Wrexham Welsh - Wrecsam
St. Giles Church, Wrexham
Wrexham (United Kingdom)
Population	42,576 (2001)
OS grid reference	SJ335505
Principal area	Wrexham
Ceremonial county	Clwyd
Constituent country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	London
Postcode district	LL11-14
Dialling code	023 92
Police	Southend-on-Sea
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Wrexham, Clwyd South
Welsh Assembly	Wrexham, Clwyd South
European Parliament	Wales
List of places: UK • Wales • Wrexham

Coordinates: Wrexham (Welsh: Wrecsam) is a large (former industrial) town, conurbation and principal area of Wales lying in north-eastern part of the country. It is situated between the first mountains of Wales and the lower Dee valley, close to the English border with Cheshire. It is the main commercial, retail, educational and cultural centre in North Wales, and often termed 'The capital of North Wales'. In the 2001 census Wrexham had a population of 42,576, whereas the Wrexham urban area had a population of 63,084^[1]. It forms the centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, which covers 50,500 hectares and has a population of over 130,000. These figures make Wrexham by far the largest urban area in Wales away from the south coast.

History

Main article: History of Wrexham

Evidence of human activity in the Wrexham area have been found as far back as 8000 years ago. However the first known settlement was known as Wristleham Castle, which was a motte and bailey located in what is now known as Erddig Park, in 1161. The town became part of the county of Denbighshire when it was created in 1536. Wrexham was divided into two distinct townships, Wrexham Regis (which was under the control of the King) and Wrexham Abbot (generally the older parts of the town, which originally belonged to Valle Crucis Abbey at nearby Llangollen).



In the 18th century Wrexham was known for its leather industry. There were skinners and tanners in the town. The horns from cattle were used to make things like combs and buttons. There was also a nail making industry in Wrexham.

In the mid-18th century Wrexham was no more than a small market town with a population of perhaps 2,000. However in the late 18th century Wrexham grew rapidly as it became one of the pioneers of the industrial revolution.



In the late 18th century Wrexham was transformed by the coming of the industrial revolution. It began when the famous entrepreneur John Wilkinson (1728-1808) known as 'Iron Mad Wilkinson' opened Bersham Ironworks in 1762. In 1793 he opened a smelting plant at Brymbo.

Wrexham gained its first newspaper in 1848. The Market Hall was built in 1848, and in 1863 a volunteer fire brigade was founded.

It was home to a large number of breweries and tanning became one of Wrexham's main industries, due to its history as a market town. In the mid 19th century Wrexham was granted borough status.

Recent History

In the latter half of the twentieth century, Wrexham began a period of depression: the many coal mines closed first, followed by the brickworks and other industries, and finally the steelworks (which had its own railway branch up until closure) in the 1980s. Wrexham faced an economic crisis. Many residents were anxious to sell their homes and move to areas with better employment prospects, however buyers were uninterested in an area where there was little prospect of employment. Many people were caught in a negative equity trap. Wrexham was suffering from 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) intervened to improve Wrexham's situation: it funded a major dual carriageway, the A483, bypassing Wrexham town centre and connecting it with Chester and Shrewsbury, which in turn had connections with other big cities such as Manchester and Liverpool. It also funded shops and reclaimed areas environmentally damaged by the coal industry. The town centre was regenerated and attracted a growing number of high street chains. However, the biggest breakthrough was the Wrexham Industrial Estate, previously used in the Second World War became home to many manufacturing and technology businesses. There are currently over 250 businesses on the Wrexham Industrial Estate and in the surrounding area. A dual carriageway from the main A483 was extended halfway to the Estate in 2003, and is expected to reach it by 2011.

In June 2003, the Caia Park estate in Wrexham was hit by riots. Tension between Iraqi Kurds and locals centred on one of the estates' pubs escalated and resulted in petrol bombs and other missiles being hurled at police trying to restore order. 51 local residents received prison sentences. Wrexham as a whole has since seen a vast influx (10-15,000) of Polish and Portuguese migrant workers but there has been no repeat of the events of 2003.

Current developments and regeneration

Recent years have seen a large amount of redevelopment in Wrexham's town centre. The creation and re-development of civic and public areas such as Queens Square, Belle Vue Park and Llwyn Isaf have improved the area dramatically. New shopping areas have been created at Henblas Square and Island Green and major development is currently taking place at Eagles Meadow — a fairly large area of land between St. Giles and the inner ring road. The development when completed will increase Wrexham's retail area by over 400,000 sq ft (0 m) and house a large range of high quality retail outlets, bars, restaurants, cinema, bowling alley and new apartments. It will include public areas and an iconic bridge to connect the development with the old High Street. The housing boom is also being felt in Wrexham.

