North Wales
Encyclopedia
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
. North Wales is divided in to three traditional regions, viz; Upper Gwynedd (or Gwynedd above the Conwy defined as the area north of the River Dyfi
and west of the River Conwy
); Lower Gwynedd (or Gwynedd below the Conwy also known as the Perfeddwlad
and defined as the region east of the River Conwy and west of the River Dee) and Ynys Môn
(or Anglesey), a large island off the north coast..
The southern boundary is arbitrary and its definition may depend on the use being made of the term. For example the boundary of North Wales Police
differs from the boundary of the North Wales area of the Environment Agency Wales
.
known as the Kingdom of Gwynedd
. The mountainous stronghold of Snowdonia
formed the nucleus of that realm and would become the last redoubt of independent Wales
— only overcome in 1283. To this day it remains a stronghold of the Welsh language
and a centre for Welsh national and cultural identity.
s in Wales. These are Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal
and, collectively, the Edwardian castles and town walls of the region
which comprise those at Caernarfon
, Beaumaris
, Conwy
and Harlech
.
was a European Parliament
constituency until 1999. Currently, there is an electoral region for the National Assembly for Wales
with the name (used, in parallel with the smaller constituencies, to elect top-up members under the Additional Member System
), which covers the north-east of Wales (specifically the entire area of the former pre-1996 county of Clwyd
) as well as the Northern-most coastal areas of north-western Wales; the rest of North Wales is covered by Mid and West Wales.
The area is mostly rural with many mountain
s and valley
s. This, in combination with its coast (on the Irish Sea
), has ensured that tourism
is the principal industry. Farming
, which was once the principal economic force in the area, is now much reduced in importance. The average income per capita of the local population is the lowest in the UK and much of the region has EU
Objective 1 status.
The eastern part of North Wales contains the most populous areas, with more than 300,000 people living in the areas around Wrexham
and Deeside
. Wrexham is North Wales' largest town
, with a population
of 68,000 in 2005. The majority of other settlements are along the coast, including some popular resort town
s, such as Rhyl
, Llandudno
and Pwllheli
. The A55 road
links these towns cities like Manchester
, Liverpool
and Birmingham
and the port of Holyhead
for ferries to Ireland
; few routes connect North Wales with South Wales
. There are two cathedral
cities Bangor
and St. Asaph
and a number of mediaeval
castle
s (e.g., Criccieth
, Dolbadarn
, Harlech
, Caernarfon Castle
, Beaumaris
, Conwy
).
schist
s along the Menai Strait
and the great Cambrian
dome behind Harlech
and underlying much of western Snowdonia
. In the Ordovician
period much volcanism deposited a range of minerals and rocks over the north western parts of Gwynedd whilst to the east of the River Conwy
lies a large area of upland rolling hills underlain by the Silurian
mudstones and grits comprising the Denbigh
and Migneint
Moors. To the east, around Llangollen
, to the north on Halkyn
Mountain and the Great Orme
and in eastern Anglesey are beds of limestone
from which metals have been mined since pre-Roman times. Added to all this are the complexities posed by Parys Mountain
and the outcrops of unusual minerals such as Jasper
and Mona Marble which make the area of special interest to geologists
.
of the Welsh language
differs from that of other regions such as South Wales
in some ways; for example is used in most of the North instead of for "milk"; a simple sentence such as go upstairs now might be in North Wales, where it might be in South Wales. Colloquially
, a person from North Wales (especially one who speaks with this dialect or accent) is known as a North Walian, or a Gog (from the Welsh , meaning "north").
, is distributed from Monday to Saturday, whilst The Leader (formerly the Evening Leader) publishes three editions for Wrexham, Chester and Flintshire and is based at the headquarters of NWN Media in Mold
.
Additionally, nine weekly newspapers provide local and community news:
The weekly Aberyswyth-based Cambrian News
covers southern Gwynedd and publishes separate editions for the Arfon/Dwyfor and Meirionydd districts.
A weekly Welsh-language newspaper, Y Cymro
is published each week by the Cambrian News
from its Porthmadog
office alongside two localised Welsh titles, Y Cyfnod (Bala
) and Y Dydd (Dolgellau
). Yr Herald Gymraeg is distributed by Trinity Mirror as a pull-out section in the Wednesday edition of the Daily Post. There are also 24 Papurau Bro
(area papers) providing community news and generally published each month.
and BBC Radio Cymru
cover the region from its broadcasting centre in Bangor
, a smaller studio and newsroom in Wrexham
and a satellite studio in Mold.
