Towyn

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Towyn
St. Mary's church - geograph.org.uk - 1015676.jpg
St. Mary's church, Towyn
Conwy UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Towyn
Location within Conwy
Population7,864 (including Kinmel Bay) (2001 Census) [1]
OS grid reference SH974794
Principal area
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town ABERGELE
Postcode district LL22
Dialling code 01745
Police North Wales
Fire North Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Conwy
53°18′07″N3°32′24″W / 53.302°N 3.540°W / 53.302; -3.540

Towyn (Welsh : Tywyn) is a seaside resort in the Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is also an electoral ward to the town and county councils.

Contents

Location

It is located between Rhyl, in Denbighshire, and Abergele in Conwy.

Demography

According to the 2001 Census, together with neighbouring Kinmel Bay (to the east), it had a population 7,864, of which 10.7% could speak Welsh. Only a third of the population were born in Wales. [1] Towyn itself had a population of 2,380 in the 2011 census.

1990 tidal floods

The town made national headlines in 1990 when a combination of gale-force winds, a high tide and rough seas caused Towyn's flood defences to be breached at about 11.00am on 26 February. 4 square miles (10 km2) of land was flooded, affecting 2,800 properties and causing areas of the resort to be evacuated. Further flooding occurred later the same week, on 1 March, shortly after the site of the disaster was visited by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. [2] Scientific experts also believe that the silt left behind from the flooding had left the town with a higher concentration of radioactivity, over ten times the governmental safety limits, most likely originating from the nuclear processing plant at Sellafield which had been dispersed into the Irish Sea over many years since its construction. The National Radiological Protection Board stated that there was a "small risk" to the people there, while the Welsh Office claimed there was no danger to the public. [3] The coastal defences have since been reconstructed and significantly enhanced. [4]

Architecture

St. Mary's Church was designed by the renowned architect George Edmund Street, and was consecrated on 17 June 1873. It is known for the distinctive tiling on the roof. The same architect also designed the building which now houses the youth club in nearby Abergele.

Economy

The principal economic activity in Towyn is tourism, concentrated in the summer season. A mix of static caravans and touring caravan pitches provides accommodation.

Governance

Towyn is also the name of an electoral ward which comprises the western half of the community of Kinmel Bay and Towyn. [5] It elects a county councillor to Conwy County Borough Council. It was represented by the Labour Party until June 2004, when the Conservative Party won the seat. [6] At the May 2017 election the ward was won by an Independent councillor.

Towyn is also a community ward, electing town councillors to represent it on Towyn and Kinmel Bay Town Council. [7]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denbighshire (historic)</span> Historic county in Wales

Until 1974, Denbighshire, or the County of Denbigh, was an administrative county in the north of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was a maritime county, that was bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Flintshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfonshire.

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Kinmel Bay is a seaside village in Conwy County Borough, north-east Wales. It is also an electoral ward to the county council and town council. The resort town of Rhyl lies just across the River Clwyd in the neighbouring county of Denbighshire.

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The River Gele is a river in the North Wales and a tributary of the River Clwyd. The town of Abergele takes its name from the river. The spelling is a dialectal spelling of the Welsh word gelau. The river gives its name to an electoral ward, called Gele, which includes the southern half of Abergele town.

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Kinmel Bay and Towyn is a community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It is located on the coast bordering Denbighshire, from which it is separated by the River Clwyd, and is 2.6 miles (4.2 km) west of Rhyl, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north east of Abergele and 14.1 miles (22.7 km) east of Conwy. The community includes the holiday resorts of Kinmel Bay and Towyn. It is crossed by the Afon Gele, which flows from west to east, before joining the River Clwyd on the eastern boundary. At the 2001 census the community had a population of 7,864, increasing to 8,460 at the 2011 census. Before being named Kinmel Bay there was a small settlement called Foryd, which is the name of the bridge crossing into Rhyl. Over half the population were born in England.

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Mostyn is the name of one of the electoral wards in Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is one of five town wards and covers Llandudno town immediately west of the railway line. Gogarth ward lies to the northwest and Tudno ward lies to the east, with Llandudno beach to the north and Conwy Sands to the southwest.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhyl West</span> Electoral ward in Denbighshire, Wales

Rhyl West is the name of one of the electoral wards of the town of Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales. It covers the northwest part of the town, including the town centre at one end and as far as Marine Lake and the Marina Quay on the western edge. Rhyl East ward lies to the east, Rhyl South West to the south and Conwy County Borough's Kinmel Bay ward to the west.

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Kinmel Bay Football Club is a Welsh football team based in Kinmel Bay, in Conwy County Borough, north-east Wales. The team currently play in the North Wales Coast East Football League Premier Division, which is at the fourth tier of the Welsh football league system. Currently Kinmel Bay Football Club have a number of teams in both boys and girls ages from under-5s to under-16s who all compete in Rhyl and District Junior League and North Wales Girls Football League. Kinmel Bay Football Club also have a senior men's team completing in North Wales Coast East Premier Division for the 2022/23 season. The management team consist of Alex Craig, Leon Field and Andy Thomas. Senior reserve team currently managed by Darrell Gunther, Harry Woodfine and Jordan Guest. A senior ladies team managed by Georgia Williams, Frank Standing, Kelly Prior and Paul Denton.

References

  1. 1 2 Towyn & Kinmel Bay Key Statistics (PDF), Conwy County Borough Council, archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2011, retrieved 4 December 2007
  2. Perry, Gareth (2 March 1990). "Tide breaches sea wall again after Royal visit". The Guardian. ProQuest   187006117.
  3. Edwards, Rob (27 March 1990). "Radiation risk identified in Towyn flooding silt". The Guardian. ProQuest   187098386.
  4. Towyn and Kinmel Bay Coastline, Conwy County Borough Council, archived from the original on 27 September 2006, retrieved 18 March 2009
  5. Election Maps, Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  6. "Conwy County Borough Council Election Results 1995–2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  7. Welcome to our website, Towyn and Kinmel Bay Town Council. Retrieved 26 March 2018.