Connah's Quay
Encyclopedia
Connah's Quay is the largest town
in Flintshire
, North Wales
, lying on the River Dee
, near the border with England. It can be accessed by road from the A550, by rail from the nearby Shotton station
and also lies on the National Cycle Network
Route 5. It is situated near the region's industrial centre, Deeside Industrial Park. The major part of Corus Steelworks lies on the town's border on the north bank of the River Dee. Wepre Woods
, an ancient woodland
in the town, is controlled by Flintshire County Council
's Ranger Service and includes Ewloe Castle
which dates from the 13th century.
store on the docks. It has also been known, to some people, that Connah's Quay had got its name from a lady called Mary Connah. When people crossed the River Dee from places opposite, such as Parkgate or Neston, they would ask, "Could you take me to Connah's Quay," because Mary Connah used to own the Dock.
The dock itself was connected by the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway
to the nearby town of Buckley
, chiefly to transport fire-clay and pottery products. It grew from this small port
which included a shipyard which built the historic ship Kathleen & May
, and now encompasses the former hamlets of Wepre, Kelsterton and Golftyn. By the late 1950s, the port had virtually ceased trading and the railway was in terminal decline. The two docks had by then long silted up imprisoning the rotting hulk of an old wooden ship, the "Bollam". This old vessel was believed to have taken part in rescuing the defeated British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirque.
Another activity that had also almost died out by the 60s was fishing. Fishermen would row out across the river in an arc, paying out a long net over the stern of the boat as they went. They then returned to shore and hauled in the net. Mostly they caught fluke which is a flatfish, and which they sold from barrows pushed around the housing estates.
, Bryn Deva Primary, Wepre Primary, Dee road, Custom House Lane Primary and Golftyn Primary.
Further education is provided by Deeside College
, formerly Kelsterton College, and by the sixth form
in Connah's Quay High School as part of Deeside Consortium.
Although never used historically, the Welsh translation for Connah's Quay is Cei Connah, which has recently been incorporated into signage of the area.
album Second Coming
. The Roses were at the time recording in nearby Ewloe
. The town is mentioned in the lyrics of the Catatonia
song Imaginary Friend which is found on the album Paper Scissors Stone
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, North 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...
, lying on the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
, near the border with England. It can be accessed by road from the A550, by rail from the nearby Shotton station
Shotton railway station
Shotton railway station serves the town of Shotton, Flintshire, Wales. It is situated where the Borderlands Line crosses the North Wales Coast Line. All passenger services are operated by Arriva Trains Wales, which manages the station....
and also lies on the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
Route 5. It is situated near the region's industrial centre, Deeside Industrial Park. The major part of Corus Steelworks lies on the town's border on the north bank of the River Dee. Wepre Woods
Wepre Park
Wepre Park is a medium sized country park with playing fields, in Britain. It is situated near Connah's Quay in north Wales.It also features Ewloe Castle, a 30 Minute forest walk, and a small river with waterfall.-External links:* *...
, an ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
in the town, is controlled by Flintshire County Council
Flintshire County Council
Flintshire County Council is the governing body of the principal area of Flintshire , one of the administrative subdivisions of Wales.-Political makeup:...
's Ranger Service and includes Ewloe Castle
Ewloe Castle
Ewloe Castle is a native Welsh castle near the town of Ewloe in Flintshire, Wales. It was one of the last fortifications built by the Princes of Wales before the invasion of Wales by Edward I.-Construction:...
which dates from the 13th century.
History
The original name of the place was New Quay, but due to confusion with other similarly named locations, it was renamed. Renamed some time after 1860, the town's placename is believed to have to come from a former landlord of "The Old Quay House", a public house which still lies on the docks in what is now the west side of the town. Others state that Connah was a man who owned a chandleryChandlery
A chandlery was originally the office in a medieval household responsible for wax and candles, as well as the room in which the candles were kept. It was headed by a chandler. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and only existed as a separate office in larger households...
store on the docks. It has also been known, to some people, that Connah's Quay had got its name from a lady called Mary Connah. When people crossed the River Dee from places opposite, such as Parkgate or Neston, they would ask, "Could you take me to Connah's Quay," because Mary Connah used to own the Dock.
The dock itself was connected by the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway
Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway
The Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway was incorporated on 7 August 1862 to build a line from Wrexham to Buckley.-Overview:The Buckley Railway had already been incorporated on 14 June 1860 to build a line from that town to a junction with the London and North Western Railway Chester-Holyhead...
to the nearby town of Buckley
Buckley
Buckley is a town and community in Flintshire, located in north-east Wales. It is situated 2 miles from the county town of Mold and is contiguous with the nearby villages of Ewloe, Alltami and Mynydd Isa...