The central area has seen a number conversions and new build apartment complexes. Apartments have been built on a large area off Mold Road (close to the football ground) and are planned for Salop Road (close to Eagles Meadow), and close to the Island Green shopping complex. Outside of the town centre new build estates are being developed in Brymbo (former steelworks site).

Wrexham Western Gateway site (Ruthin Road) and Mold Road. Plans are due to be unveiled (Summer 2007) of the next stage in the development of Wrexham Technology Park as one of the country's first sustainable business centres - the development is expected to increase the size of the Park by more than a third before 2012.

Plans have been unveiled for a £17m waste processing centre for Wrexham which will help reduce the amount of waste going to landfill sites. It is believed the centre will be built on Wrexham's industrial estate and run by the Spanish-owned Waste Recycling Group. Plans for a recycling centre in Wrexham have been approved, but the permission granted to Waste Recycling Group is subject to several conditions including measures to off-set the effects on wildlife.

The bid for city status

Wrexham is the largest settlement in North Wales, and has applied for city status several times, most recently in 2002 as part of the celebrations for the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II. Other Welsh applicants were Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Newtown, Newport and St Asaph. The local authority cited the following claims as to why Wrexham should be granted city status:

• The town is the largest urban area north of the Brecon Beacons
• Despite not having a Protestant cathedral (part of the historic criteria for city status), it is home to one of only three Catholic cathedrals in Wales
• It is the centre for education, culture, retail, industry and business in North Wales
• It has the largest catchment (in terms of area) of any other major Welsh settlement
• The town has a long and proud history of industry, including coal mining, steelmaking, brewing and tanning.
• It has recently transformed from a historic market town and industrial hub into a forward thinking business and manufacturing centre (including one of the largest industrial estates in Europe)
• The population of the conurbation surrounding the town is over 100,000 people

In the end, the Welsh award was given to Newport in South Wales, however the borough still holds out hope of gaining the status in the near future.

Economy

Wrexham's economy has been transformed in the past twenty years, from one dominated by heavy and traditional industry into a major high tech manufacturing, technology and services hub. Wrexham Industrial Estate to the east of the town is the UK's second largest (and among the largest in Europe) industrial parks. The remainder of the industrial parks are located around the A483 corridor to the west of the town. Companies such as Sharp, Brother, Tetra-Pak, JCB, Cadbury and Kelloggs have major manufacturing, research or office bases in and around the town. International pharmaceutical and chemical companies are also well represented including Flexsys and Wockhardt. Service and smaller high technology set-ups are generally found closer to the centre at Wrexham Technology Park and within the town centre itself.

Wrexham has done well to hold on to a substantial manufacturing base, after facing stiff competition from growing eastern European and Asian economies. Around 25% of jobs in Wrexham are in the manufacturing sector, with a growing number in service, financial and technology industries.

In 2007 the town was ranked 5th in the UK for business start up success, higher than most larger UK cities^[2]. Wrexham's borough has an economic activity rate of 79.5%, which is above both the Welsh and Great Britain (GB) average.

In November 2006 unemployment in Wrexham stood at 1.9%. This is below the averages for Wales at 2.3% and the UK at 2.5%.

Wrexham's dominant manufacturing sector and low rate of unemployment has attracted many migrant workers from eastern Europe, mainly Poland. It is estimated around 10-15,000 Poles have migrated to the town over the past five years.

In the last five years high land prices have led to large apartment blocks being built in and around the town. Scarcity of town centre land has led to numerous housing estates being built in the surrounding villages on the outskirts, notably in Brymbo, Gwersyllt and Rhostyllen.

Public Services

Health

Wrexham Maelor Hospital (Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam in Welsh) is the areas' major acute district hospital with 700 beds, and one of the three core hospitals in North Wales. It is situated in the south of the town, on Croesnewydd Road. In 1985 major expansion took place on the site modernising many of the existing departments. It is also the headquarters of the North East Wales NHS Trust, for which it is the principal health service provider. Other NHS hospitals within the borough are Chirk Community and Penley Polish Hospital.

Yale Hospital (Ysbyty Ial in Welsh) situated close to the Maelor Hospital on Wrexham Technology Park is Wrexham's largest private hospital with over 25 beds. Formerly BUPA Yale Hospital, it is now owned and operated by Classic Hospitals.

Law and order

Wrexham is served by North Wales Police; their Eastern Division H.Q in the centre of the town.

The Fire Station is situated on Bradley Road close to the Island Green and central retail parks.

Crime

Crime rates

"Theft of a motor vehicle" offences in Wrexham is 3.4 (per 1000) compared to the Welsh average of 4.1, sexual offences are 0.8 compared to the Welsh average of 0.9, burglary offences are 2.2 compared to the Welsh average of 3.1, theft from a vehicle offences are 5.9 compared to the Welsh average of 7.6. rate of violence against the person is 19.2 compared to the Welsh average of 17.6.

