Caergwrle
Encyclopedia
Caergwrle is a village in the county of Flintshire
, in north east Wales
. Approximately 5–6 miles from Wrexham
and situated on the A541 road
, it is contiguous with the village of Abermorddu
and closely related to the village of Hope
(yr Hob). The village lies on the River Alyn
and sits at the base of Hope Mountain (Mynydd yr Hob). At the 2001 Census
, the population was 1,650.
The 13th century ruined Caergwrle Castle
was first built by prince Dafydd ap Gruffudd, in lands given to him by Edward I of England
after the first Welsh campaign of 1277. The village originally had the English placename of Corley, but with the addition of the Welsh placename epithet "Caer", meaning "fortress", the name gradually took on Welsh characteristics. To explain the name, a myth developed of a giant named Gwrle, who was supposed to have lived in the castle and been buried in the nearby Neolithic
burial mound at Cefn-y-bedd.
The 17th century Packhorse Bridge
, which is reputed to be haunted
, was nearly destroyed by flooding in 2000, though it has since been restored. There have been many other developments and restorations in Caergwrle.
Caergwrle's long association with the adjacent village of Hope has given rise to a well-known local joke: "Live in Hope and die in Caergwrle". This was already described as an "old saying" in the 19th century, when it was recorded by the antiquarian John Askew Roberts.
The service from Wrexham Central
to Bidston
passes through Caergwrle railway station
. Bidston provides a connection to Liverpool
via the Wirral Line
s. Caergwrle railway station
is managed by Arriva Trains Wales.
Bus
Caergwrle has bus links giving access to Mold
, Broughton
, Wrexham
and Chester
.
teams.
, in north Wales. It was donated to the National Museum Wales
in 1912, and sent to London for restoration by British Museum staff where it was reconstructed mainly from wax plus various adhesives to re-attach the decoration. http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/1479/
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, in north east 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...
. Approximately 5–6 miles from Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
and situated on the A541 road
A541 road
The A541 is an A road in North Wales. The road starts on the A525 in Trefnant, between St Asaph and Denbigh, and ends in Wrexham. On the way it passes the town of Mold. It also passes through many villages. In northern-central Wrexham it joins the B5101 road....
, it is contiguous with the village of Abermorddu
Abermorddu
Abermorddu is a village in the county of Flintshire, Wales.Approximately 5 miles from Wrexham and situated on the A541 road, it is contiguous with the village of Caergwrle and closely related to the village of Hope.The local secondary school is ....
and closely related to the village of Hope
Hope, Flintshire
Hope is a small village in Flintshire, north-east Wales. The village is located approximately 3 miles / 4.5 km from the Wales-England border, on the course of the River Alyn....
(yr Hob). The village lies on the River Alyn
River Alyn
The River Alyn is a tributary of the River Dee. The River Alyn rises at the southern end of the Clwydian hills and the Alyn Valley forms part of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and sits at the base of Hope Mountain (Mynydd yr Hob). At the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the population was 1,650.
History
Caergwrle Castle
Caergwrle Castle, also known as Queen's Hope in scholarly texts, is located in the town of Caergwrle, in Flintshire, Wales. It was the final castle to be built by Welsh rulers before the loss of Welsh independence in 1283....
was first built by prince Dafydd ap Gruffudd, in lands given to him by Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
after the first Welsh campaign of 1277. The village originally had the English placename of Corley, but with the addition of the Welsh placename epithet "Caer", meaning "fortress", the name gradually took on Welsh characteristics. To explain the name, a myth developed of a giant named Gwrle, who was supposed to have lived in the castle and been buried in the nearby Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
burial mound at Cefn-y-bedd.
The 17th century Packhorse Bridge
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
, which is reputed to be haunted
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
, was nearly destroyed by flooding in 2000, though it has since been restored. There have been many other developments and restorations in Caergwrle.
Caergwrle's long association with the adjacent village of Hope has given rise to a well-known local joke: "Live in Hope and die in Caergwrle". This was already described as an "old saying" in the 19th century, when it was recorded by the antiquarian John Askew Roberts.
Transport
RailThe service from Wrexham Central
Wrexham Central railway station
Wrexham Central railway station is the smaller of two main railway stations serving the central area of Wrexham in Wales. The platform can accommodate a three car diesel train, but has room for platform extension...
to Bidston
Bidston railway station
Bidston railway station is a railway station in Bidston, Birkenhead, on the Wirral, England. It is situated at the junction of the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line with the Borderlands Line from Wrexham Central .-History:The station was originally built by the Hoylake Railway in 1866 as an...
passes through Caergwrle railway station
Caergwrle railway station
Caergwrle railway station serves the village of Caergwrle in Flintshire, Wales. The station is 7 km north of Wrexham Central on the Borderlands Line.The station was renamed from Caergwrle Castle & Wells to Caergwrle on 6 May 1974....
. Bidston provides a connection to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
via the Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
s. Caergwrle railway station
Caergwrle railway station
Caergwrle railway station serves the village of Caergwrle in Flintshire, Wales. The station is 7 km north of Wrexham Central on the Borderlands Line.The station was renamed from Caergwrle Castle & Wells to Caergwrle on 6 May 1974....
is managed by Arriva Trains Wales.
Bus
Caergwrle has bus links giving access to Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
, Broughton
Broughton, Flintshire
Broughton is a small district in Flintshire, Wales, close to the Wales–England border and located to the west of the City of Chester, England. Along with the nearby village of Bretton, the total population was 5,791 at the 2001 Census....
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
and Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.
Pubs in Caergwrle
There are several pubs in Caergwrle, including The Crown Inn, The Halfway Inn, The Bridge Inn (which is also a Chinese restaurant) and Ye Old Castle Inn. Many of these pubs have their own Pool and DartsDarts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
teams.
The Caergwrle Bowl
The Caergwrle bowl is a unique object dating to the Middle Bronze Age, originally manufactured from shale, tin and gold. It is thought to represent a boat, with its applied gold decoration signifying shields, oars and waves. The incomplete broken bowl was found in 1823 by a workman digging a drain in a field below Caergwrle CastleCaergwrle Castle
Caergwrle Castle, also known as Queen's Hope in scholarly texts, is located in the town of Caergwrle, in Flintshire, Wales. It was the final castle to be built by Welsh rulers before the loss of Welsh independence in 1283....
, in north Wales. It was donated to the National Museum Wales
National Museum Wales
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, formerly the National Museums and Galleries of Wales, comprises eight museums in Wales:* National Museum Cardiff* St Fagans: National History Museum, Cardiff* Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon...
in 1912, and sent to London for restoration by British Museum staff where it was reconstructed mainly from wax plus various adhesives to re-attach the decoration. http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/1479/