106-602: The Clywedog Trail is a 9-mile (14 km) footpath close to Wrexham in Wales . Starting at the Minera Lead Mines ( 53°03′04″N 3°04′52″W / 53.0512°N 3.0811°W / 53.0512; -3.0811 ( Clywedog Trail, Minera Lead Mines trailhead ) ) and running to King's Mills ( 53°02′09″N 2°58′30″W / 53.0358°N 2.9750°W / 53.0358; -2.9750 ( Clywedog Trail, King's Mills trailhead ) ), it follows
212-453: A bank on the Mercian (eastern) side, providing an open view into Wales and suggesting that it was built by Mercia to guard against attacks or raids from Powys. The late 9th-century writer Asser wrote that Offa "terrified all the neighbouring kings and provinces around him, and ... had a great dyke built between Wales and Mercia from sea to sea" . In the mid-20th century, Sir Cyril Fox completed
318-637: A continuation of the Cornovii tribe of Roman Britain. The settlement may have originally been named 'Caer Fantell' in Welsh but by the 13th century was recorded in Welsh as 'Gwrexham' or 'Gregsam'. The Mercians fought over north-east Wales during the eighth to tenth centuries but the Welsh Kings of Powys re-conquered the Wrexham area during the 11th century. Following the Welsh reconquest, Wrexham formed an integral part of
424-703: A few decades, the Welsh became engaged in further defensive warfare against the increasingly powerful kingdom of Mercia , based at Tamworth in what became the West Midlands of England. The capital of Powys, Pengwern , at or near modern Shrewsbury , was conquered by Oswiu of Northumbria in 656 when he had become overlord of the Mercians. Powys then withdrew from the lowland areas now in southern Cheshire , Shropshire and Herefordshire , which became known to Welsh poets as "The Paradise of Powys". The areas were occupied by Anglo-Saxon groups who became sub-kingdoms of Mercia,
530-577: A large HQ building in Llay and a police station in the city centre. The police were formerly based at the Wrexham Police Station from 1973 to 2019, with the building being demolished in 2020. The region's main fire station is situated on Croesnewydd Road and is part of the newly combined Ambulance Service station. Other local fire stations are located in the nearby towns of Chirk and Llangollen . Wrexham has applied for city status three times since
636-700: A large area known as Maelor Saesneg ( ' English Maelor ' ), formerly an exclave of Flintshire , between Bangor-on-Dee (in Wales) and Whitchurch, Shropshire (in England). Returning to the River Dee as far as Chirk , the boundary then loops to the west, following Offa's Dyke itself for about 2 miles (3 km), and including within England the town of Oswestry , before reaching the River Vyrnwy at Llanymynech . It follows
742-415: A location in Wales is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This British trail or long-distance path-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wrexham Wrexham ( / ˈ r ɛ k s əm / REK -səm ; Welsh : Wrecsam [ˈrɛksam] ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales . It is located between
848-805: A major survey of the Dyke and stated that it ran from the Dee to the Severn, as Asser suggested, but with gaps, especially in the Herefordshire area, where natural barriers of strong rivers or dense forests provided sufficient defence. More recent research by David Hill and Margaret Worthington concluded that there is little evidence for the Dyke stretching "from sea to sea", but that the earthwork built by Offa stretched some 64 miles (103 km) between Rushock Hill near Kington in Herefordshire, and Treuddyn in Flintshire. Earthworks in
954-520: A market town, as a crossroads between England and Wales, and later as an industrial hub – due to its rich natural reserves of iron ore and coal. But three small rivers flow through parts of the city: the Clywedog , Gwenfro and Alyn . Wrexham is also famed for the quality of its underground water reserves, which gave rise to its previous dominance as a major brewing centre. Originally a market town with surrounding urban villages, Wrexham has now coalesced with
1060-480: A mining tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. 18th century literary visitors included Samuel Johnson , who described Wrexham as "a busy, extensive and well-built town", and Daniel Defoe who noted the role of Wrexham as a "great market for Welch flannel". The artist J. M. W. Turner also visited the town in 1792-93 and 1794 which resulted in his drawings of St Giles Parish Church and surrounding buildings and
1166-503: A number of urban villages and forms North Wales' largest city. Including adjacent urban areas to Wrexham, such as that of the Gwersyllt , Rhosllanerchrugog , Coedpoeth and Llay totals to a population of over 100,000 residents. In 2021, the urban population was 44,785. In the previous census in 2011, Wrexham's built-up area also included settlements to the west, which increased the population to between 61,603 and 65,692 in 2011. Wrexham
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#17328591114611272-641: A single state and legal jurisdiction , commonly referred to as England and Wales . The powers of the marcher lordships were abolished, and their areas formed into new counties, or amalgamated into existing ones, with the Lordship of Denbigh briefly returning from 1563 to 1588. At this point, the boundary between England and Wales, which has existed ever since, was effectively fixed. In the border areas, five new counties were created: Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire; and Flintshire gained some additional territory. However, several of
1378-405: A suitable centre for the exchange of the produce of the Dee valley and Denbighshire uplands, whilst iron and lead were also mined locally. From 1327 onwards, the town is referred to as a villa mercatoria (market town) and became a celebrated centre for Welsh craftsmen. The town was particularly well known in the 14th and 15th centuries for the manufacture of Welsh bucklers , as illustrated by