CCTV

The Town Centre CCTV scheme was first established in November 1996 with twelve strategically placed cameras located within Wrexham town centre. Information from North Wales Police indicates that the introduction of CCTV together with the development of the Town Centre Police Team led to a 52% reduction in crime within the town centre in the first year of operation. CCTV now also covers residential areas, Wrexham Industrial Estate and the Maelor Hospital.

Culture

Arts

Wrexham hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1888, 1912, 1933 and 1977, as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1876. Wrexham has a number of theatres, including the Grove Park Theatre on Vicarage Hill, the Riverside Studio Theatre at Wrexham Musical Theatre Society on Salop Road and the Yale Studio theatre close to Llwyn Isaf. The main Arts centre is at Wrexham County Library, with others at NEWI in Plas Coch and Yale College. There is a multi-screen Odeon cinema in the Plas Coch retail park just outside the town centre, with another planned at the new Eagles Meadow development — due to open 2008. The nearby town of Llangollen holds the International Musical Eisteddfod every July.

Science

Every March the town hosts the Wrexham Science Festival. Over 9000 visitors attended events in 2007, making the event one of the biggest of its kind.

Wrexham is also home to a branch of Techniquest, known as Techniquest@newi. The science discovery centre is situated within NEWI's Plas Coch campus.

Music

Main article: Music scene in Wrexham

Wrexham has built a vibrant music scene over the last few years. In 2007 it featured on BBC Radio One's Steve Lamacq show, and regularly features on the Welsh music portion of the station. The main live music venue in Wrexham is Central Station, a club with a capacity of approximately 650, attracting touring bands from across the country. Since its opening in 2000 the venue has played host to hundreds of acts, including The Charlatans, the Scratch Perverts, Ash, The View, The Wildhearts, Mansun, Shed Seven, The Wonder Stuff, The Damned, Skindred, Supersuckers, Moscow, Bloc Party, Hundred Reasons, Grandmaster Flash, Electric Six, Trashlight Vision, The Fall, Budgie, The Blackout, Kids in Glass Houses, Rooster, Blaze Bayley and Robert Plant.^[3]

Another live music venue in Wrexham is the William Aston Hall at NEWI. It hosts concerts and live entertainment. This 900-seat venue has recently undergone extensive refurbishment, and is now designed to accommodate a range of events from conferences and exhibitions to theatrical performances and pop/rock concerts. Acts who have performed there in the past include Super Furry Animals, Love, Ray Davies, Funeral for a Friend, Freddie Starr and Sweet.^[4]. Other music venues in the town include the Old Swan on Abbot Street, and the Goulbourne in Borras.

Media

Wrexham's newspapers include the daily Wrexham Evening Leader, the weekly free Wrexham Mail, and the weekly broadsheet Wrexham Leader, often known as the "Big Leader". Two radio stations serve the town; the FM licence is Marcher Sound and the local medium wave station is Classic Gold Marcher, both based in shared studios on Mold Road. These studios are also home to a number of other regional radio stations broadcasting to the North Wales coast and the Wirral. A 'Media' quarter has developed within the towns' Civic Centre where television stations BBC Wales, ITV Wales and S4C have studios or bureaux for their regional news services.

In addition, Wrexham also has a community radio station called "Calon FM" based at "The Wall" recording studio in the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education.

Shopping

The main shopping areas in Wrexham are; Abbot Street, Bank Street, Henblas Street, King Street, Regent Street, Overton Arcade, Hope Street and Queen Street. A cluster of retail parks are situated around the inner ring road at the Central and Border retail parks. Plas Coch and Berse retail parks are situated on the outskirts close to the A483.



In 1999, almost at a stroke, Wrexham town centre added over 250,000 sq ft (0 m) of retail shopping space when the Henblas Square and Island Green developments were completed. In 2008 a 400,000 sq ft (0 m) development will be completed at Eagles Meadow. This will increase Wrexham's shopping catchment to half a million shoppers. Committed stores to the development include Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, H&M, Next, River Island, TenPin and Odeon. The new development will be connected to Yorke Street / High Street by an iconic bridge.

Traditional markets - There are three covered markets (Beast, Butchers and Peoples Market's) plus North Wales' largest open air market based in the town centre each Monday (including Bank Holidays).

Wrexham boasts the most used Shopmobility Service in North Wales, which is free. Much of the Wrexham Town Centre is pedestrianised.

