Chirk

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Chirk
Church Street, Chirk - geograph.org.uk - 2343509.jpg
Church Street, Chirk
Wrexham UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Chirk
Location within Wrexham
Population4,468 (2011)
OS grid reference SJ295375
Community
  • Chirk
Principal area
Preserved county
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WREXHAM
Postcode district LL14
Dialling code 01691
Police North Wales
Fire North Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Wrexham
52°55′48″N3°03′00″W / 52.930°N 3.050°W / 52.930; -3.050

Chirk (Welsh : Y Waun) is a town and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, 10 miles (16 kilometres) south of Wrexham, between it and Oswestry. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 4,468. [1] Historically in the traditional county of Denbighshire, and later Clwyd, it has been part of Wrexham County Borough since a local government reorganisation in 1996. The border with the English county of Shropshire is immediately south of the town, on the other side of the River Ceiriog.

Contents

The town is served by Chirk railway station and the A5/A483 roads.

Etymology

The name of the town in English, Chirk, derives from the name of the River Ceiriog, which itself may mean "the favoured one". The Welsh place name, Y Waun, is literarally "The Moor". [2] [3]

History and heritage

Llwyn-y-cil Lodge, just inside the gates of Chirk Castle and a grade II listed building Llwyn-y-cil Lodge, Chirk.jpg
Llwyn-y-cil Lodge, just inside the gates of Chirk Castle and a grade II listed building

Chirk Castle, a National Trust property, is a medieval castle. Two families are associated with the town and its castle: the Trevor family of Brynkinallt and the Myddelton family. The Hughes of Gwerclas, a family descended from the ancient kings of Powys Fadog, also lived in the area for many years.

Other attractions in the town include a section of Offa's Dyke and the Chirk Aqueduct, part of a larger World Heritage Site including Pontcysyllte aqueduct, on the Llangollen Canal, built in 1801 by Thomas Telford. The Glyn Valley Tramway terminated on the canal near the mainline railway station.

The parish church of St Mary's is a Grade I listed building. [4] The current church building was begun during the 11th century by the Normans, although it is believed that an older llan, dedicated to St Tysilio, had existed on the site. Indeed, the current church was dedicated to St Tysilio until the late 15th or early 16th century, after which it was re-dedicated to St Mary. Today, the church is a member of the Open Church Network and participates in the Sacred Space Project.

Chirk was formerly a coal mining community with coal being worked from the 17th to the 20th century. The two largest collieries were Black Park (one of the oldest in the north of Wales) and Brynkinallt (Welsh : Bryncunallt). These coal mines have now closed.

Chirk was a coaching stop on the old mail coach route along the A5 from London to Holyhead.

The Chester to Ruabon railway had been extended south to Shrewsbury by 1848, with stations at Llangollen Road (Whitehurst Halt, near Pentre) and Chirk; the Castle owners insisted that the railway not be visible to them and that the station be well outside the town lest it encourage the populace to travel. South of the town a railway viaduct was constructed by Henry Robertson to take the line over the Ceiriog Valley.

The Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union Canal runs through Chirk. The canal crosses the Ceiriog Valley (from England into Wales) along Thomas Telford's aqueduct. Telford's aqueduct runs alongside the railway viaduct before the canal enters the Chirk Tunnel.

Modern day

Looking towards Chirk over the Aqueduct and Viaduct Y Waun AqueductWales.JPG
Looking towards Chirk over the Aqueduct and Viaduct
St Mary's Parish Church Y Waun parish church.jpg
St Mary's Parish Church

Agriculture continues to be of some importance, as does tourism. The National Trust's Chirk Castle [5] is an attraction, as are the World Heritage Site of the Llangollen Canal, [6] and the local scenery of the Ceiriog Valley and Berwyn Mountains. Manufacturing now plays a prominent position within the local industries, with major international firms such as Kronospan [7] and Mondelez UK [8] maintaining sites in the town. There are small business which support the local communities and its visitors, as well as service industries such as hotels, leisure facilities and restaurants. There are a wide range of employment opportunities and professions. [9]

Religion no longer has a prominent position, but there are four churches: St Mary's (Church in Wales), [4] Chirk Methodist Church, Sacred Heart (Roman Catholic) and the Community Church.

Chirk is served by two local primary schools: Ysgol Y Waun and Pentre Church in Wales Controlled School.