1484-415: A watercolour painting of a street scene. Rev. William Bingley described Wrexham in 1839 as "of such size and consequence as to have occasionally obtained the appellation of the metropolis of North Wales". Wrexham gained its first newspaper in 1848. The Market Hall was built in 1848, and in 1863 a volunteer fire brigade was founded. In addition to brewing, tanning became one of Wrexham's main industries. In
1590-551: Is always coupled with Monmouthshire". Some legislation and UK government decisions, such as the establishment of a "Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire" in 1908, referred to "Wales and Monmouthshire", so that it was treated as one with Wales rather than as a legal part of Wales. The county's status continued to be a matter of debate in Parliament, especially as Welsh nationalism and devolution climbed
1696-570: The Humber . However, campaigns by Powys against Mercia led to the building of Wat's Dyke , an earthwork boundary extending from the Severn valley near Oswestry to the Dee at Basingwerk in what became Flintshire , perhaps to protect recently acquired lands. After Æthelbald was killed in 757, a brief civil war in Mercia then ended in victory for his distant cousin, Offa . As king, he rebuilt Mercia's hegemony over
1802-874: The Hwicce , who may have arisen from intermarriage between Anglo-Saxon and British leading families, possibly the successors to the pre-Roman Dobunni . The Hwicce came increasingly under Mercian hegemony. At the Battle of Chester in 616, the forces of Powys and other allied Brythonic kingdoms were defeated by the Northumbrians under Æthelfrith . This divided the Britons of Wales from those in Northern England , including Lancashire , Cumbria, and south west Scotland , an area which became known as "Yr Hen Ogledd " or "the Old North". Within
1908-555: The Kingdom of Gwynedd in the northwest, the Kingdom of Gwent and Glywysing in the southeast, the Kingdom of Dyfed in the southwest and the Kingdom of Powys in the east. Powys roughly coincided with the territory of the Celtic Cornovii tribe whose civitas or administrative centre during the Roman period was at Viroconium . Gwynedd, at the height of its power, extended as far east as
2014-456: The Rhymney valley , along Monmouthshire's western borders with Brecknockshire and Glamorgan, so including Newport , and other industrialised parts of what would now generally be considered to be South Wales , within England. The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica unambiguously described the county as part of England, but noted that "whenever an act [...] is intended to apply to [Wales] alone, then Wales
2120-643: The Roman occupation of Britain , all the native inhabitants of the island (other than the Pictish/Caledonian tribes of what is now northern Scotland—and also excepting the Lloegyr of greater south-east Britain ) spoke Brythonic languages , a sub-family of the Insular Celtic languages , and were regarded as Britons . The topographical contrast between the mountainous western areas and the generally lower-lying areas to
2226-630: The UK Parliament and the Senedd . The constituency includes both the city and some of its outlying villages such as Gwersyllt, Llay , Marford , Rossett and Holt . The UK Parliament constituency of Wrexham was considered a safe seat for the Labour Party until 2019. At the 2019 general election , Wrexham elected Sarah Atherton MP to the House of Commons , the first Conservative Member of Parliament for
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#17328591114612332-711: The Welsh Disestablishment in 1920, the Diocese of St Asaph included parts of north-west Shropshire. The parishes transferred to the Diocese of Lichfield were: Criftins, Hengoed, Kinnerley, Knockin, Llanyblodwell, Llanymynech, Melverley, Morton, Oswestry, St Martins, Selattyn, Trefonen, Weston Rhyn and Whittington. In 1965, a separate government department, the Welsh Office , was established for Wales, and it assumed an increasing range of administrative responsibilities. By 1992,
2438-452: The Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley , near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the county of Denbighshire , and later the county of Clwyd in 1974, it has been the principal settlement of Wrexham County Borough since 1996. Wrexham has historically been one of the primary settlements of Wales. At the 2021 Census , it had an urban population of 44,785. The core of
2544-666: The Wreocensǣte or Wrekinset in the northern part of what became Shropshire, and the Magonsæte in the southern part. Further south, the area north west of the Severn later known as the Forest of Dean seems to have remained in British (that is, Welsh) hands until about 760. After Ine of Wessex abdicated in 726, Æthelbald of Mercia established Mercia's hegemony over the Anglo-Saxons south of
2650-586: The Wrexham Industrial Estate , previously used in the Second World War , has become home to many manufacturing businesses. Wrexham Town Hall, an early 18th century arcaded structure with an assembly hall on the first floor, which had been built at the top of Town Hall, was demolished to improve traffic flows in the area in February 1940. Wrexham's former police station on Regent Street, originally
2756-518: The 1240s, and again for several years from the beginning of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd 's rule in 1246). Features of its independence were its separate legal jurisprudence based on the well-established laws of Cyfraith Hywel , and the increasingly sophisticated court of the Aberffraw dynasty. The Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 followed the conquest of the Principality by Edward I of England . It assumed
