Ffrith
Encyclopedia
Ffrith is a small village in the community
of Llanfynydd
in Flintshire
, north-east
Wales
.
double "f" is pronounced simply as "f") reflects a spelling and pronunciation particular to Flintshire: it is derived from a North Welsh word meaning variously a "pasture", "enclosure" or "forest" and borrowed originally from the Middle English
word "frith", meaning a forest or game preserve. The name Belmont or Bell Mount was also commonly used for the village in the 19th century. In local usage the village is usually referred to as "the Ffrith".
The village is situated in the southernmost part of the county in the wooded valley of the River Cegidog
at the point where the Nant-y-Ffrith
stream flows into it. Neighbouring villages include Cymau
to the east, Brymbo
to the south-east and Llanfynydd, one mile to the north. The nearest major towns are Wrexham
to the south-east and Mold
towards the north-west.
presence in the area. A Roman villa
was built here, a Roman road
is thought to have passed through and lead
mining
may have taken place. Several centuries later, Offa's Dyke
was constructed across the area. Time Team
led a dig in the area, digging in the car park of the Blue Bell pub as well as other areas of the village.
In the 19th century, the village's size and importance grew as quarrying for limestone
and silica and mining for lead
and fireclay became more significant. A railway line, the Wrexham and Minera Joint Railway was built through the village and a small station, a number of shops and several pubs opened.
Industry in the area declined through the 20th century, with the last fireclay level closing in the late 1960s. The railway ceased operation in 1952 (a large stone viaduct
still stands near the village) and the village shops have now closed, and one of the two pubs (the Blue Bell) remains open. The second, the Poacher's Cottage closed in mid 2009 and was the subject of a fire in mid 2010.
There is a rare example of a packhorse bridge
dating from at least the 18th century, and possibly older, in the village.
Welsh groundsel, a plant found almost entirely in North Wales
, was first discovered near Ffrith in 1948.
Community (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....
of Llanfynydd
Llanfynydd, Flintshire
Llanfynydd is a village and local government community in Flintshire, north Wales. Its name is derived from the Welsh words llan, "church" or "parish", and mynydd, "mountain"....
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-east
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
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...
.
Name
The name Ffrith (the WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
double "f" is pronounced simply as "f") reflects a spelling and pronunciation particular to Flintshire: it is derived from a North Welsh word meaning variously a "pasture", "enclosure" or "forest" and borrowed originally from the Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
word "frith", meaning a forest or game preserve. The name Belmont or Bell Mount was also commonly used for the village in the 19th century. In local usage the village is usually referred to as "the Ffrith".
The village is situated in the southernmost part of the county in the wooded valley of the River Cegidog
River Cegidog
The River Cegidog is a river in north-east Wales. It flows mainly through Flintshire but towards the end of its course it forms the border between Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough....
at the point where the Nant-y-Ffrith
Nant-y-Ffrith
Nant-y-Ffrith refers to a stream and the wooded valley through which it flows on the border between Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough in Wales. The stream begins in moorland to the east of Llandegla. It passes Bwlchgwyn village before entering a rather steep-sided, rocky valley...
stream flows into it. Neighbouring villages include Cymau
Cymau
Cymau is a small village situated in the community of Llanfynydd, Flintshire on the edge of the mountains of north-east Wales. Its name is derived from the Welsh word cymau, an old form of the plural for cwm, "valley" or "hollow"....
to the east, Brymbo
Brymbo
Brymbo is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village situated in the hilly country to the west of Wrexham town, largely surrounded by farmland....
to the south-east and Llanfynydd, one mile to the north. The nearest major towns are 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...
to the south-east and Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
towards the north-west.
History
Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
presence in the area. A Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
was built here, a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
is thought to have passed through and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
may have taken place. Several centuries later, Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
was constructed across the area. Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
led a dig in the area, digging in the car park of the Blue Bell pub as well as other areas of the village.
In the 19th century, the village's size and importance grew as quarrying for limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and silica and mining for lead
Metal mining in Wales
Metal mining in Wales affected large areas of what are now very rural parts of Wales and left behind a legacy of contaminated waste heaps and a very few ruined buildings.There are a number of areas that have been mined for a variety of metals....
and fireclay became more significant. A railway line, the Wrexham and Minera Joint Railway was built through the village and a small station, a number of shops and several pubs opened.
Industry in the area declined through the 20th century, with the last fireclay level closing in the late 1960s. The railway ceased operation in 1952 (a large stone viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
still stands near the village) and the village shops have now closed, and one of the two pubs (the Blue Bell) remains open. The second, the Poacher's Cottage closed in mid 2009 and was the subject of a fire in mid 2010.
There is a rare example of a packhorse bridge
Packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
dating from at least the 18th century, and possibly older, in the village.
Welsh groundsel, a plant found almost entirely in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, was first discovered near Ffrith in 1948.