northern suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Pensarn
Pensarn
Pensarn is a suburb of Abergele in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of around 2,000.The name Pensarn means 'end of the causeway' in English. The crossing of Morfa Rhuddlan was facilitated by a causeway near the sea, located at this point...
lies on the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
coast and is known for its beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, where it is claimed by some that a ghost ship has been sighted. Abergele and Pensarn railway station
Abergele and Pensarn railway station
The North Wales costal towns of Abergele and Pensarn are suburban in nature and are served by this station on the North Wales Coast Line.-Service:...
serves both resorts. Abergele is often overlooked due to the popularity of nearby Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
, Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
, Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
and Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
.
Etymology
The meaning of the name Abergele can be deduced by aber being the Welsh wordWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for estuary and 'Gele' the name of the river which flows through the town. Gele is a dialectal form of gelau, which means spear, describing the action of the river cutting through the land. It has also been suggested this river is named because its waters flash brightly.
Geography
The town itself lies on the A55 roadA55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
and is known for Gwrych Castle
Gwrych Castle
Gwrych Castle is a Grade I listed 19th century country house near Abergele in Conwy county borough, North Wales.-History:Gwrych Castle was erected between 1819 and 1825 at the behest of Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh, grandfather of Winifred Cochrane, Countess of Dundonald. From 1894 until 1924,...
. The town is surrounded by woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
covered hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
sides, which contain cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s with rare lesser horseshoe bat
Lesser horseshoe bat
The Lesser Horseshoe Bat , is a type of European bat related to but smaller than its cousin, the Greater Horseshoe Bat...
. The highest hill is Moelfre Isaf
Moelfre Isaf
Moelfre Isaf is a 317 m hill located to the south of the town of Abergele. There are views towards the Clwydian Range, Snowdonia and the Isle of Man can be seen on a clear day. Nearby is the small settlement of Moelfre, which has a church....
(1038 ft) to the south of the town. There are also outstanding views from Cefn-yr-Ogof (669 ft), Tower Hill (587 ft) and Tan-y-Gopa
Tan-y-Gopa
Tan-y-Gopa is a heavily forested hill above the town of Abergele in Conwy county borough, Wales. On it is found the Iron Age hill fort Castell Cawr and caves where rare lesser horseshoe bats live. The woods are owned by the Woodland Trust. The hill rises to about 180 m above sea level.-External...
.
Abergele (including Pensarn) has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of around 10,000 and is part of the Abergele/Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
/Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
urban area with a population of 64,000.
Approximately 29% of Abergele has a significant knowledge of Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. The town also has satellite villages such as Saint George
St. George, Conwy
St. George is a small village in the county borough of Conwy, close to the coastal town of Abergele, north Wales. It was previously called Cegidog. Close by is the hamlet of Bodtegwel.Although previously located in Denbighshire, and later Clwyd, St...
, Betws yn Rhos
Betws yn Rhos
Betws yn Rhos is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, north Wales.Betws yn Rhos is located about five miles inland between the coastal towns of Abergele and Colwyn Bay...
, Rhyd-y-foel, Belgrano, Llanddulas
Llanddulas
Llanddulas is a village in Conwy county borough, North Wales midway between Old Colwyn and Abergele and next to the North Wales Expressway.The village lies beneath the limestone hill of Cefn-yr-Ogof...
and Llanfair Talhaearn.
Ethnography
Recent geneticGenetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
studies as part of the Genetic history of Europe
Genetic history of Europe
The genetic history of Europe can be inferred from the patterns of genetic diversity across continents and time. The primary data to develop historical scenarios coming from sequences of mitochondrial, Y-chromosome and autosomal DNA from modern populations and if available from ancient DNA...
on the y-chromosomes of men in Abergele have revealed that there is a significant percentage of E1b1b1a2 haplogroup
Haplogroup
In the study of molecular evolution, a haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism mutation in both haplotypes. Because a haplogroup consists of similar haplotypes, this is what makes it possible to predict a haplogroup...
in Abergele. Membership in Y chromosome haplogroup E1b1b1a2 (E-V13) was found to average at 38.97% in a small sample of 18 male y-chromosomes in Abergele. This genetic marker is found at its highest concentrations in the Balkans at over 40% in areas, but at much lower percentages in Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
at less than 5%. The reason for drastically higher levels of E1b1b in Abergele is most likely due to the heavy Roman Army
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
presence in Abergele as most of the Roman Soldiers
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
that came to Britain did not come from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, rather from other parts of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Other notable levels of genetic marker E-V13 have been found in a few other towns in Britain that were known to have had a heavy Roman presence nearly 2000 years ago.
History
A settlement of some kind continued to exist at Abergele into the thirteenth century; Edward I is known to have briefly stayed there in December 1294 during his invasion of Wales to suppress the revolt of Madog ap LlywelynMadog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
.