2862-489: The 17th century but there were workshops of weavers, smiths, nailers as well as dye houses. The 1620 Norden's jury of survey of Wrexham Regis stated that four-fifths of the land-holding classes of Wrexham bore Welsh names and every field except one within the manor bore a Welsh or semi-Welsh name. A grammar school was established in 1603 by Alderman Valentine Broughton of Chester. During the English Civil War , most of
2968-527: The 17th century, Wrexham served as an educational and cultural focal point for local society and became a 'Puritan Metropolis'. Morgan Llwyd , the radical nonconformist preacher and writer, was educated at the Wrexham Grammar School and became Vicar of Wrexham in 1645. Wrexham was known for its leather industry and by the 18th century there were a number of skinners and tanners in the town. The Industrial Revolution began in Wrexham in 1762 when
3074-505: The British, the victors, and Anglo-Saxons attempting to reach the Severn estuary, but its date and location are very uncertain and it may equally well have taken place in Somerset or Dorset . However, it is more certain that the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex emerged in the 6th and 7th centuries in the upper Thames valley, Cotswolds and Hampshire areas. In 577, the Battle of Deorham in
3180-569: The Chair and the Crown . Parry-Williams later recalled returning home to Rhyd-ddu , where he had been working as a hired hand upon the farm of a relative. Upon telling his employer of his double-victory, Parry-Williams was advised to, "seek grace." When Parry-Williams then explained that both victories had gained him £40, the relative shouted in angry disbelief, "Ac mi gwnest nhw i gyd ar dy din!!!" ("And you earned them all sitting on your arse!!!!") By 1913,
3286-598: The Dee estuary. Gradually, from the 5th century onwards, pagan tribes from the east, including the Angles and Saxons , conquered eastern and southern Britain, which later became England. In the south, the Welsh kingdom of Gwent broadly covered the same area as the pre-Roman Silures , traditionally the area between the rivers Usk , Wye and the Severn estuary. It was centred at different times on Venta ( Caerwent ), from which it derived its name, and Isca Augusta (Caerleon). Gwent generally allied with, and at various times
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3392-674: The Elder also secured homage from the Welsh, although sporadic border unrest continued. In the early 10th century, a document known as The Ordinance Concerning the Dunsaete records procedures for dealing with disputes between the English and the Welsh, and implies that areas west of the Wye in Archenfield were still culturally Welsh. It stated that the English should only cross into the Welsh side, and vice versa, in
3498-533: The English crown. Over the next four centuries, Norman lords established mostly small lordships, at times numbering over 150, between the Dee and Severn and further west. The precise dates and means of formation of the lordships varied, as did their size. Hundreds of small castles, mostly of the motte and bailey type, were built in the border area in the 12th and 13th centuries, predominantly by Norman lords as assertions of power as well as defences against Welsh raiders and rebels. Many new towns were established across
3604-498: The English monarchy, until the first Laws in Wales Act was introduced in 1535 under Henry VIII . Henry had not seen the need to reform the government of Wales at the beginning of his reign, but gradually he perceived a threat from some of the remaining Marcher lords and therefore instructed his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell , to seek a solution. This, and a further Act in 1542, had the effect of annexing Wales to England and creating
3710-526: The North East Wales coal field was producing up to 3 million tonnes a year and employed over 10,000 people, dominating the economic and cultural life of the area. One of the worst mining disasters in British history occurred at Gresford Colliery in 1934 when underground explosions and a subsequent fire cost the lives of 266 men. However the industry went into decline after the First World War , and of
3816-476: The Parish Church of St Giles which was the focal point around which the city developed. The church precinct, and the surrounding narrow enclosed streets and alleyways retain a medieval character. Several complete medieval buildings survive on Town Hill and Church Street . Hope Street, Regent Street and Queen Street form the traditional main shopping streets and are wider in some parts than others, resulting from
3922-608: The Powys lordship of Maelor and so does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086. The first recorded reference to the town in 1161 is to a castle at 'Wristlesham'. Stability under the princes of Powys Fadog enabled Wrexham to develop as a trading town and administrative centre of one of the two commotes making up the Lordship. In 1202, Madoc ap Gruffydd Maelor , Lord of Dinas Brân , granted some of his demesne lands in 'Wrechcessham' to
4028-451: The RWF, as well as official records. The local police was housed in the high-rise Wrexham Police Station from 1973 to 2019, with the building demolished the following year. The police moved to a smaller facility next to Wrexham Library . Wrexham County Borough Council is made up of 56 Councillors, with one then appointed to serve as Mayor for a year. The most recent election to the council
4134-555: The Vyrnwy to its confluence with the River Severn , and then continues southwards, rising over Long Mountain east of Welshpool . East of Montgomery , the boundary again follows the line of Offa's Dyke for about 2 miles (3 km), before looping eastwards to include within Wales a large area near Churchstoke including Corndon Hill . It then runs westwards to the River Teme , and follows
