Ceiriog Valley
Encyclopedia
The Ceiriog Valley or Dyffryn Ceiriog is the valley of the River Ceiriog
in north-east Wales
. It is also the name of a ward
of the County Borough of Wrexham
Until 1974 the valley was part of the traditional county of Denbighshire
; then it became part of the short-lived county of Clwyd
, which was abolished in 1996. Geographically, parts of the Ceiriog Valley extend into Shropshire
, England
. The Ceiriog Valley runs west to east, south of the Vale of Llangollen
. The valley receives relatively few tourists despite being only a few miles from the A5 road.
: Ceiriog Ucha
; Glyntraian
and Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog. The largest village in the Ceiriog Valley is Glyn Ceiriog
(also known as Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog). Villages within the Ceriog Valley include:
(1832 – 1887) was born on a farm near Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog
; Huw Morus
(1622 – 1709) was born and lived near Pandy in the Ceiriog Valley; and Rev. Robert Elis
(1812 – 1875) was a Baptist minister in Glyn Ceiriog
from 1838 until 1840. (Hughes took the middle name Ceiriog and also used it as his bardic name
; Morus's bardic name was Eos Ceiriog – the Nightingale of Ceiriog; and Elis was better known by his bardic name, Cynddelw.) The Ceiriog Memorial Institute in the village of Glyn Ceiriog was built as a memorial to them all, and contains stained glass windows dedicated to each of their memories.
The Welsh language novelist Islwyn Ffowc Elis
was born in Wrexham
, but spent most of his formative childhood years on a hill farm in the Ceiriog Valley.
River Ceiriog
The River Ceiriog is a river in north east Wales. It is a tributary of the River Dee. It rises 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...
in north-east Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is also the name of a ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of the County Borough of Wrexham
Wrexham (county borough)
Wrexham is a county borough centred on the town of Wrexham in north-east Wales. The county borough has a population of 130,200 inhabitants. Just under half of the population live either within the town of Wrexham or its surrounding conurbation of urban villages. The remainder living to the south...
Until 1974 the valley was part of the traditional county of Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
; then it became part of the short-lived county of Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
, which was abolished in 1996. Geographically, parts of the Ceiriog Valley extend into Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Ceiriog Valley runs west to east, south of the Vale of Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
. The valley receives relatively few tourists despite being only a few miles from the A5 road.
Communities
The Ceiriog Valley is divided into three communitiesCommunity (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
: Ceiriog Ucha
Ceiriog Ucha
Ceiriog Ucha is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.The community lies in the Ceiriog Valley and comprises the villages of Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog and Tregeiriog as well as surrounding farmland and grouse and pheasant moors....
; Glyntraian
Glyntraian
Glyntraian is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
and Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog. The largest village in the Ceiriog Valley is Glyn Ceiriog
Glyn Ceiriog
Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.Glyn Ceiriog is a former slate mining village in Wrexham County Borough, in Wales...
(also known as Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog). Villages within the Ceriog Valley include:
Literary figures
Three notable Welsh poets have connections with the Ceiriog Valley: John HughesJohn Ceiriog Hughes
John Ceiriog Hughes , was a Welsh poet and well-known collector of Welsh folk tunes. Sometimes referred to as the "Robert Burns of Wales"...
(1832 – 1887) was born on a farm near Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is a village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It lies on the Ceiriog River and is at the end of the B4500 road, five miles south-west of Glyn Ceiriog and ten miles north-west of Oswestry...
; Huw Morus
Huw Morus
Huw Morus or Morys , also known by his bardic name Eos Ceiriog , was a Welsh poet of the 17th century. One of the most popular and prolific poets of his time, he composed a large number of poems in a variety of metres...
(1622 – 1709) was born and lived near Pandy in the Ceiriog Valley; and Rev. Robert Elis
Robert Elis
Robert Elis , professionally known by his bardic name Cynddelw , was a Welsh language poet, editor, and lexicographer, born at Tyn y Meini, Bryndreiniog, Pen-y-Bont-Fawr in the old county of Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales.He was also a Baptist minister: from 1836 to 1840 at...
(1812 – 1875) was a Baptist minister in Glyn Ceiriog
Glyn Ceiriog
Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.Glyn Ceiriog is a former slate mining village in Wrexham County Borough, in Wales...
from 1838 until 1840. (Hughes took the middle name Ceiriog and also used it as his bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
; Morus's bardic name was Eos Ceiriog – the Nightingale of Ceiriog; and Elis was better known by his bardic name, Cynddelw.) The Ceiriog Memorial Institute in the village of Glyn Ceiriog was built as a memorial to them all, and contains stained glass windows dedicated to each of their memories.
The Welsh language novelist Islwyn Ffowc Elis
Islwyn Ffowc Elis
Islwyn Ffowc Elis was one of Wales's most popular Welsh-language writers.Born Islwyn Ffoulkes Ellis in Wrexham, Elis was educated at the University of Wales colleges of Bangor and Aberystwyth. During World War II he was a conscientious objector and he began writing poetry and prose, winning the...
was born in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, but spent most of his formative childhood years on a hill farm in the Ceiriog Valley.
Further reading
- Gordon Emery - Guide to the Maelor Way (1991) ISBN 1-872265-98-7