There are short stay car parks adjacent to the town centre. Long-stay parking is available at St. Marks (NCP) at the northern end of Regent Street or the larger surface park (WCBC)

Food & Drink

There is a variety of restaurants within the town centre, including Anise, The Beeches, Dao Siam, Domellis Italian restaurant, Hong Kong House, Jamuna Tandoori, The Lemon Tree, Perelli's, and The Sleepy Panda.

It is said Wrexham has more pubs in proportion to its population then anywhere else in Britain.

Nightlife

Wrexham has a vibrant nightlife mainly centred around the older original parts of the town close to the St. Giles Church along High Street, Town Hill and Brook Street. Some of the more popular bars include Lloyds, Bar Cuprum, Golden Lion, Yates, Milliners, Harveys, Fat Cat Cafe Bar, Chequers, Bar 1-5, Barracuda, Yales Cafe/Bar, Honky Tonks, the Commercial, The Cambrian Vaults, South Central, Chicago Rock Cafe and Club K1. Nightclubs include Liquid, Envy, Scotts, Central Station (including live music venue), the great Chicago Rock Cafe and the Centenary Club (at Wrexham FC)

Green space

Main article: Parks and open spaces in Wrexham

Wales in Bloom 2007 - City Merit Award

Wrexham has two main town parks, these being Bellevue Park and Acton Park, and open parkland at Erddig. With the rapid development of the town in the 19th century, the need for a formal park for the growing population was identified. However it was not until 1906 that the location for the new park was agreed upon. The 'Parciau' or Bellevue Park as it became known, was build alongside the old cemetery on Ruabon Road. The park was designed to commemorate the Jubilee year of the Incorporation of Wrexham.

Parks

Bellevue Park - Green Flag Award

Belle Vue Park - During the 1970s Bellevue Park was neglected and many of the amenities were in a poor state of repair. A major project was undertaken to refurbish the Park back to its original splendour. This was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Urban Parks Project, Welsh Development Agency, and the European Regional Development Fund. The park reopened in June 2000. It now boasts children's play areas, a bowling green which is home to the Parciau Bowling Club, tennis and basketball courts, an original Edwardian bandstand set in an amphitheatre, and a jogging route for walkers and joggers. The park itself has many walkways through mature tree-lined avenues as well as affording some magnificent views of the Parish Church. The park is well lit and has a number of CCTV cameras installed to deter antisocial behaviour.

Bellevue Park has once again regained its popularity with the people of Wrexham. Throughout the summer months a broad spectrum of social events take place, such as music concerts for all tastes and 'Fun days' for children.



Acton Park was originally the landscaped grounds of Acton Hall. It was originally laid out in 1785 by James Wyatt on the instructions of the owner Sir Foster Cunliffe. Over the years the Estate passed through several owners. In 1947 Wrexham Council was given the Hall and Park by the then owner Alderman William Aston. A section of Acton Park was sold for Housing development in the 1970s. The surviving area now covers approximately 55 acres.

Acton Park features a bowling green, tennis courts, a children's play area, Japanese-style garden and a large lake which has attracted diverse wildlife. The general layout of the park has remained unchanged since it was laid out in the 18th century and now boasts many mature trees.

Llwyn Isaf, which is situated alongside Wrexham Guildhall is a popular green area within the town centre. The green was originally the landscaped grounds of a mansion house known as Llwyn Isaf. It now lies at the centre of Wrexham's civic centre just off Queens Square. The Welsh Children in Need concert was held at this location in 2005.

Open Parkland

Erddig Park is situated two miles (3 km) south of the town centre where the town meets the Clywedog Valley. The Park is owned and managed by the National Trust, and is home to Erddig Hall and its formal gardens. The Park is also home to a number of notable historic features. These include a hydraulic ram known as the 'Cup and Saucer' which is used to pump water from the park to Erddig Hall, and the remains of Wristleham motte and bailey which is thought to be the beginnings of Wrexham as a town in the 12th century.

Heritage

Wrexham's former police station on Regent Street, originally 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 town and its surrounding communities. There is also a programme of temporary exhibitions, including an exhibition featuring the Mold Cape, the first time the Bronze Age treasure had returned to North Wales from the British Museum since its discovery in 1833. Just to the west of the town, Bersham Heritage Centre and Ironworks tell the story of John Wilkinson, the 'Iron Mad' pioneer of the Industrial Revolution. At the top end of the Clywedog Valley, about ten minutes' drive from Wrexham, Minera Lead Mines are the remains of the profitable lead industry that dates back to prehistoric times.

To the east of Wrexham, there are the remains of Holt Castle. The castle and the nearby late medieval bridge were the scene of constant skirmishes during the Civil War in the 17th century. The River Dee in this area is deep and wide. The bridge at Holt was the first crossing point south of the city of Chester and hence was of major strategic importance.