4240-666: The Welsh Office oversaw housing , local government , roads, historic buildings, health , education, economic development , agriculture , fisheries and urban regeneration , although the extent to which it was autonomous from England in public policy is a matter of debate. The establishment of devolved government in Wales through the Welsh Assembly , set up in 1999, has led to a divergence between England and Wales on some government policies. For example, prescription charges were abolished in Wales in 2007. In 2008, residents of
4346-476: The Welsh side and Longtown, Herefordshire on the English side, to reach the River Monnow near Pandy . It then generally follows the river, past Pontrilas (in England) and Skenfrith (in Wales), towards Monmouth , looping eastwards to include the town itself and a surrounding area within Wales. At Redbrook , the boundary again reaches the Wye, and follows the river southwards, past Tintern and Chepstow on
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4452-616: The Welsh side, to its confluence with the Severn at the Severn Bridge . The boundary then continues down the Severn estuary towards the Bristol Channel , with the small island of Flat Holm being administered as part of Wales and the neighbouring island of Steep Holm as part of England. The boundary passes between Flintshire , Wrexham County Borough , Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales, and Cheshire , Shropshire , Herefordshire and Gloucestershire in England. Before and during
4558-607: The Wye at Chepstow and Caldicot in the Gwent Levels ( Welsh : Gwent Is-coed ); over the whole of north east Wales as far west as the River Clwyd , an area known to the Welsh as the Perfeddwlad ; and west of Offa's Dyke, especially in Powys where a new castle was named, after its lord, Montgomery. The Domesday Book records the extent of English penetration into Wales and suggests that Offa's Dyke still approximately represented
4664-430: The abbey of Valle Crucis and in 1220 the earliest reference to a church in Wrexham is made. Following the loss of Welsh independence and the death in battle of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1282, Wrexham became part of the semi-independent Marcher lordship of Bromfield and Yale. Wrexham increased in importance throughout the Middle Ages as the lordship's administrative centre, and the then town's position made it
4770-594: The area, some such as Chepstow, Monmouth , Ludlow and Newtown becoming successful trading centres, and these tended to be a focus of English settlement. However, the Welsh continued to attack English soil and supported rebellions against the Normans. The Marches , or Marchia Wallia , were to a greater or lesser extent independent of both the English monarchy and the Principality of Wales , which remained based in Gwynedd in
4876-619: The area. Wrexham has a number of historic city centre buildings, many of which are pubs but others have been converted into arts or community centres. Wales-England border The England–Wales border , sometimes referred to as the Wales–England border or the Anglo-Welsh border , runs for 160 miles (260 km) from the Dee estuary , in the north, to the Severn estuary in the south, separating England and Wales . It has followed broadly
4982-488: The barracks for the Royal Denbighshire Militia, is now home to Wrexham County Borough Museum . The museum has two galleries devoted to the history of the city and its surrounding communities. The museum also holds the archive of the Royal Welch Fusiliers ; battalions were stationed in Wrexham during the First World War. The collection is notable for containing original documents in the handwriting of Siegfried Sassoon , Robert Graves , J. C. Dunn and other notable members of
5088-433: The birthplace of the Football Association of Wales, which was formed at a meeting in the hotel in 1876. The Golden Lion Pub on the High Street is of 16th century origin and became an inn c.1700. The listed Border Brewery chimney towers over Tuttle Street and forms a local landmark in the city centre. Wrexham held the National Eisteddfod of Wales for the sixth time in 2011. A number of visitor attractions can be found in
5194-426: The border, particularly around Oswestry in northern Shropshire, such as Gobowen and Trefonen ; in southern Shropshire, such as Clun ; and in southern Herefordshire, such as Kilpeck and Pontrilas . Most of these areas were not incorporated fully into England until the 16th century, and native Welsh speakers still lived there until at least the 19th century. Equally, placenames of English origin can be found on
5300-419: The border, with the car park and some of the offices in England but the pitch in Wales. In the 2021–22 season, the club was threatened with legal action for failing to apply the COVID-19 regulations applying in Wales and allowing crowds to attend matches at the ground. A competition was launched in 2005 to design one or more new iconic images, along the same lines as the " Angel of the North ", to be placed at
5406-428: The borders of Wales. This became known as the "Landmark Wales" project, and a shortlist of 15 proposals was unveiled in 2007. However, the proposal was shelved after it failed to receive Lottery funding. The main road links over the border in the south are the M4 Second Severn Crossing and the M48 Severn Bridge . In July 2017, the Welsh Secretary , Alun Cairns , announced that tolls would be abolished at
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#17328591114615512-412: The boundary between England and Wales. However, during the anarchy of Stephen various Welsh princes were able to occupy lands beyond it, including Whittington, Shropshire (see Whittington Castle ) and Maelor Saesneg , hitherto in England. These lands were brought under English lordship by Henry II of England , but became Marcher lordships , and so part of Wales. This involved a loss of direct rule by
5618-399: The city comprises the local government communities of Acton , Caia Park , Offa and Rhosddu . In the 2011 census, Wrexham's built-up area was determined to extend further into villages like Brymbo , Brynteg , Gwersyllt , New Broughton and Pentre Broughton with a population of 61,603, while also including nearby Bradley and Rhostyllen for a population of 65,692 in 2011. Wrexham