Three commercial radio stations serve the area — Heart North West and Wales
broadcasts local breakfast and drivetime programming for Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy county as well as Cheshire and the Wirral with a Welsh language opt-out service for the former Coast FM area on 96.3 FM. Heart Cymru airs an extended local programming service, predominantly in the Welsh language, for Gwynedd and Anglesey. Both stations broadcast from studios in Gwersyllt
on the outskirts of Wrexham. Real Radio Wales
broadcasts a national service from Cardiff but also operates from a news and advertising office in Wrexham.
Three community radio stations broadcast on FM — Calon FM
serving Wrexham County Borough & parts of southern Flintshire, Tudno FM
broadcasting to Llandudno
& surrounding areas and Point FM
serving Rhyl
, parts of the Vale of Clwyd and eastern areas of Conwy county. In addition, a fourth community station, Wrexham FM, broadcasts online.
and Ffeil
programmes (the latter two broadcast on S4C
) and ITV
's Wales Tonight
programme. BBC Cymru Wales news teams are based at the Corporation's Bangor, Wrexham and Mold studios while ITV Wales runs a newsroom in Colwyn Bay
.
S4C
has an administrative office in Caernarfon
, where a cluster of independent production companies are also based or partly based including Rondo Media, Cwmni Da, Antena, Owain Roberts Animations and Tinopolis.
Wrexham F.C. play in the English football league system
; having been a member of the Football League
for over 80 years, in 2008 they were relegated into the Conference National
for the first time in their existence. They remain the highest ranked team in the region, and play at the Racecourse Ground
in Wrexham and train at Colliers Park, Gresford
. Colwyn Bay F.C.
also play in the English pyramid at Conference North
level.
There are a number of teams playing within the semi-professional domestic leagues the Welsh Premier League and the Cymru Alliance
.
by Crusaders Rugby League, they re-located to Wrexham
for the 2010 season from south Wales
. They played at the Racecourse Ground
and trained at Stansty Park both in Wrexham
before folding in 2011.
that a development team based in North Wales would be created, with a long term goal of becoming the fifth Welsh Region in the Celtic League. It was envisaged that this would both help the growth of the game in the area, and provide a larger pool of players for the Welsh national team
to be selected from.
published in 1910
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 bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
and Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
in Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
and to the east by the counties of 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...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
and Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
in North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
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...
. North Wales is divided in to three traditional regions, viz; Upper Gwynedd (or Gwynedd above the Conwy defined as the area north of the River Dyfi
River Dyfi
The River Dyfi is a river in Mid Wales. The Dyfi estuary forms the border between the counties of Gwynedd and Ceredigion.- Source :...
and west of the River Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
); Lower Gwynedd (or Gwynedd below the Conwy also known as the Perfeddwlad
Perfeddwlad
Perfeddwlad, , , was a name adopted during the twelfth century for the territories in north-east Wales lying between the rivers Conwy and Dee, and comprised the cantrefi of Rhos, Rhufoniog, Dyffryn Clwyd and Tegeingl...
and defined as the region east of the River Conwy and west of the River Dee) and Ynys Môn
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
(or Anglesey), a large island off the north coast..
The southern boundary is arbitrary and its definition may depend on the use being made of the term. For example the boundary of North Wales Police
North Wales Police
North Wales Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. The headquarters are in Colwyn Bay, with divisional headquarters in St Asaph, Caernarfon and Wrexham....
differs from the boundary of the North Wales area of the Environment Agency Wales
Environment Agency Wales
Environment Agency Wales is an Assembly Sponsored Public Body. It is that part of the Environment Agency that covers Wales. The Regional divisions of the Environment Agency are based on the concept of catchment management and administrative boundaries therefore follow the watersheds of major rivers...
.
History
North Wales is steeped in history and was for almost a millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
known as the Kingdom of Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
. The mountainous stronghold of Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
formed the nucleus of that realm and would become the last redoubt of independent Wales
Medieval Wales
Medieval Wales may refer to:*Wales in the Early Middle Ages*Wales in the High Middle Ages*Wales in the Late Middle Ages-See also:*Medieval Britain *Kingdom of Cornwall...
— only overcome in 1283. To this day it remains a stronghold of the Welsh language
Welsh 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...
and a centre for Welsh national and cultural identity.