Just 2 miles (3 km) south of Wrexham town centre, Erddig, the National Trust property, was home to the Yorke family until 1973. Its last resident, Philip Yorke, handed over a house in need of restoration as years of subsidence caused by the workings of Bersham Colliery had caused a lot of damage. The house was voted one of the two most popular stately homes in the UK by a National Trust/Channel 5 publication. However, the house was not popular with Bersham miners as it stood on a pillar of coal and they had to work round it.

One thing Wrexham has always been famous for is beer. In the mid to late 19th century Wrexham had over 35 breweries, and grew a proud tradition of brewing both ale and lager. In 1882 German immigrants set up Britain's first Lager brewery under the name of Wrexham Lager. In 2000 the Wrexham Lager Brewery was the last one to close. A number of the original brewery buildings remain. Most notably Wrexham Lager on Central Road (offices), Soames Brewery on Yorke Street (Nags Head) and Border Brewery on Tuttle Street (converted apartments).

Wrexham's mining heritage is nearly all gone. Most former mines have been converted into industrial and business parks - one such development at Bersham Colliery has the last surviving headgear in the North Wales coalfield. Just off the A483, on the edge of Wrexham, the Gresford Disaster Memorial stands witness to the 261 miners, two rescuemen and one surface worker killed by a series of explosions in the Gresford Colliery in 1934.

Religion

The Church of St. Giles

St Giles' Church, Wrexham is the Parish Church of Wrexham and considered the greatest medieval church in Wales^[5]. It includes a colourful ceiling of flying musical angels, two early eagle lecterns, a window by the artist Edward Burne-Jones and the Royal Welch Fusiliers chapel. In the graveyard is the tomb of Elihu Yale who was the benefactor of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States and after whom Yale College Wrexham is named. As a tribute to Yale and his resting place, a scaled down replica of the church tower, known as 'Wrexham Tower' was constructed at Yale University. The tower appears in an 18th century rhyme, as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales.

St. Mary's Cathederal

The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows (St. Mary's), in Regent Street, is the main Church of the Diocese of Wrexham, which extends over all of North Wales. Built in 1857 at the height of the Gothic Revival, the Cathedral was home to the Bishop of Menevia from 1898 until 1987, whose diocese covered all of Wales. However in 1987 the Catholic province of Wales was reconstructed, since which time the Cathedral has been home to the Bishop of Wrexham (now 2nd Bishop of Wrexham). The cathedral is also home to the relic of Saint Richard Gwyn, Wrexham's patron saint. He was a Catholic martyr in the 16th century and was hung drawn and quartered at Wrexham's Beast Market. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Other

Wrexham also has a number of non-denominational chapels and churches scattered about the town. The main Methodist Church is Wrexham Methodist church, built in 1971 on the site of the former Brynyfynnon Chapel on Regent Street. Up until the 1970s the town was full of Welsh non-denominational chapels and the attendance of these was far in excess of that of the Anglican Church in the town.

In the past, Wrexham had a church with a spire much taller than the St Giles steeple. This church was dedicated and named after St Mark, but this was demolished as the building's foundations were in danger of collapse. A multi-storey car park named "St Marks" was erected on the site.

Sport

Football and Rugby

For most of its history, Wrexham was the site of the headquarters of the Football Association of Wales.

The town has a professional football team, Wrexham F.C., which competes in the Football League. Currently managed by Brian Carey and his assistant Steve Weaver, the club has a rich 130 year history and is perhaps most notable for an FA Cup upset over Arsenal F.C. in 1992, together with a number of European Cup Winners Cup runs in the 1970s-80s and early 90s, playing teams such as FC Porto (whom they beat), Anderlecht, Manchester United and AS Roma. They featured well in the 90s in F.A. Cup runs knocking teams such as Arsenal, Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough and West Ham out. They won promotion from League 2 in 2003, and were relegated 2 seasons later due to being docked 10 points for entering Administration, however in 2005 they lifted the Football league trophy at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in front of 40,000 fans. Despite the attempt to knock down the club's historic Racecourse Ground and replace it with a shopping development in 2005/06, the club's future is now assured, thanks to a consortium of local businessmen led by a local car dealer Neville Dickens and partner Geoff Moss. The town end of the ground is due for redevelopment in the 2007/8 season, which will see a new stand and a number of high quality apartments built.

The ground has in the past also served as the secondary home of the Llanelli Scarlets, one of the four Welsh professional rugby sides that compete in the Magners sponsored Celtic League. They would play, on average, two games per season there, though since the problems experienced by Wrexham FC during its period in administration, and uncertainty over the future of the ground, there were no Llanelli Scarlets games played there in season 2005–6 nor are any games scheduled for the 2006–7 Magners League season. Liverpool F.C. Reserves also play their home fixtures here, as do the Welsh international rugby team on occasion.