5724-418: The constituency. Lesley Griffiths MS, Welsh Labour , has represented the Wrexham constituency in the Senedd since 2007 and has held a number of cabinet positions in the Welsh Government . Wrexham Maelor Hospital (Welsh: Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam ) is the region's major acute district hospital, with over 900 beds, and is the largest of the three core hospitals in North Wales . The other NHS hospital within
5830-412: The county borough is Chirk Community Hospital and a former Penley Polish Hospital . Yale Hospital (Welsh: Ysbyty Iâl ), situated close to the Maelor Hospital on the Wrexham Technology Park, is Wrexham's largest private hospital with over 25 beds. Formerly BUPA Yale Hospital , it is now owned and operated by Spire Healthcare. Wrexham is served by North Wales Police ; their Eastern Division HQ has
5936-444: The county borough of Newport". The legal boundary between England and Wales therefore passes along Monmouthshire's eastern boundaries with Herefordshire and Gloucestershire , essentially along the River Monnow and River Wye . The first legislation applying solely to Wales since the 16th century was passed in 1881. Subsequently, the border between England and Wales has taken on increasing legal and political significance. Until
6042-413: The county remained within the Diocese of Llandaff , and most of its residents at the time spoke Welsh . In the late 17th century under Charles II it was added to the Oxford circuit of the English Assizes , following which, according to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica , it gradually "came to be regarded as an English county". Under that interpretation, the boundary between England and Wales passed down
6148-603: The course of the River Clywedog . It is a haven for walking, relaxation and enjoying the peace of the wildlife. The Clywedog region played a role in the Industrial Revolution; ironmaking began in 1670, smelting iron ore with coke began in 1721 and John Wilkinson set up shop in 1761. For many years the area was one of the most important iron manufacturing centres in the world. Sights passed include: Download coordinates as: 53°02′14″N 3°02′21″W / 53.0373°N 3.0391°W / 53.0373; -3.0391 ( Clywedog Trail ) This article about
6254-477: The early Middle Bronze Age. A series of Iron Age hill-forts is located to the west of present-day Wrexham along the upland-lowland line suggesting the presence of an ancient tribal boundary. At the time of the Roman conquest of Britain , the area which Wrexham formed part of was held by a Celtic tribe called the Cornovii . A Roman civilian settlement was located in the Plas Coch area of Wrexham and excavations have revealed evidence of agriculture and trade with
6360-508: The east is reflected in the nature of ancient settlements, with the majority of hillforts in Britain found in this western area. During the Roman occupation, the tribes of Wales ( Ordovices , Deceangli , Demetae , and especially the Silures ) were noted by Roman authors as fiercely resisting any occupation. As such the border area became a centre of military activity, with legions based at Deva ( Chester ), Viroconium ( Wroxeter ), and Isca Augusta ( Caerleon ). In most of Wales,
6466-411: The eastern bank of the Wye should form the boundary. By the mid-eleventh century, most of Wales had become united under the king of Gwynedd , Gruffudd ap Llywelyn . In 1055, he marched on Hereford and sacked the city. He also seized Morgannwg and the Kingdom of Gwent, together with substantial territories east of Offa's Dyke, and raided as far as Chester and Leominster . He claimed sovereignty over
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#17328591114616572-425: The end of 2018, claiming that this would boost the South Wales economy by around £100m a year. In September 2017, Cairns confirmed that tolls would be reduced in January 2018 when VAT was removed. All tolls ceased on 17 December 2018. In general, placenames of Welsh origin are found to the west of the border, and those of English origin to the east. However, many historically Welsh names are also found east of
6678-429: The entrepreneur John Wilkinson (1728–1808), known as "Iron Mad Wilkinson", opened Bersham Ironworks . Wilkinson's steam engines enabled a peak of production at Minera Lead Mines on the outskirts of Wrexham. From the late 18th century numerous large-scale industrialised collieries operated in the southern section of the North East Wales coalfield , alongside hundreds of more traditional small-scale pits belonging to
6784-472: The far north and south, including sections overlooking the Wye valley and east of the Wye at Beachley , may in their view have been built for different purposes at different times, although their conclusions are themselves disputed. Offa's Dyke largely remained the frontier between the Welsh and English in later centuries. By the 9th century, the expanding power of Mercia led to it gaining control over Ergyng and nearby Hereford . The system of shires which
6890-439: The fine Tudor church of St Giles , which towers over the historic Wrexham city centre . Human activity in the Wrexham area dates back to the Mesolithic period (8000 to 4300 BC), with tools made from flint being found to the east of the city. Two Bronze Age burial mounds are located to the west of the modern city centre and there is evidence that the area had developed into a centre for an innovative metalworking industry by
6996-456: The first castle in Britain built of stone, near the mouth of the Wye. It served as a base from which the Normans continued to expand westward into south Wales , establishing a castle at Caerleon and extinguishing the Welsh kingdom of Gwent. William also installed Roger de Montgomerie at Shrewsbury, and Hugh d'Avranches at Chester, creating a new expansionist earldom in each case. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Norman lands are recorded west of