Ysgol Y Waun is the main primary school for children in Chirk. It was formed in 2012, by the merger of Chirk Infants School and Ceiriog Junior School. Ysgol Y Waun is a nursery, infant and junior school of mixed gender and lessons are taught through the medium of English. The school has about 335 pupils, with an increasing number of pupils on free school meals: 19.7% in 2014, which is above the Local Authority average but below the Wales average. [10]

Pentre School is a nursery, infant and junior school of mixed gender. There are approximately 86 pupils on roll who are all taught through the medium of English. Welsh is taught as a compulsory part of the school curriculum as a second language. The school is in a relatively affluent area, with only 15.9% of the school population eligible for free school meals, which is substantially below the Local Authority and Wales averages. [10]

Most pupils in the community attend Ysgol Dinas Brân, Llangollen, for their secondary education. Ysgol Dinas Brân is a relatively large, bilingual secondary school catering for pupils from ages 11 – 19 (including Sixth Form). [11] Other secondary schools in the area include Ysgol Rhiwabon, St Martin's School (Shropshire) and St Joseph's in Wrexham. The area is served by independent schools, such as Moreton Hall and Ellesmere College in neighbouring Shropshire.

Although Chirk is a predominantly English-speaking area, some parents choose to educate their children through the medium of Welsh. The nearest Welsh-medium primary schools are in Glyn Ceiriog and Cefn Mawr. Pupils can then transfer to either Ysgol Dinas Brân, Llangollen or Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, Wrexham for Welsh-medium secondary education.

The Ceiriog Memorial Institute, in the Ceiriog valley, just west of Chirk, is home to a collection of Welsh cultural memorabilia and was founded in the early 1900s to support the Welsh language, culture and heritage for future generations.

In the 2011 census, a total of 3,652 residents (81.7%) have no skills in the Welsh language. [1]

Sport

Chirk is home to Chirk AAA F.C., a football team founded in 1876. Currently playing in the Cymru North (the second tier of Welsh football).

Chirk Golf Club was founded in 1991. The club closed in September 2012. [12]

Notable people

Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet, painting 1670 British (English) School - Sir Thomas Myddelton III (1624-1663), 1st Bt - 1171110 - National Trust.jpg
Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Baronet, painting 1670
Billy Meredith, 1903 Billy meredith city.jpg
Billy Meredith, 1903

Sport

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Ceiriog Hughes</span> Welsh poet and folk-tune collector, 1832–1887

John Ceiriog Hughes was a Welsh poet and collector of Welsh folk tunes, sometimes termed a Robert Burns of Wales. He was born at Penybryn Farm, overlooking the village of Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog in the Ceiriog Valley of north-east Wales, then in Denbighshire, now part of Wrexham County Borough. One of eight children, he was a favourite of his mother, Phoebe, a midwife and herbal-medicine expert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llangollen</span> Town in Denbighshire, Wales

Llangollen is a town and community, situated on the River Dee, in Denbighshire, Wales. Its riverside location forms the edge of the Berwyn range, and the Dee Valley section of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the easternmost point of the Dee Valley Way being within the town. It had a population of 3,658 at the 2011 census.

<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">Clwyd</span> Preserved county of Wales

Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to the east and Shropshire to the south-east. Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd also shares a maritime boundary with Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, a slightly different area had a county council, with local government functions shared with six district councils. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and the new principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llangollen Canal</span> Canal in Wales and Shropshire, UK

The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire. The name, which was coined in the 1980s, is a modern designation for parts of the historic Ellesmere Canal and the Llangollen navigable feeder, both of which became part of the Shropshire Union Canals in 1846.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pontcysyllte Aqueduct</span> Waterway in Wales

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen in northeast Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellesmere, Shropshire</span> Town in Shropshire, England

Ellesmere is a town in Shropshire, England, located near the Welsh border and the towns of Oswestry and Whitchurch, and the Welsh city of Wrexham. It is notable for its proximity to a number of prominent Meres.

