Froncysyllte
Encyclopedia
Froncysyllte commonly colloquially known as Fron, is a village
in Wrexham county borough, Wales
and stands on the banks of the River Dee
and the Llangollen Canal
. It is situated on the main A5 road which runs from London
to Holyhead
.
Its name is derived from the Welsh word fron, meaning a hillside or slope, along with the name Cysyllte, one of the old township
s of the parish of Llangollen
. The anglicised spelling Vroncysyllte was commonly used until the mid 20th century.
below several quarries; although the area's traditional industries have now gone, it still has a rich industrial archaeology
.
Amongst the landmarks left around Froncysyllte by industrial development is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
, a World Heritage Site, which was built by Thomas Telford
in 1795 to carry the Llangollen Canal
across the River Dee.
, which began in 1947, when plans were announced to hold the first Llangollen
Eisteddfod. A local man, Gomer Powell, formed a choir
, with JR Jones as first chairman. A local piano
teacher, Lloyd Edwards, became the conductor and one of his students, Menna Hughes, became the accompanist.
Young men were persuaded to join, as 60 voices were needed to compete in the Eisteddfod. One of the first to join was Dennis Williams. He was 16 at the time and is now 75, making him the oldest and longest serving member. They signed a record deal in 2006 with Universal Classics. Their first commercial recording, Voices of the Valley, made it to the charts in November of that year. The choir came to fame when they were heard by Daniel Glatman
, manager of the band Blue
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Wrexham county borough, 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...
and stands on the banks of 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....
and the Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
. It is situated on the main A5 road which runs from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
.
Its name is derived from the Welsh word fron, meaning a hillside or slope, along with the name Cysyllte, one of the old township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
s of the parish 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 anglicised spelling Vroncysyllte was commonly used until the mid 20th century.
History
Froncysyllte is situated in the farming landscape of the Vale of Llangollen, but first developed as a settlement of cottages for quarry, limekiln, brick and tile-workers during the nineteenth century. The village was built on a high outcrop of limestoneLimestone
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....
below several quarries; although the area's traditional industries have now gone, it still has a rich industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology, like other branches of archaeology, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times to the most recent...
.
Amongst the landmarks left around Froncysyllte by industrial development is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal over the valley of the River Dee in Wrexham in north east Wales....
, a World Heritage Site, which was built by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
in 1795 to carry the Llangollen Canal
Llangollen Canal
The Llangollen Canal is a navigable canal crossing the border between England and Wales. The waterway links Llangollen in Denbighshire, north Wales, with Hurleston in south Cheshire, via the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire....
across the River Dee.
Choir
Froncysyllte is famous for the Froncysyllte Male Voice ChoirFroncysyllte Male Voice Choir
The Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir , also known as the Fron Choir , is an award-winning amateur male voice choir based in the village of Froncysyllte, near Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales.-Origins & History:...
, which began in 1947, when plans were announced to hold the first 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:...
Eisteddfod. A local man, Gomer Powell, formed a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, with JR Jones as first chairman. A local piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
teacher, Lloyd Edwards, became the conductor and one of his students, Menna Hughes, became the accompanist.
Young men were persuaded to join, as 60 voices were needed to compete in the Eisteddfod. One of the first to join was Dennis Williams. He was 16 at the time and is now 75, making him the oldest and longest serving member. They signed a record deal in 2006 with Universal Classics. Their first commercial recording, Voices of the Valley, made it to the charts in November of that year. The choir came to fame when they were heard by Daniel Glatman
Daniel Glatman
Daniel Glatman is a multi award winning English pop music manager, best known for co-creating and managing the boy band Blue....
, manager of the band Blue
Blue (boy band)
Blue are an English pop vocal group, whose members are Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Duncan James and Antony Costa. Blue originally formed in 2001 before splitting in 2005. In 2009, it was confirmed that the band would reform. In April 2009, the group reunited and a Best of Blue Tour was announced...
.