7102-427: The hands of Norman barons. In ecclesiastical terms, the ancient dioceses of Bangor and St. Asaph in the north, and St. David's and Llandaff in the south, collectively defined an area which included both the Principality and the March, and coincided closely with later definitions of Wales. The Principality of Wales ( Welsh : Tywysogaeth Cymru ) covered the lands ruled by the Prince of Wales directly, and
7208-403: The lands held by the Princes of Gwynedd under the title " Prince of Wales " as legally part of the lands of England, and established shire counties on the English model over those areas. The Council of Wales , based at Ludlow Castle , was also established in the 15th century to govern the area. However, the Marches remained outside the shire system, and at least nominally outside the control of
7314-426: The line. Knighton is the only town that can claim to be on the border as well as on Offa's Dyke . The postal and ecclesiastical borders are in places slightly different – for example the Shropshire village of Chirbury has Montgomery as its post town , and the Welsh town of Presteigne is in the English Diocese of Hereford . National League North football club Chester F.C. 's ground at Deva Stadium straddles
7420-411: The local Welsh gentry supported King Charles I and in 1642 the King addressed enthusiastic crowds in the town. However, local landlord Sir Thomas Myddelton declared for the Rump Parliament and Parliamentarians occupied the town in 1643 and 1645. Wrexham served as military headquarters for both forces and a quarter of houses were burned down in 1643 during the quartering of troops in the town. In
7526-459: The location of the street markets, which occurred from Medieval times through to the 19th century. The shopping streets and indoor markets are interconnected by historic narrow alleyways and arcades, such as Bank Street and Central Arcade , which host small independent businesses. The half-timbered Talbot Hotel building , built in 1904, stands in a prominent position at the junction of Hope Street and Queen Street. The Horse and Jockey Public House,
7632-413: The marcher lordships were incorporated in whole or in part into English counties. The lordships of Ludlow, Clun, Caus and part of Montgomery were incorporated into Shropshire; and Wigmore , Huntington , Clifford and most of Ewyas were included in Herefordshire. According to John Davies: Thus was created the border between Wales and England, a border which has survived until today. It did not follow
7738-622: The mention in the 1547 Inventory of King Henry VIII of 'wreckesham Buckelers'. In 1391 Wrexham was wealthy enough for a bard, jester, juggler, dancer and goldsmith to earn their living there. The traditional pattern of Welsh life – law , administration, customs and language – remained undisturbed through the Middle Ages and the pattern was for local English people to rapidly adopt the Welsh-language and to be assimilated into Welsh culture , even to point of adopting Welsh Patronymic surnames . The local Welsh nobility and peasantry backed
7844-403: The mid 19th century Wrexham was granted borough status. By 1851, the population of Wrexham was 6,714; within thirty years this had increased to 10,978 as the town became increasingly industrialised. Wrexham benefited from good underground water supplies which were essential to the brewing of beer: by the mid-19th century, there were 19 breweries in and around the town. Wrexham Lager brewery
7950-449: The militaristic nature of the occupation was in stark contrast to that of southeast Britain. As such, by the end of Roman rule , there would have been a cultural border, between the highly Romanised Romano-British in the east, and the more independent and tribal kingdoms to the west. This western area was, however, largely Christian , and a number of successor states attempted to continue Roman practices. The most successful of these were
8056-473: The north west of the country. By the early 12th century, they covered the areas which would later become Monmouthshire and much of Flintshire , Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire , Brecknockshire, Glamorgan , Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire . Some of the lordships, such as Oswestry, Whittington , Clun , and Wigmore had been part of England at the time of Domesday, while others such as the Lordship of Powys were Welsh principalities that passed by marriage into
8162-402: The old line of Offa's Dyke nor the eastern boundary of the Welsh dioceses; it excluded districts such as Oswestry and Ewias, where the Welsh language would continue to be spoken for centuries, districts which it would not be wholly fanciful to consider as Cambria irredenta . Yet, as the purpose of the statute was to incorporate Wales into England, the location of the Welsh border was irrelevant to
8268-775: The political agenda in the 20th century. In 1921 the area was included within the Church in Wales . The Welsh Office , established in 1965, included Monmouthshire within its remit, and in 1969 George Thomas , Secretary of State for Wales , proposed to fully incorporate Monmouthshire into Wales. The issue was finally clarified in law by the Local Government Act 1972 , which provided that "in every act passed on or after 1 April 1974, and in every instrument made on or after that date under any enactment (whether before, on or after that date) "Wales", subject to any alterations of boundaries..." included "the administrative county of Monmouthshire and
8374-452: The presence of an appointed man who had the responsibility of making sure that the foreigner was safely escorted back to the crossing point. In 926, Edward's successor Athelstan , "King of the English", summoned the Welsh kings including Hywel Dda of Deheubarth to a meeting at Hereford, and according to William of Malmesbury laid down the boundary between England and Wales, particularly the disputed southern stretch where he specified that