Sites of historical interest include two Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillforts; Castell Cawr at Tan y Gopa and Fort Dinorben (now virtually disappeared owing to limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
ing) at St George. On Gallt y Felin Wynt, a hill above the town popularly known as Tower Hill or Bryn Tŵr is a 17th century watchtower
Watchtower
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
, partially restored in 1930. There is another Iron Age fort at Pen y Corddyn Mawr hill above Rhyd y Foel
Rhyd y Foel
Rhyd y Foel is a small village near the coast of north Wales in the area of Rhos in the County Borough of Conwy, Wales.It is named after the old ford over the River Dulas....
. There is also another watchtower, the Lady Emilys Tower which is located near Cefn yr Ogof
Cefn yr Ogof
Cefn yr Ogof is the highest point of the hill to the west of Gwrych Castle near Abergele and Llanddulas. It is 204 m high. The views from the top are one of the hidden delights of the North Wales coast with views towards the Clwydian Hills, Denbigh Moors, Snowdonia, the Great Orme, Anglesey...
.
Gwrych Castle
Gwrych Castle
Gwrych Castle is a Grade I listed 19th century country house near Abergele in Conwy county borough, North Wales.-History:Gwrych Castle was erected between 1819 and 1825 at the behest of Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh, grandfather of Winifred Cochrane, Countess of Dundonald. From 1894 until 1924,...
was built between 1819-1825 at the behest of Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh. From 1894 until 1946 it was the residence of the Dundonald family. Gwrych Castle's present owner, Californian businessman Nick Tavaglione, who bought the landmark in December 1989 put Gwrych up for auction on 2 June 2006, but it failed to sell. The condition of the property is being monitored by the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust. It is undergoing renovation.
The boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
s Bruce Woodcock
Bruce Woodcock (boxer)
Bruce Woodcock was an English boxer. He was the British and Empire heavyweight champion 1945-1950, and European heavyweight champion 1946-1949. He had a large fanbase, and his participation in a competition often resulted in sellout crowds...
(in the late 1940s) and Randolph Turpin (in 1952) trained at Gwrych Castle and the film Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, or simply Prince Valiant, is a long-run comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 3700 Sunday strips...
starring Edward Fox
Edward Fox (actor)
Edward Charles Morice Fox, OBE is an English stage, film and television actor.He is generally associated with portraying the role of the upper-class Englishman, such as the title character in the film The Day of the Jackal and King Edward VIII in the serial Edward & Mrs...
and Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
, star of Knocked Up
Knocked Up
Knocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Judd Apatow. Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, the film follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between Rogen's slacker character and Heigl's just-promoted...
, was filmed there in 1996.
A curious undated inscription can be found on a tombstone in St Michael's parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
(built on the site of a 'clas' or Celtic monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
). It states "Here lieth in St Michael's churchyard a man who had his dwelling three miles to the north." As the sea is little more than half a mile away at this point, this suggests that the sea has made some considerable advance over the centuries.
Outside the church is a penitential stone where sinners had to do penance by standing, dressed in white, by the stone and bessech the congregation for mercy as they entered and left the church.
In 1868 the Abergele Train Disaster
Abergele train disaster
The Abergele rail disaster, which took place near the town of Abergele, on the north coast of Wales in 1868, was, at the time, the worst railway disaster yet in Britain, and also the most alarming. The Railway News said of it...
was, up to that time, the worst railway disaster in Britain. The 33 people who died are buried in a mass grave in the local churchyard.
A sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
was built just outside Abergele in 1910. In 1914 this was acquired by Manchester City Council. A children's sanatorium was built on the same site. The sanatorium was taken over by the newly formed NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
in 1948 and was closed later, when the introduction of antibiotics made the building redundant.
On 30 June 1969, the evening before the investiture of Prince Charles in Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, two members of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru
Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru
Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru , abbreviated as MAC, was a paramilitary Welsh nationalist organisation, which was responsible for a number of bombing incidents between 1963 and 1969....
(Welsh Defence Movement), Alwyn Jones and George Taylor, were killed when the bomb they were planting outside government offices exploded prematurely.
Notable people
- David VaughanDavid Vaughan (footballer)David Owen Vaughan is a Welsh footballer who plays for Sunderland. He plays as a midfielder.Vaughan previously played for Crewe Alexandra, where he spent seven years between 2000 and 2007...
, footballer for Sunderland and Wales - Lisa Scott-LeeLisa Scott-LeeLisa Scott-Lee is a Welsh singer. She has worked as a songwriter and is a graduate of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts stage school. Lisa is best known as one fifth of pop group Steps from 1997 until their split on Boxing Day 2001 and recently reformed in 2011. Scott Lee released her debut...
(singer with Steps), attended Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan
External links
- Abergele Town Council
- Abergele in Shorts
- Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust official site
- Gwrych Castle website: www.gwrych.org.uk
- Photos of Gwrych Castle
- Wales DNA Project
- Rhyl, Prestatyn and Abergle Journal newspaper
- Geograph: photos of Abergele and surrounding area
- Manchester City Council memories of Abergele Sanatorium