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 Coordinates: 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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy County Borough</span> County borough in Wales

Conwy County Borough is a county borough in Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south, and Denbighshire to the east. Other settlements in the county borough include Abergele, Betws-y-Coed, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanfairfechan, Llanrwst, and Penmaenmawr.

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

Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales. It is a maritime county, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhyl</span> Coastal town in North Wales

Rhyl is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Denbighshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abergele</span> Market town and community in Wales

Abergele is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on the Irish Sea coast. Abergele and Pensarn railway station serves both resorts. Abergele is often overlooked due to the popularity of towns in nearby Rhyl, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Conwy. Only 46.5% of the population was born in Wales as of the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clwyd West (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1997 onwards

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llysfaen</span> Village in Conwy County Borough, Wales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deganwy</span> Human settlement in Wales

Deganwy is a town and electoral ward in Conwy County Borough in Wales with a population of 3,936 (2011). It lies in the Creuddyn Peninsula alongside Llandudno and Rhos-on-Sea. Historically part of Caernarfonshire, the peninsula is in a region of north Wales where as many as 1 in 3 of residents are able to speak Welsh, and is home to some of the most expensive streets in Wales. Deganwy is located to the east of the town of Conwy and with it forms the Conwy community. The name Deganwy has been interpreted in modern times as Din-Gonwy, which would mean "Fort on the River Conwy", but the historical spellings make it impossible for this to be the actual origin of the name although mentioned in Domesday Book is "the territory of the Decanae tribe". The original wooden castle was rebuilt in stone after 1210. Deganwy is in the ecclesiastical parish of Llanrhos, and has a Victorian era Gothic parish church dedicated to All Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandrillo yn Rhos</span>

Llandrillo yn Rhos is the name of an electoral ward in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Its boundaries are coterminous with those of the community of Rhos-on-Sea, on the North Wales coast, with the Mochdre and Rhiw wards to the south, Penrhyn ward to the west and Liverpool Bay to the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig-y-Don</span> Human settlement in Wales

Craig-y-Don is a suburb of Llandudno, a coastal seaside resort in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It is also an electoral ward to Conwy County Borough Council and Llandudno Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy County Borough Council</span> Local government authority in central north Wales

Conwy County Borough Council is the local authority for Conwy County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanddulas</span> Village in Conwy County Borough, Wales

Llanddulas is a village in Conwy county borough, Wales, midway between Old Colwyn and Abergele and next to the North Wales Expressway in the community of Llanddulas and Rhyd-y-Foel. The village lies beneath the limestone hill of Cefn-yr-Ogof (670 ft). This hill has large caves, and quarrying of limestone was formerly the main industry of the village, with crushed stone being exported from the 200 m long jetty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinmel Bay</span> Seaside village in Conwy County Borough, Wales

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Gele</span> River in Conwy County Borough, Wales

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinmel Bay and Towyn</span> Community in Conwy County Borough, Wales

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. The area is very Anglicized, with well over half the population having been born in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tudno (electoral ward)</span>

Tudno is the name of one of the electoral wards in Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is the middle of the five town wards and covers the town immediately east of the branch line to Llandudno railway station. Mostyn ward lies to the west and Craig-y-Don ward lies to the east, with Llandudno beach to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marl (Conwy electoral ward)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gele (electoral ward)</span>

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Rowlands</span> Welsh politician

Sam Rowlands is a British politician serving as Shadow Minister for Local Government in the Welsh Parliament. A member of the Conservative and Unionist Party, he has been a Member of the Welsh Parliament for the North Wales Electoral Region since the 2021 Senedd election.

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.