8480-551: The production of iron, steel and leather; and brewing. Today, Wrexham continues to serve north Wales and the Welsh borderlands as a centre for manufacturing, retail, education and administration. The city is noted for hosting Wrexham A.F.C. (one of the oldest professional football teams in the world); the nationally significant industrial heritage of the Clywedog Valley ; the National Trust Property of Erddig ; and
8586-583: The purposes of its framers. Although Monmouthshire was included in the 16th century legislation, it was treated anomalously, with the result that its legal status as a Welsh county fell into some ambiguity and doubt until the 20th century. It was omitted from the second Act of Union, which established the Court of Great Sessions , and like English shires it was given two Knights of the Shire , rather than one as elsewhere in Wales. However, in ecclesiastical terms, almost all of
8692-484: The reign of Henry VIII brought the lordship into the full system of English administration and law. It became part of the new shire of Denbighshire in 1536. In 1584 St Richard Gwyn , a local Recusant , schoolteacher, and poet in the Welsh-language, was convicted of high treason based on his Catholic beliefs by a panel of judges headed by the Chief Justice of Chester , Sir George Bromley . On 15 October 1584, Gwyn
8798-646: The river southeastwards through Knighton before turning south towards the River Lugg at Presteigne , which is within Wales. The boundary continues southwards across hills to the River Wye , and follows the river upstream for a short distance to Hay-on-Wye , on the Welsh side of the border. It continues southwards and rises through and across the Black Mountains , following the Hatterall Ridge past Llanthony on
8904-436: The same line since the 8th century, and in part that of Offa's Dyke ; the modern boundary was fixed in 1536, when the former marcher lordships which occupied the border area were abolished and new county boundaries were created. The administrative boundary of Wales was confirmed in the Local Government Act 1972 . Whether Monmouthshire was part of Wales, or an English county treated for most purposes as though it were Welsh,
9010-530: The same problems as much of industrialised Britain and saw little investment in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) funded a major dual carriageway (the A483) bypassing Wrexham town centre and connecting it with nearby Chester and with England's trunk road network. New shopping areas have been created within the town at Henblas Square, Island Green and Eagles Meadow and
9116-566: The seven large-scale collieries operating in the Wrexham area in 1946, only two functional collieries remained by 1968. The last pit to close in the Borough was Bersham Colliery in 1986.The leatherworks in Pentrefelin and Tuttle Street, the many coal mines in the area, the brickworks in Abenbury, Brymbo Steelworks and the breweries all closed in the latter half of the 20th century. Wrexham suffered from
9222-413: The southern Cotswolds was won by the Anglo-Saxons, and led to Wessex extending its control to the Severn estuary and the cities of Gloucester, Cirencester , and Bath. This severed the land link between the Britons of Wales and those of the south west peninsula . By about 600, however, the area of modern Gloucestershire east of the Severn, as well as most of Worcestershire , was controlled by another group,
9328-416: The southern English through military campaigns, and also caused the construction of Offa's Dyke, around the years 770 and 780. Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, up to 65 feet (20 m) wide (including its surrounding ditch) and 8 feet (2.4 m) high. It is much larger and longer than Wat's Dyke, and runs roughly parallel to it. The earthwork was generally dug with the displaced soil piled into
9434-495: The turn of the 21st century, in competitions to mark the new Millennium, and for both the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilees. In March 2012, it was announced that Wrexham had again missed out on city status as the community of St Asaph , which was previously a city, was granted city status. In 2021, the Wrexham council announced their intention to apply for a fourth time for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee award . On 20 May 2022, it
9540-480: The uprising led by Owain Glyndŵr against King Henry IV of England during the early 15th century. Local poet Guto'r Glyn (c. 1412 – c. 1493) heralded Siôn ap Madog, the great-nephew of Owain Glyndŵr, as ' Alecsander i Wrecsam ' ("an Alexander for Wrexham") and the poet Hywel Dafi addresses Siôn's heir as ' Gwregys am ais Gwregsam wyt' ('a girdle around the heart of Wrexham.’). The Acts of Union passed during
9646-401: The village of Audlem , Cheshire, 9 miles (14 km) from the border, "voted" to become part of Wales in what was originally a joke ballot. Some residents sought to make a case for securing Welsh benefits such as free hospital parking and prescriptions. The modern border lies between the town of Knighton and its railway station, and divides the village of Llanymynech where a pub straddles
9752-511: The west of the present city. It was probably during this first period of Mercian advance in the eighth century that the settlement of Wrexham was founded on the flat ground above the meadows of the River Gwenfro . The name Wrexham probably comes from the old English for Wryhtel's river meadow. Alternatively, the name may have described a settlement of the Wreocensæte people, who were possibly