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

Wrexham County Borough is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire and Shropshire to the east and south-east respectively, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the north-west. The city of Wrexham is the administrative centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruabon</span> Village in Wales

Ruabon is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The name comes from Rhiw Fabon, rhiw being the Welsh word for "slope" or "hillside" and Fabon being a mutation from St Mabon, the original church name, of earlier, Celtic origin. An older English spelling, Rhuabon, can sometimes be seen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chirk Castle</span> Castle in north-east Wales, built in 1295

Chirk Castle is a Grade I listed castle located in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is now owned and run by the National Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chirk Aqueduct</span> Bridge in Chirk

Chirk Aqueduct is a 70-foot (21 m) high and 710-foot (220 m) long navigable aqueduct that carries what is now the Llangollen Canal across the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk, on the England-Wales border, spanning the two countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Martin's, Shropshire</span> Village and civil parish in Shropshire, England

St Martin's is village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, just north of Oswestry and east of Chirk, Wales on the England–Wales border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceiriog Valley</span> Valley in north-east Wales

The Ceiriog Valley is the valley of the River Ceiriog in north-east Wales. Its Welsh name, "Dyffryn Ceiriog", is the name of an electoral ward of Wrexham County Borough. The ward is the largest ward of the county borough by area and forms a strikingly-shaped salient of the county borough between Powys and Denbighshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyn Ceiriog</span> Village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales

Glyn Ceiriog is the principal settlement of the Ceiriog Valley and a community in Wrexham County Borough, north-east Wales. Glyn Ceiriog translates simply as Ceiriog Valley, though there are other villages in the valley. The village and community is technically known, in traditional Welsh naming style, as Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog or sometimes Llansanffraid Glyn Ceiriog, which means church of St Ffraid in the Ceiriog Valley, but it has come to be known simply as Glyn Ceiriog, or even Glyn for short. The name Llansanffraid is now more associated with other villages of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maelor Way</span>

Maelor Way is a key long distance footpath, running 38 kilometres / 24 miles from the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail at Bronygarth to the Shropshire Way, Sandstone Trail, Llangollen Canal, South Cheshire Way, and the Marches Way all at Grindley Brook near Whitchurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog</span> Village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales

Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is a village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It lies on the River Ceiriog and is at the end of the B4500 road, five miles (8 km) south-west of Glyn Ceiriog and ten miles (16 km) north-west of Oswestry. It is within the Ceiriog Valley ward, Clwyd South Senedd constituency and Clwyd South UK parliamentary constituency. It is in the community of Ceiriog Ucha.

Ysgol Dinas Brân is an 11-18 bilingual co-educational secondary school in Llangollen, Denbighshire, Wales. It serves the town of Llangollen and the surrounding areas including Corwen, Wrexham, Johnstown, Ruabon, Cefn Mawr, and Trevor. The school was previously called Llangollen Grammar School. The school had 930 pupils on roll in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ceiriog</span> River in north east Wales

The River Ceiriog is an 18 miles (29 km) long river in north east Wales, whose name may derive from a term meaning "favoured one". It is a tributary of the River Dee. It rises at an altitude of around 1,800 ft (549 m) on the south east slopes of Moel Fferna in the Berwyn Mountains, and flows through the Ceiriog Valley in Wrexham County Borough. It flows below Chirk Castle and the town of Chirk, where the Chirk Aqueduct carries the Llangollen Canal, and the Chirk Viaduct carries the Shrewsbury–Chester line over the river. The Ceiriog joins the Dee east of the town. In its lower reaches, the river forms the border between Wales and Shropshire in England. Home to a trout fishing club, the river and its valley were described by British prime minister David Lloyd George as "a little bit of heaven on earth". As well as being a home to trout, the first grayling to be artificially reared in Wales were released into the river in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clwydian Range and Dee Valley</span> Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and proposed national park, located in north-east Wales, covering the Clwydian Range, and the valley of the River Dee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chirk Viaduct</span> Railway viaduct between England and Wales

The Chirk Viaduct is a Grade II* listed railway viaduct over the River Ceiriog between England and Wales. The viaduct carries the Shrewsbury–Chester line from the Welsh town of Chirk in historic Denbighshire from the north to the English village of Chirk Bank in Weston Rhyn, Shropshire to the south. Chirk Aqueduct lies parallel to the viaduct's east.

References

  1. 1 2 "Age by Single Year, 2011 (QS103EW) Area: Chirk (Parish)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  2. Mills, A. D. (2003). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780198527589.
  3. "Welcome to Chirk and the Ceiriog Valley North Wales". Chirk.com. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  4. 1 2 "The Parish of Chirk".
  5. "Chirk Castle".
  6. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal".
  7. "Kronospan".
  8. "Home – Europe – Mondelēz International, Inc".
  9. Sillitoe, Neighbourhood Statistics – Neil (14 April 2008). "Detect browser settings".
  10. 1 2 "My Local School". Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  11. "Ysgol Dinas Brân".
  12. “Chirk Golf Club”, “Golf’s Missing Links”.