Other Sports

• Athletics: Queensway International Athletics stadium in Caia Park is Wrexham's second stadium after the Racecourse and has hosted the Welsh Open Athletics event in recent years. The stadium is also home to North Wales' largest athletics club, Wrexham Amateur Athletics Club.
• Basketball: The recently formed NEWI Nets are North Wales' highest-ranked basketball team and currently compete in English Division 2. They play at NEWI's Plas Coch sports arena.
• Hockey: Plas Coch is home to the North Wales Regional Hockey Stadium, a water-based international FIH accredited facility with seating for 200 spectators and floodlighting. The stadium is due to host the 2007 Celtic Cup in July this year.
• Horse riding: Bangor-on-Dee racecourse is 10 minutes south of Wrexham
• Leisure: Wrexham has 7 leisure centres these are; Chirk, Clywedog, Darland, Gwyn Evans(Gwersyllt), Plas Madoc, Queensway, and Waterworld, they offer activities such as Swimming, aerobics, climbing walls through to Yoga.
• Tennis: Wrexham is home to the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre, which plays host to a number of international competitions each year including the 'Challenger' Series. The centre is also home to the Wrexham Lawn Tennis Association.
• Golf wrexham has 4 golf courses, Moss Valley Golf Club, Plassey Golf Club, Wrexham Golf Club and Clays Farm Golf Club

Places of interest and landmarks

A number of tourist attractions can be found in the town or within a short drive from the centre. Among the most popular are:

• Bangor-on-Dee racecourse
• Chirk Castle - National Trust property, 11th century Marcher fortress
• Clywedog Valley - The power behind the industrial revolution in Wrexham, a number of good heritage attractions (Minera Leadmines, Nant Mill and Bersham Ironworks) in a peaceful valley with good walks(BBC's 20 hidden gems in 2007^[6])
• Coed Llandegla Forest Mountain Bike Centre (Denbighshire, but just eight miles (13 km) from Wrexham town centre^[7]
• Erddig Hall - National Trust property and park land (Voted the UK's best historical house and 8th most popular historic site - 2007)
• Historic town centre buildings (i.e Horse & Jockey pub, thatched roof pub, Regent Street)
• Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - Longest and highest aqueduct in Britain (World Heritage Site Nomination 2007)
• Racecourse Ground, home of Wrexham F.C.
• St. Giles Church - One of the Seven Wonders of Wales and burial place of Elihu Yale
• Techniquest@NEWI - Science discovery centre
• Valle Crucis Abbey
• Wrexham County Museum

Education

Wrexham is home to the newest University of Wales college, the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI). This incorporates the North Wales School of Art and Design. NEWI is currently seeking full University status as the future University of Wales, Wrexham.^[8]

Wrexham has a number of primary and secondary schools. It has just one Welsh-speaking secondary school, that being Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. Recently, three of the largest secondary schools, St David's School, Ysgol Bryn Offa and The Groves High School were merged to create two larger "super Schools", Ysgol Clywedog and Rhosnesni High School. Wrexham has also become home to the first shared-faith school in Wales in the form of St Joseph's. Yale College is the main post-16 education facility.

Primary

• Acton Park Infant School
• Acton Park Junior School
• Alexandra CP School
• Barker's Lane CP
• Borras Park Infant School
• Borras Park Junior School
• Gwenfro Infant School
• Gwenfro Junior School
• Hafod y Wern Infant School
• Hafod y Wern Juniors CP
• Rhosddu CP
• St Anne's Catholic Primary
• St Giles Primary
• St Giles Juniors
• St Mary's Catholic Primary
• Victoria Infant School
• Victoria Junior School
• Wat's Dyke CP
• Ysgol Bodhyfryd CP
• Ysgol Plas Coch CP

Secondary

• St Christopher's
• St Joseph's Catholic High School
• Rhosnesni High School
• Ysgol Clywedog
• Ysgol Morgan Llwyd
• Ysgol Bryn Alyn (Great School)

Politics

Wrexham County Borough Council elects a mayor who serves for one year. The current mayor of Wrexham is Councillor Joan Lowe. She is the ninth female mayor of Wrexham. Wrexham Council's website, is one of the leading council websites in the country. People who live under the jurisdiction of Wrexham County Borough Council are able to pay taxes, debts and other fees through the website. They can also access many other services, such as reporting crimes, submitting planning applications and applying for permits.

The Wrexham constituency elects members to the UK Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales. The constituency includes both the town and some of its outlying villages such as Gwersyllt, Llay, Marford and Rossett.

The UK Parliament constituency of Wrexham has long been a safe seat for the Labour Party. The current Member of Parliament is Ian Lucas, and the Assembly Member for the National Assembly for Wales constituency of Wrexham is Lesley Griffiths.