9858-458: The whole of Wales, a claim recognised by the English, and historian John Davies states that Gruffudd was "the only Welsh king ever to rule over the entire territory of Wales." . However, after his most powerful ally – Earl Elfgar of Mercia and East Anglia – died, Harold and Tostig Godwinson took advantage of the situation – Gruffudd being besieged in Snowdonia – and invaded Wales. In 1063, Gruffudd
9964-567: The wider Roman world. Following the end of Roman rule in Britain, Wrexham formed part of the Romano-British Kingdom of Powys . The Battle of Chester circa 615/616 marked the beginning of a long struggle between the Welsh and English for territory in this part of Wales. During the eighth century, the Anglo-Saxon royal house of Mercia pushed their frontiers westwards and established the earth boundaries of Wat's Dyke and Offa's Dyke to
10070-537: Was also settled by the 1972 Act, which included it in Wales. The modern boundary between Wales and England runs from the salt marshes of the Dee estuary adjoining the Wirral Peninsula , across reclaimed land to the River Dee at Saltney just west of Chester . It then loops south to include within England an area southwest of Chester, before rejoining the Dee, and then loops east of the river to include within Wales
10176-476: Was announced that as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours , Wrexham would receive city status . The status was confirmed by Letters Patent on 1 September 2022. It became Wales' seventh city . Wrexham is not built on a major river, but on a relatively flat plateau between the lower Dee Valley and easternmost mountains of north-east Wales . This position enabled it to grow as
10282-560: Was established in 1882 in Central Road and became the first brewery in the United Kingdom to produce lager beer. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Hightown Barracks in 1877. The Poyser Street drill hall was completed in 1902. When the 1912 National Eisteddfod of Wales was held at Wrexham, T.H. Parry-Williams achieved for the first time the feat, almost unheard of since, of winning both
10388-414: Was formally founded in 1216, and later recognised by the 1218 Treaty of Worcester between Llywelyn ab Iorwerth , Prince of Gwynedd , and King John of England . Encompassing two-thirds of modern Wales, the principality operated as an effectively independent entity from the reign of Llywelyn until 1283 (though it underwent a period of contraction during the early part of the reign of Dafydd ap Llywelyn in
10494-424: Was home to approximately 40% of the total population of the county borough in 2007. Wrexham is approximately 13 miles (21 km) south of Chester, 30 miles (50 km) north-west of Shrewsbury , 43 miles (69 km) south-west of Manchester , and 140 miles (230 km) north of Cardiff . The historic city centre contains a large number of listed buildings set on a Medieval street pattern radiating out from
10600-431: Was joined with, the smaller Welsh kingdom of Ergyng , centred in present-day southern Herefordshire west of the Wye (and deriving its name from the Roman town of Ariconium ); and the larger kingdom of Glywysing in modern Glamorgan . The name Glywysing may indicate that it was founded by a British native of Glevum ( Gloucester ). The Battle of Mons Badonicus , circa 500, could have been fought near Bath between
10706-468: Was killed by his own men. Harold returned many of the Welsh princes their lands, so that after Harold's death at the Battle of Hastings , Wales was again divided without a leader to resist the Normans. Immediately after the Norman conquest of England , King William installed one of his most trusted confidants, William FitzOsbern , as Earl of Hereford. By 1071 he had started the building of Chepstow Castle ,
10812-545: Was later to form the basis of local administration throughout England and eventually Wales originated in Wessex, where it became established during the 8th century. Wessex and Mercia gradually established an occasionally unstable alliance, with Wessex gaining the upper hand. According to Asser, the southern Welsh kings, including Hywel ap Rhys of Glywysing, commended themselves to Alfred the Great of Wessex in about 885. Alfred's son Edward
10918-464: Was likely founded prior to the 11th century and developed in the Middle Ages as a regional centre for trade and administration. The city became the most populous settlement in Wales in the 17th century and was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution from the 18th century. Prior to de-industrialisation in the 20th century, the city and surrounding area were a hub of coal and lead mining;
11024-646: Was on 5 May 2022, the election resulted in a Independent Group – Conservative coalition , as well as various ward changes and the addition of 4 new councillor seats from the 2022 election. The main contiguous part of the city of Wrexham, east of the A483 dual carriageway , is divided into the communities of Acton , Rhosddu , Offa and Caia Park . Although other definitions of the city, may consider Wrexham to extend westwards into other communities such as Gwersyllt and New Broughton which are part of Wrexham's built-up area. The Wrexham constituency elects members to
11130-521: Was probably originally built in the 16th century as a hall-house and retains its thatched roof. High Street is notable for its grand 18th and 19th century properties of varying scale, colour and detail which were built on long, narrow burgage plots probably of medieval origin. The 18th century façade of the Wynnstay Hotel on Yorke Street closes the vista down the High Street. The hotel is notable as
11236-573: Was taken to the Beast Market and hung, drawn and quartered for his faith. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales . His Feast Day is 17 October. The main body of the church of St Giles was rebuilt in the late 15th and early 16th centuries to become one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Wales. The economic character remained predominantly as an agricultural market town into
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