Denbighshire, maritime county of N. Wales; bounded N. by the Irish Sea, E. by Flintshire, Cheshire, and Shropshire, S. by Montgomeryshire and Merioneth; and W. by Carnarvonshire; length, NW. and SE., 42 miles; breadth, NE. and SW., from 7 to 27 miles; coast-line, about 9 miles; area, 425,038 acres; population 111,740. There is some level ground along the N.; the E. is hilly; and the mountains on the S. and W. rise from 1000 to 2500 ft. high. The principal streams are the Clwyd, Conway, and Dee; their vales are beautiful and fertile. Oats, barley, and rye are grown in the uplands, and wheat in the low grounds of the valleys. Ponies, and small but hardy sheep, are reared on the hills. The manufacture of woollen goods is carried on to some extent, but the chief industry, besides agriculture, is the mining of coal, iron, lead, and slate. The county comprises 6 hundreds, 90 parishes, with parts of 6 others, the Denbigh Boroughs (Denbigh, Holt, Ruthin, and Wrexham), and the municipal boroughs of Denbigh, Ruthin, and Wrexham. It is entirely in the diocese of St Asaph.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)
Bodelwyddan Castle & Park
Bodelwyddan
Near Rhyl LL18 5YA
01745 584060
www.bodelwyddan-castle.co.uk
Bodelwyddan Castle is a Victorian country house museum with acres of parkland, gardens, family-friendly galleries and events throughout the year. We are a regional partner of the National Portrait Gallery with beautifully restored Victorian rooms providing a spectacular setting for enjoying the 19th century displays.
Caer Drewyn Hillfort
Corwen
Caer Drewyn was built around 2500 years ago. Unlike other hillforts in the area Caer Drewyn doesn’t have earthen banks or ditches (ramparts), but a large dry stone wall, the remains of which can still be seen today. The hillfort interior would probably have contained roundhouses constructed of stone and wood, providing shelter and safety for the occupants. It is also believed to be the site where Owain Glyndwr gathered his troops after he proclaimed himself King of Wales in 1400.
Chirk Castle – National Trust
Chirk Castle
Chirk LL14 5AF
01691 777701
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle
Magnificent 14th-century fortress of the Welsh Marches. Completed in 1310, Chirk’s rather austere exterior belies the comfortable and elegant state rooms inside, with elaborate plasterwork, superb Adam-style furniture, tapestries and portraits.
Clwyd Family History Society
The Laurels, Dolydd Road, Cefn Mawr
Wrexham LL14 3NH
01978 822218
The Clwyd Family History Society was founded in 1980 to encourage the study of genealogy and family history in north-east Wales, and to provide a forum for people who are interested in these subjects to meet, and to help each other. It now has approximately 1000 members worldwide.
Denbigh Castle
Castle Lane
Denbigh LL16 3NB
01745 813385
Denbigh Castle was built as part of Edward I’s 13th-century campaigns against the Welsh. Its finest feature is its striking triple-towered great gatehouse.
Denbigh Museum
Grove Road
Denbigh LL16 3UU
The museum interprets the history of Denbigh showing its origins as a mediaeval settlement and its development as a cultural and industrial centre. Items featured include the town’s mediaeval charters, interpretation of the castle and town.
Denbighshire Archives
The Old Gaol, 46 Clwyd Street
Ruthin LL15 1HP
01824 708250
We collect historical records relating to Denbighshire, and preserve them for future generations. We also encourage the public to come and use our records.
Erddig – National Trust
Erddig
Wrexham LL13 0YT
01978 355 314
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/erddig
Atmospheric house and estate, vividly evoking its family and servants. Erddig is one of the most fascinating houses in Britain, not least because of the unusually close relationship that existed between the family of the house and their servants.
JAMES – Joint Area Museums Service
Office, Bodelwyddan Castle
Bodelwyddan LL18 5YA
01745 586700
We were established in October 1999 to promote the educational potential of the museums and collections in Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire.
