Gwernymynydd
Encyclopedia
Gwernymynydd is a small community
in the market town
of Mold
, or Yr Wyddgrug in Flintshire
, North Wales
. At its highest point it is one thousand feet above sea level
. With around one thousand inhabitants, it boasts three pubs (The Swan, The Rainbow, and The Glyndwr) and a once-busy garage, now a coach depot, home to Eagles & Crawford. Gwernymynydd is also home to a farm, a community centre, and a village primary school. Neighbouring communities include Cadole, Y Waun (Gwernaffield), Nercwys, and Yr Wyddgrug (Mold).
of Port Sunlight
, manufacturers of VIM, a scouring powder made from the silicone sandstone quarried here, which was ideal for the purpose. Lever's took over the Cambrian Works and Quarry in 1905 and stayed for half a century.
Like many villages of the early 20th century, Gwernymynydd had a local benefactor, the Waln family of Fron Hall. Mold Hospital was given by them, some of its modern equipment, including it is thought, an operating table.
Ambrose Waln started a highly successful scout troup for the local boys, providing equipment, kit and premises. The family were generous landlords, and also employed a large household staff, plus agricultural workers.
Following the end of World War I
, the Walns, having lost one of their family members in action, were instrumental in having a cenotaph erected in Gwernymynydd, at the site of the old drinking fountain. This was at the roadside between Fron Hall drive and the Twmpath on the Mold-Ruthin road (now the A494). The water for the drinking fountain came from a spring in a field behind it. This water had always been considered pure, long before the days of the fountain. Local people believed that this was not surface water, liable to contamination, but water filtered at its source through the silica rocks above. In order to establish this, quantities of peppermint were put in the mine and sure enough, eventually the spring water tasted of peppermint.
The Village Field, adjacent to the village centre, and now administered by the National Playing Fields Association
, was a gift to Gwernymynydd residents from the Waln family.
The original village school, also adjacent to the field, was replaced by a new modern building in the 1950s (now the Village Centre). The old school was sensitively converted into an attractive house. Several features were retained by the family who bought it, including the school bell that hangs near the roof. It is currently used on Remembrance Day
, when it is struck eleven times at the start of the service at the War Memorial, (now situated in the grounds of the Centre, having been moved a few years ago for safety reasons. A large stone marks the original site on the A494).
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....
in the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of 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...
, or Yr Wyddgrug in Flintshire
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...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. At its highest point it is one thousand feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. With around one thousand inhabitants, it boasts three pubs (The Swan, The Rainbow, and The Glyndwr) and a once-busy garage, now a coach depot, home to Eagles & Crawford. Gwernymynydd is also home to a farm, a community centre, and a village primary school. Neighbouring communities include Cadole, Y Waun (Gwernaffield), Nercwys, and Yr Wyddgrug (Mold).
Brief history
Little remains of its industrial history; the worked-out Cambrian limestone quarry was once owned by Lever BrothersLever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturer founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother, James Darcy Lever . The brothers had invested in and promoted a new soap making process invented by chemist William Hough Watson, it was a huge success...
of Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village, suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Between 1894 and 1974 it formed part of Bebington urban district within the county of Cheshire...
, manufacturers of VIM, a scouring powder made from the silicone sandstone quarried here, which was ideal for the purpose. Lever's took over the Cambrian Works and Quarry in 1905 and stayed for half a century.
Like many villages of the early 20th century, Gwernymynydd had a local benefactor, the Waln family of Fron Hall. Mold Hospital was given by them, some of its modern equipment, including it is thought, an operating table.
Ambrose Waln started a highly successful scout troup for the local boys, providing equipment, kit and premises. The family were generous landlords, and also employed a large household staff, plus agricultural workers.
Following the end of 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 Walns, having lost one of their family members in action, were instrumental in having a cenotaph erected in Gwernymynydd, at the site of the old drinking fountain. This was at the roadside between Fron Hall drive and the Twmpath on the Mold-Ruthin road (now the A494). The water for the drinking fountain came from a spring in a field behind it. This water had always been considered pure, long before the days of the fountain. Local people believed that this was not surface water, liable to contamination, but water filtered at its source through the silica rocks above. In order to establish this, quantities of peppermint were put in the mine and sure enough, eventually the spring water tasted of peppermint.
The Village Field, adjacent to the village centre, and now administered by the National Playing Fields Association
National Playing Fields Association
The National Playing Fields Association , from 2007 rebranded as Fields in Trust , was founded in 1925 and granted a Royal Charter in 1933...
, was a gift to Gwernymynydd residents from the Waln family.
The original village school, also adjacent to the field, was replaced by a new modern building in the 1950s (now the Village Centre). The old school was sensitively converted into an attractive house. Several features were retained by the family who bought it, including the school bell that hangs near the roof. It is currently used on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
, when it is struck eleven times at the start of the service at the War Memorial, (now situated in the grounds of the Centre, having been moved a few years ago for safety reasons. A large stone marks the original site on the A494).