Mochdre, Conwy
Encyclopedia
Mochdre is a village
to the west of Colwyn Bay
in Conwy County Borough, north
Wales
. Originally part of the Municipal Borough
of Colwyn Bay prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974, it is now a separate community (equivalent to a parish
in England for local government
purposes), whose population
at the 2001 census was 1,862.
words meaning pig
(moch) and town
(tref). The origin of the name is explained in one of the mythological Welsh tales known as The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, which were first written down in the early Middle Ages
, but which actually go much further back into the history of oral Welsh storytelling. An incident in one of these tales, Math fab Mathonwy, concerns the theft of a herd of sacred pig
s. One of the places where the stolen animals were kept overnight became known as Mochdre ("Pigtown") as a result.
, which is actually the church of the parish of Llangwstennin
(Cystennin being the Welsh version of Constantine Constantine I, the Roman Emperor
who is reputed to have been born at the Roman
settlement of Segontium in Caernarfon
, north Wales), as it allegedly sits on the site of the oldest Early Christian church in Wales.
Mochdre has a place in railway history. Sited on the North Wales Coast Line
from Chester
to Holyhead
, it was the location of experimental trackside water troughs
, from which passing steam locomotives
could scoop up fresh water supplies without having to stop. These devices became commonplace around the world, but Mochdre was the first place they were ever used, around October 1860. Ironically the exact spot is now a stretch of the A55
dual carriageway
, the railway line having been realigned slightly to the north when this section of the road was built in the mid-1980s. Here too was Mochdre and Pabo station, closed originally in January 1917 as a World War I
economy measure, reopened in May 1919, and finally closed for good in January 1931.
The main parts of the sports club is the Mochdre Sports Football Club who compete in the Gamlins Clwyd Premier League and have player come from the club who are now playing for the likes of Llandudno Town and Colwyn Bay FC.
Mochdre Cricket Club is also a big sport in the village as they compete in the North Wales Cricket League Premier Division.
Former footballer Mickey Thomas is a native of Mochdre.
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...
to the west 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...
in Conwy County Borough, north
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...
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...
. Originally part of the Municipal Borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of Colwyn Bay prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974, it is now a separate community (equivalent to a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in England for local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
purposes), whose 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...
at the 2001 census was 1,862.
Origin of the name
The name of the village comes from Welsh languageWelsh 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...
words meaning pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
(moch) and 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...
(tref). The origin of the name is explained in one of the mythological Welsh tales known as The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, which were first written down in the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, but which actually go much further back into the history of oral Welsh storytelling. An incident in one of these tales, Math fab Mathonwy, concerns the theft of a herd of sacred pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s. One of the places where the stolen animals were kept overnight became known as Mochdre ("Pigtown") as a result.
History & Amenities
The village of Mochdre is famed for its parish churchParish 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....
, which is actually the church of the parish of Llangwstennin
Llangystennin
Llangystennin is a rural parish to the south-east of Llandudno and Llanrhos in Conwy County Borough, north Wales....
(Cystennin being the Welsh version of Constantine Constantine I, the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
who is reputed to have been born at the 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...
settlement of Segontium 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...
, north Wales), as it allegedly sits on the site of the oldest Early Christian church in Wales.
Mochdre has a place in railway history. Sited on the North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
from 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...
to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, it was the location of experimental trackside water troughs
Track pan
A track pan or water trough is a device to enable a steam railway locomotive to replenish its water supply while in motion...
, from which passing steam locomotives
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
could scoop up fresh water supplies without having to stop. These devices became commonplace around the world, but Mochdre was the first place they were ever used, around October 1860. Ironically the exact spot is now a stretch of the A55
A55 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...
dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
, the railway line having been realigned slightly to the north when this section of the road was built in the mid-1980s. Here too was Mochdre and Pabo station, closed originally in January 1917 as a 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...
economy measure, reopened in May 1919, and finally closed for good in January 1931.
Sports Clubs
Mochdre Sports and Social Club is the centre of the community with the club house with refreshments; football and cricket grounds too. They have teams in Football, Cricket, Snooker, Pool and Darts.The main parts of the sports club is the Mochdre Sports Football Club who compete in the Gamlins Clwyd Premier League and have player come from the club who are now playing for the likes of Llandudno Town and Colwyn Bay FC.
Mochdre Cricket Club is also a big sport in the village as they compete in the North Wales Cricket League Premier Division.
Former footballer Mickey Thomas is a native of Mochdre.
External links
- http://www.msfc.co.uk
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Mochdre and surrounding area