Dyserth
Encyclopedia
Dyserth is a village
in Denbighshire
, Wales
. Population
: 2,566 (United Kingdom Census 2001
). Its main features are the extensive quarrying remains, its waterfall
s, railway line
(former LNWR
, closed in 1930, and now footpath), and mountain
(Moel Hiraddug).
of 1086 as follows, it being at the time listed under Cheshire
:
Dyserth also had a castle
which suffered at the hands of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
and destroyed after a six-week siege in 1263. The remains of the castle were quarried away during World War I
.
The oldest industry in the village and surrounding area is mining, with lead
, copper
and limestone
just some of the minerals being mined locally in the past. These quarries are still visible and form a major part of the village's geography, though mining ceased when Dyserth Quarry closed in 1981.
Traditionally, there has been a very strong Welsh language
speaking community in the village and until recent times many families and village folk knew, or knew of, each other. This is typical of a rural
community whose life often centred around the many churches and chapels in the village. Many of the village's families have their roots in agriculture, with many notable farms in or around Dyserth; these include Hottia, Bryn Cnewyllyn and Ty Newydd.
A recent drive to reawaken a feeling of village pride has had some success, due in part to the heavy promotion of Dyserth people, and village-based events and organisations. In addition, the excellent work of some village folk in securing the sprucing up of parts of the village, notably the High Street, parks and entrances to Dyserth has been welcome. The village has a large number of active community and environmental organisations some with a long history (for example the Dyserth & District Field Club founded in 1911).
It has also recently received a grant from the National Lottery
Heritage Lottery Fund
to refurbish the community hall
which has proven a great success in the rejuvenation of the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, 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...
. 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...
: 2,566 (United Kingdom Census 2001
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....
). Its main features are the extensive quarrying remains, its waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s, railway line
Dyserth branch line
The Dyserth Branch Line was a two and a half mile long London and North Western Railway built single track branch railway line in Denbighshire, Wales, that ran from on the North Wales Coast Line to via five intermediate stations, , , and .-History:The branch line to Dyserth was opened by the...
(former LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
, closed in 1930, and now footpath), and mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
(Moel Hiraddug).
Overview
It has a long history and is mentioned in the Domesday bookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as follows, it being at the time listed under Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
:
Dyserth also had a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
which suffered at the hands of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd may refer to:*Llywelyn the Last *Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan...
and destroyed after a six-week siege in 1263. The remains of the castle were quarried away during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The oldest industry in the village and surrounding area is mining, with lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and 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....
just some of the minerals being mined locally in the past. These quarries are still visible and form a major part of the village's geography, though mining ceased when Dyserth Quarry closed in 1981.
Traditionally, there has been a very strong Welsh language
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...
speaking community in the village and until recent times many families and village folk knew, or knew of, each other. This is typical of a rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
community whose life often centred around the many churches and chapels in the village. Many of the village's families have their roots in agriculture, with many notable farms in or around Dyserth; these include Hottia, Bryn Cnewyllyn and Ty Newydd.
A recent drive to reawaken a feeling of village pride has had some success, due in part to the heavy promotion of Dyserth people, and village-based events and organisations. In addition, the excellent work of some village folk in securing the sprucing up of parts of the village, notably the High Street, parks and entrances to Dyserth has been welcome. The village has a large number of active community and environmental organisations some with a long history (for example the Dyserth & District Field Club founded in 1911).
It has also recently received a grant from the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
to refurbish the community hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
which has proven a great success in the rejuvenation of the village.