Twinning

• Iserlohn (Märkischer Kreis), Germany
• Racibórz, Poland

The town of Wrexham is twinned with the German district of Märkischer Kreis and the Polish town of Racibórz.

The first Twinning was established on 17 March 1970 between the former Kreis Iserlohn and Wrexham Rural District. Its early success ensured that, after local government reorganisation in both countries in the mid-seventies, the Twinning was taken over by the new Councils of Märkischer Kreis and Wrexham Maelor Borough Council and, in 1996, by Wrexham County Borough Council.

In 2001 Märkischer Kreis entered a Twinning arrangement with Racibórz (Ratibor), a county in Poland, which was formerly part of Silesia, Germany. In September 2002, a delegation from Racibórz visited Wrexham and began initial discussions about possible co-operation which led, eventually, to the signing of Articles of Twinning between Wrexham and Racibórz in March 2004. The Wrexham area has strong historical links with Poland. Following World War II, many service personnel from the Free Polish armed forces who had been injured received treatment at Penley Polish Hospital. Many of their descendants remain in the area to this day.

Transport

Rail

Wrexham has two railway stations. Wrexham General & Wrexham Central. Until the early 1980s what is now platform 4 of Wrexham General, serving the Wrexham Central - Bidston service, was a separate station, Wrexham Exchange.

Wrexham General

Wrexham General was opened in 1846 (rebuilt in 1912) it has 6 platforms (4 through, 2 terminal) and provides direct rail services to Bangor, Birmingham, Cardiff, Chester, Holyhead, Liverpool, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. From Spring 2008 a new (5 times daily) direct service to London will begin, this will include stops at Tame Bridge Parkway (Walsall) and Banbury. The new service will be based in Wrexham and operated by Wrexham and Shropshire. All local services that operate from Wrexham Central also run through General.

Wrexham Central

Wrexham Central which is located on the Island Green retail park has 1 platform, but splits into 2 tracks on the outskirts of the town. It provides direct rail services Gwersyllt, Cefn-y-Bedd, Caergwrle, Hope, Penyffordd, Buckley, Hawarden, Shotton, Hawarden Bridge, Neston, Heswall, Upton (Wirral), Bidston (where there are connections to Liverpool and West Kirby). Until the 1998 construction of the Island Green retail park, Wrexham Central station was located 50 metres further along the track.

Plans are afoot to electrify the Borderlands line with runs through General and Central to Deeside and the Wirral. This would increase capacity and accelerate speeds on the line.

Local Stations

There are further three local stations in the Borough at Chirk, Ruabon and Gwersyllt, with plans to re-open at least another two over the next few years at Rossett and Johnstown. Plans also include a 'Park and Rail' service from one of these locations into Wrexham Central, to ease current traffic congestion and pressure on town centre car parks.

Bus & Coach

A recent focus on road transport by the council has improved bus travel in the Wrexham area, with most buses being low-floor and slightly elevated bus stops to allow people easier access to buses. A new bus terminal, the largest in north Wales, has been built in Wrexham, featuring indoor shops and ambient music, along with a staffed information booth. The bus station serves local, regional and long-distance bus services. It is served by various bus companies, including Arriva Wales/Cymru, GHA, and Bryn Melyn. Long distance coaches are available to Edinburgh and London.

The "Wrexham shuttle" provides a link between Wrexham and the nearby industrial estate, there is a similar one in operation in the Deeside area.

Wrexham is served by the National Express coach network, it picks up from the King street bus station.

Wrexham is one of the first areas in the United Kingdom to adopt the use of the distinctive yellow American Bluebird school buses. 10 currently operate in the Wrexham area, transporting pupils to and from the schools and colleges.

Roads

The town centre is orbited by a ring road. The northern and eastern parts of the road are dualled between Rhosddu Road roundabout and Eagles Meadow. The ring road and Mold Road/Regent Street are the main sources of congestion in the town. Park and Ride facilities have been introduced on a weekend basis, however future plans to extend the service are to be discussed.

The A483 is Wrexham's principal route. It skirts the western edge of the town, dividing it from the urban villages to the west. The road has connections with major roads (A55, M53, A5(M54)).

The A5156 leads to the A534 and on to the Wrexham Industrial Estate.

The A541 is the main route into Wrexham from Mold and the town's western urban area.

Future Development

Wrexham has many major plans for the future. The WDA (Welsh Development Agency) (now disbanded), had earmarked Wrexham as a potential transport hub. The UK capital of culture for 2008, Liverpool, has also donated £100,000 to a study of electrification of the Wrexham to Bidston railway line, and a possible rail link to the North Wales coast line. This will open new rail links to the east, and the urban area of Liverpool.