, chiefly to transport fire-clay and pottery products. It grew from this small port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
which included a shipyard which built the historic ship Kathleen & May
Kathleen and May
The Kathleen and May is the last remaining British built wooden hull three masted top sail schooner. Presently based in Bideford, North Devon in private ownership but up for sale, she is listed on the National Historic Fleet, Core Collection.-History:...
, and now encompasses the former hamlets of Wepre, Kelsterton and Golftyn. By the late 1950s, the port had virtually ceased trading and the railway was in terminal decline. The two docks had by then long silted up imprisoning the rotting hulk of an old wooden ship, the "Bollam". This old vessel was believed to have taken part in rescuing the defeated British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirque.
Another activity that had also almost died out by the 60s was fishing. Fishermen would row out across the river in an arc, paying out a long net over the stern of the boat as they went. They then returned to shore and hauled in the net. Mostly they caught fluke which is a flatfish, and which they sold from barrows pushed around the housing estates.
Governance
Connah's Quay has a town council of twenty members. 18 represent the Labour Party, one represents the Green Party and one is Independent.Education
Schools in Connah's Quay include Connah's Quay High SchoolConnah's Quay High School
Connah's Quay High School is a comprehensive secondary school in Connah's Quay, North Wales. It is a non-selective, coeducational state school. Pupils are aged from 11 to 18, and in 2005 it had an enrollment of 893....
, Bryn Deva Primary, Wepre Primary, Dee road, Custom House Lane Primary and Golftyn Primary.
Further education is provided by Deeside College
Deeside College
Deeside College is a further education college situated in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, North Wales. In January 2007, the college gained the highest possible grade 1 inspection ratings for its Work Based Learning provision...
, formerly Kelsterton College, and by the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
in Connah's Quay High School as part of Deeside Consortium.
Community
In the last decade several large housing developments have been built in Connah's Quay and the town has a booming property market, with houseprices steadily increasing the town appeared to have finally shaken the effects of the mass redundancies from major employers in the 1970s and 1980s. However, this presumption deemed inaccurate, as recent surveys show that the accumulating masses of unemployed members of society within the Connah's Quay area are rising by a further four percent every year.Although never used historically, the Welsh translation for Connah's Quay is Cei Connah, which has recently been incorporated into signage of the area.
Sport
The town is home to Deeside College which has on site, the North Wales indoor athletics centre and athletics track which is used by Gap Connah's Quay F.C.,formerly known as Connah's Quay Nomad and a Lifestyle Fitness Centre. It is also home to Connah's Quay Cricket Club,who play their home games at Central Park. They have 7 teams in the North Wales League. The town is also home to Connahs Quay Sport Centre which has 4 grass football pitches, a sports hall, 2 gymnasiums, an outdoor floodlit artificial pitch which can host 3x 6 a side football pitches or a full size football or hockey pitch, it has an indoor sports hall which hosts 5 a side, basketball, badminton as well as a host of other activities. There is also a Connahs Quay Swimming Pool.Cultural references
Wepre Brook is heard at the beginning of The Stone RosesThe Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
album Second Coming
Second Coming (album)
Second Coming is the second studio album by The Stone Roses, released through Geffen Records on 5 December 1994 in the UK and in early 1995 in the US. It was recorded at Forge Studios in Oswestry, Shropshire and Rockfield Studios near Monmouth in Wales between 1992 and 1994...
. The Roses were at the time recording in nearby Ewloe
Ewloe
Ewloe is a small town in North Wales, contiguous with Hawarden and Buckley and near to Queensferry and Shotton. Situated close to the Flintshire/Cheshire sector of the Wales-England border, Ewloe forms part of Deeside. The A55 expressway passes through the town and its most notable landmark is...
. The town is mentioned in the lyrics of the Catatonia
Catatonia (band)
Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on...
song Imaginary Friend which is found on the album Paper Scissors Stone
Paper Scissors Stone (album)
Paper Scissors Stone was the fourth and final album by Welsh band Catatonia. It was released on August 6, 2001 in the UK, and reached #6 on the UK album chart....
.
See also
- St Mark's Church, Connah's QuaySt Mark's Church, Connah's QuaySt Mark's Church, Connah's Quay is in the town of Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Mold, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph. The Church is the mother church of St David's Church, Connah's Quay.-History:St Mark's was built in...
- St David's Church, Connah's QuaySt David's Church, Connah's QuaySt David's Church, Connah's Quay is in the town of Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Wales . It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Mold, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph. The Church is the daughter Church of St Mark's Church, Connah's Quay.-History:The Church was built...
- Connah's Quay Power StationConnah's Quay Power StationConnah's Quay Power Station is a 1,420 MW gas-fired power station to the west of Connah's Quay in Flintshire in north Wales. It is next to the A548, being tightly situated between the road and the south bank of the River Dee.-History:...