Garden Village, Wrexham
Encyclopedia
Garden Village is a suburb of the town of Wrexham
and an electoral division (ward) in the community
of Rhosddu
in Wrexham County Borough. It lies to the west of Chester Road and borders the wards of Stansty
to the south and east, Gwersyllt East and South to the north west, Little Acton and Acton to the west, and a small section of Gresford
to the north.
The development of Garden Village began with the purchase of some 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land from Sir Foster Cunliffe
near to the estate of Acton by the Welsh Town Planning and Housing Trust Limited.
The intention was to provide affordable housing to workers coming to Wrexham to work in the expanding industries of coal and iron. Gresford Colliery had recently been opened where it was expected that approximately 3,000 men would be employed in the next two years.
A Co-partnership Housing Society was set up in 1913 called Wrexham Tenants Limited, with Lord Kenyon, Mr. David Davies, M.P., and others as Directors to build the houses, while the Trust would build the roads and supervise the development of the estate.
The original plan, by the Architect GL Cunliffe
was to provide a village institute, two places of worship, a school and plenty of open spaces and recreation grounds. The design was inspired by the Garden City Movement and was planned as a Garden Suburb. In the first year, 44 properties were completed; numbers 63-69 Acton Gate, numbers 149-167, Chester Road (originally called Bryn Acton) and Cunliffe Walk. These first house were designed by Sutcliffe and the remaining 205 by T Alwyn Lloyd, Architect to the Trust.
One of the pioneering features of the development was that the tenants were also investors in the Company thus ensuring control of future development.
Unfortunately, with the advent of World War I, the development lost impetus and
no further development was undertaken by Wrexham Tenants Limited. The planned shops, churches, institute and school were never built, although St Margaret's church was built in 1928, partly to the original design of T Alwyn Lloyd.
In 1955, Wrexham Tenants Limited was wound up and the properties sold to the tenants at greatly reduced prices of between £250 and £450.
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...
and an electoral division (ward) in the community
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 Rhosddu
Rhosddu
Rhosddu is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is situated in the north-western suburbs of the town of Wrexham.-Administrative history:...
in Wrexham County Borough. It lies to the west of Chester Road and borders the wards of Stansty
Stansty
Stansty is a ward in Wrexham County Borough in Wales, lying to the immediate north-west of the town of Wrexham.-Geography, name:Stansty consists of Higher Stansty and Lower Stansty; Higher Stansty lies near to Summerhill and Moss Valley within the community of Gwersyllt and is north of the A483 road...
to the south and east, Gwersyllt East and South to the north west, Little Acton and Acton to the west, and a small section of Gresford
Gresford
Gresford is a village and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.According to the 2001 Census, the population of the community, which also includes the village of Marford, was 5,334....
to the north.
History
At the start of the 20th century, housing in many areas of Wrexham was of poor quality and, with the increase in industry locally, in short supply.The development of Garden Village began with the purchase of some 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land from Sir Foster Cunliffe
Foster Cunliffe
Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Baronet was the founder of the Royal Society of British Bowmen.-Biography:Foster Cunliffe inherited the baronetcy from his father, Sir Robert Cunliffe, 2nd Baronet on his death in 1778...
near to the estate of Acton by the Welsh Town Planning and Housing Trust Limited.
The intention was to provide affordable housing to workers coming to Wrexham to work in the expanding industries of coal and iron. Gresford Colliery had recently been opened where it was expected that approximately 3,000 men would be employed in the next two years.
A Co-partnership Housing Society was set up in 1913 called Wrexham Tenants Limited, with Lord Kenyon, Mr. David Davies, M.P., and others as Directors to build the houses, while the Trust would build the roads and supervise the development of the estate.
The original plan, by the Architect GL Cunliffe
George Lister Sutcliffe
George Lister Sutcliffe was an English Arts and Crafts architect and author of a number of technical and architectural publications....
was to provide a village institute, two places of worship, a school and plenty of open spaces and recreation grounds. The design was inspired by the Garden City Movement and was planned as a Garden Suburb. In the first year, 44 properties were completed; numbers 63-69 Acton Gate, numbers 149-167, Chester Road (originally called Bryn Acton) and Cunliffe Walk. These first house were designed by Sutcliffe and the remaining 205 by T Alwyn Lloyd, Architect to the Trust.
One of the pioneering features of the development was that the tenants were also investors in the Company thus ensuring control of future development.
Unfortunately, with the advent of World War I, the development lost impetus and
no further development was undertaken by Wrexham Tenants Limited. The planned shops, churches, institute and school were never built, although St Margaret's church was built in 1928, partly to the original design of T Alwyn Lloyd.
In 1955, Wrexham Tenants Limited was wound up and the properties sold to the tenants at greatly reduced prices of between £250 and £450.