With house prices rising rapidly in this area, the council has made many plans for massive suburban housing estates to be built. One, near Ysgol Clywedog, will include a small shopping centre and another primary school.

On 30 January 2006, it was announced that a new railway company, named the Wrexham Shropshire and Marylebone Railway (WSMR), had been formed. It plans to run a fast or high speed rail service from Wrexham, through Shrewsbury to London's Marylebone station. The announcement made it unclear as to whether it will use locomotive hauled trains or high speed DMU trains, but it was mentioned that the line to Shrewsbury may need infrastructural upgrades to handle high speed trains. Plans for a direct rail service between Wrexham and London have been approved by the rail regulator. The service, which could begin running from spring 2008, will create 50 jobs at an operating depot in Wrexham.

Districts

The County Borough Council divides the area into 'Wrexham Town', adjacent 'Urban Villages' and other 'Rural Villages'^[9]. The Office for National Statistics additionally defines a Wrexham Urban Area which consists of Wrexham Town and surrounding Urban Villages (Pop. 63,084 in 2001).

Wrexham Urban Area

Nearby villages

Notable residents

A number of famous people have been born or lived in Wrexham over the years. Among them are:

• Jack Mary Ann - a local folk hero who lived in the Top Boat House area of Broughton
• Hannah Blore - 2005 Byte Women's World Sailing Champion.
• David Bower - a deaf actor who is best known for his role as David, the younger brother of Charles, in the comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral.
• Rosemarie Frankland - Was a beauty pageant contestant who won the 1961 Miss United Kingdom and Miss World.
• Lydia Griffiths - Singer who has regularly performed in the West End.
• Bruce Grobbelaar - (born 1957), football player who lived in the area during his time as a goalkeeper at Liverpool FC
• Saint Richard Gwyn - (1535-1584) - Catholic Martyr and Patron Saint of Wrexham
• Edwin Hughes - ("Balaclava Ned") (1830-1927), the last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in the Crimea
• Mark Hughes - former footballer and manager
• George Jeffreys - (1645-1689) 'The Hanging Judge' of Acton Hall in Acton
• Darren Jeffries - Hollyoaks actor
• Rob Jones - footballer who played for Liverpool FC
• Paul Jones - is a retired Welsh international footballer.
• K-Klass - dance music group
• Jason Koumas - footballer with Wigan Athletic
• Annie Lennox - musician, lived in Coedpoeth, two miles (3 km) west of Wrexham.
• David Lord - (1913-1944), Irish born holder of the Victoria Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross.
• Huw Marshall - Born in Gwynfryn outside Wrexham, Tv actor on both S4C and SKY.
• Andy Moore - Neath/Swansea Rugby Club & Wales International.
• John Godfrey Parry-Thomas - (1884-1927), engineer and racing driver.
• Leigh Richmond Roose - was a charismatic, flamboyant Welsh international footballer who played for Stoke City, Sunderland and Celtic amongst others.
• Robbie Savage - current Blackburn Rovers footballer and Wales international.
• Andrew Scott (guitarist) - guitarist with 70's glam rock band The Sweet
• Ricky Tomlinson - (born 1939), actor mainly known for his role in The Royle Family.
• Tim Vincent - former Blue Peter presenter, now Access Hollywood reporter.
• Robert Waithman - (1764-1833), born in Wrexham, became Lord Mayor of London in 1823
• John 'Iron-Mad' Wilkinson - (1728-1808) Son of Isaac, known for Bersham Ironworks in the town and producing canons for the American civil war
• Llŷr Williams - is a Welsh pianist, In 2005 he received the Outstanding Young Artist Award from MIDEM Classique and the International Artist Managers' Association.
• Ian Woosnam - Born in Chirk, Wrexham. Is an international golfer who led the European team to Ryder Cup glory in 2006.
• Elihu Yale - (1649-1721), businessman and benefactor of Yale University.

Current residents include:

• Brent Cockbain - current (naturalised) Welsh rugby international, lives in Wrexham area and married to a girl from Gresford
• Joey Jones - football player who played for Liverpool, Chelsea and Wrexham
• Dennis Taylor - ex snooker World Champion, currently living in Llay

References

External links

• Wrexham County Borough Council
• Local History — Wrexham (BBC)
• Wrexham Music — A guide to the music scene in Wrexham
• 360 Degree Panoramic View of Queens Square (BBC) (Java required)
• Yellow buses fleet in Wrexham
• Evening Leader
• Virtual Wrexham
• wrecsam.com
• Eagles meadow retail park
• 12th Man - Wrexham FC Supporters site
• Francis Frith Historic Photos of Wrexham (mainly from 1895)
• Wrexham Today - Wrexham portal
• The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust
• Wrexham Musical Theatre Trust