Llangollen Museum
Parade Street
Llangollen LL20 8PW
01978 862862
Discover a little of the fascinating history of this unique area in the borderlands of Wales. Llangollen Museum will guide you through some of the different aspects of the heritage of the region, from the Stone Age, through the Romans and the Normans and on into the last two centuries.
Llanrwst Almshouses & Museum
1 – 12 Church Street, Ancaster Square
Llanrwst LL26 OBP
01492 642 550
The Llanrwst Almshouses were constructed in 1610 by Sir John Wynn of Gwydir to house twelve poor men of the parish. For four hundred years they continued to provide shelter until 1976 when the buildings closed.
Collections: The Trust currently holds a collection of over a hundred items relating largely to the rural Conwy Valley – a number of items are associated with the renowned Llanrwst Bards of the late 19th century.
Minera Lead Mines
Wern Road
Minera LL11 3DU
01978 297 460
Do you know what kibbles, buddles and jigs are? Find out at Minera Lead Mines Visitor Centre, where you can learn more about the lives of the miners and explore where they worked at the remains of the 19th century lead processing works.
Nantclwyd Y Dre
Castle Street
Ruthin LL15 1DP
01824 709822
www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-762LM7
Each of the ‘seven Ages’ of Nantclwyd’s history is evoked by recreated and fully-furnished rooms. Visitors start in the 1942 hall, then the 1916 rector’s study and 1891 schoolroom, to the splendid panelled and Chinese-wallpapered Georgian bedroom suite.
Plas Newydd, Llangollen
Hill Street
Llangollen LL20 8AW
01978 862834
www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-73FFMH
At the turn of the 18th century Llangollen was well-known for being the home of the Ladies of Llangollen: Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby. The romantic story of their elopement from their families in Ireland, their journey to Wales and their setting up home at Plas Newydd captured the imagination of Regency society.
Rhuddlan Castle
Castle Street
Rhuddlan LL18 5AD
01745 590777
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/rhuddlancastle
Another of Edwars I’s North Wales fortresses not be to missed. Here he straightened the river Clwyd to make sure there was easy access to the sea.
Rhyl Library Museum & Arts Centre
Church Street
Rhyl LL18 3AA
01745 353814
Rhyl Museum displays a history of the town and its people. Walk along the pier and view the mural of Rhyl in the Edwardian period.
Ruthin Gaol
Clwyd Street
Ruthin LL15 1HP
01824 708259
www.ruthingaol.co.uk
Ruthin Gaol opened in May 2002. The building was a prison from 1654 to 1916 and you can now see how prisoners lived their daily lives and how the prison worked.
Sir Henry Jones Museum
Y Cwm, Llangernyw
Abergele LL22 8PR
01492 575571
Visit this fascinating museum of Welsh rural life and find out about Henry Jones and the story of his struggle for educational reform. Wander through the tiny kitchen and bedroom where the family of six ate and slept, and see the displays on Victorian life in a typical Welsh community.
Valle Crucis
Llangollen LL20 8DD
01978 860326
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/vallecrucisabbey
Cistercian monks sought the most wild and remote places to build their abbeys they were often the most beautiful too. Nestling below the stunning Horsehow Pass, Valle Crucis ticks all the boxes.
Wireless in Wales Museum
Canolfan Iaith Clwyd Pwll Y Grawys
Denbigh LL16 3LF
01745 812287
www.gwefrhebwifrau.org.uk/index.php/en
The Gwefr Heb Wifrau – Wireless in Wales – is a small radio museum with a difference. With its emphasis on the history of broadcasting in Wales, the influence of broadcasting on our national identity and the contribution of the Welsh to the development of wireless technology this museum is unique.
Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives
County Buildings, Regent Street
Wrexham LL11 1RB
01978 297 460
Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives was originally the barracks for the Royal Denbighshire Militia; later the building became the town’s police station and court house. The museum has three galleries: the main gallery is a family friendly space which introduces visitors to the history of Wrexham and displays some of the star items in the museum’s collection.
Collections: Archives and local history of Wrexham and the Borderlands. Highlights of the collection include: brick, tiles and terracotta collection from local manufacturers, clocks made locally, bakelite ware collection and the Welsh Football Collection.