World Heritage Sites
North Wales is home to two of the three UNESCO World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s in Wales. These are Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal
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....
and, collectively, the Edwardian castles and town walls of the region
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd refers to a UNESCO-designated site of patrimony located in Gwynedd, Wales.In 1986, four castles related to the reign of King Edward I of England were proclaimed collectively as a World Heritage Site, as outstanding examples of fortifications and...
which comprise those at Caernarfon
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
, Beaumaris
Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed...
, Conwy
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
and Harlech
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
.
Political divisions
The region is made up of the following administrative areas:- the county borough of Wrexham (Wrecsam)
- the county of FlintshireFlintshireFlintshire 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...
(Sir y Fflint) - the county of DenbighshireDenbighshireDenbighshire 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...
(Sir Ddinbych) - the county borough of Conwy
- the county of GwyneddGwyneddGwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
- the county of the Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn)
Related constituencies
North WalesNorth Wales (European Parliament constituency)
North Wales was a European Parliament constituency which roughly covered the unofficial region of North Wales, from 1979 until 1999. It was held by the Conservative Party from 1979 until 1989, during which time it was their only seat in Wales....
was a European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
constituency until 1999. Currently, there is an electoral region for the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
with the name (used, in parallel with the smaller constituencies, to elect top-up members under the Additional Member System
Additional Member System
The Additional Member System is the term used in the United Kingdom for the mixed member proportional representation voting system used in Scotland, Wales and the London Assembly....
), which covers the north-east of Wales (specifically the entire area of the former pre-1996 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...
) as well as the Northern-most coastal areas of north-western Wales; the rest of North Wales is covered by Mid and West Wales.
Geography
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s and valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s. This, in combination with its coast (on the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
), has ensured that tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is the principal industry. Farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, which was once the principal economic force in the area, is now much reduced in importance. The average income per capita of the local population is the lowest in the UK and much of the region has EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Objective 1 status.
The eastern part of North Wales contains the most populous areas, with more than 300,000 people living in the areas around 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...
and Deeside
Deeside
For Strathdee in Scotland see River Dee, AberdeenshireDeeside is the name given to the predominantly industrial conurbation of towns and villages that lie on, or near the River Dee in Chester. These include, Connah's Quay, Mancot, Pentre, Shotton, Queensferry, Sealand, Broughton, Hawarden,...
. Wrexham is North Wales' largest town
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...
, with a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 68,000 in 2005. The majority of other settlements are along the coast, including some popular resort town
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...
s, such as Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
and Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
. The A55 road
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
links these towns cities like Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and the port of 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....
for ferries to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
; few routes connect North Wales with South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. There are two cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
cities Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
and St. Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
and a number of mediaeval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
s (e.g., Criccieth
Criccieth Castle
Criccieth Castle is a native Welsh castle situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth, Gwynedd, in North Wales, on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay...
, Dolbadarn
Dolbadarn Castle
Dolbadarn Castle is a fortification built by the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great during the early 13th century, at the base of the Llanberis Pass, in North Wales. The castle was important both militarily and as a symbol of Llywelyn's power and authority. The castle features a large stone keep,...
, Harlech
Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
, Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
, Beaumaris
Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed...
, Conwy
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
).
Geology
North Wales has a very diverse and complex geology with PrecambrianPrecambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s along the Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
and the great Cambrian
Cambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
dome behind Harlech
Harlech
Harlech is a town and seaside resort in Gwynedd, within the historical boundaries of Merionethshire in northwest Wales. Lying on Tremadog Bay and within the Snowdonia National Park, it has a population of 1,952, of whom 59% speak Welsh...
and underlying much of western Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
. In the Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
period much volcanism deposited a range of minerals and rocks over the north western parts of Gwynedd whilst to the east of the River Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
lies a large area of upland rolling hills underlain by the Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
mudstones and grits comprising the Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
and Migneint
Migneint
The Migneint is a large expanse of moorland in central Snowdonia, North Wales. It is part of the Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt Special Area of Conservation, along with the mountains Arenig Fawr, Arenig Fach and Dduallt, covering a range of nearly 200 km²...
Moors. To the east, around 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:...
, to the north on Halkyn
Halkyn
Halkyn is a village in Flintshire, north-east Wales and situated between Pentre Halkyn, Northop and Rhosesmor. At the 2001 Census the population of the community was 2,876.- History :...
Mountain and the Great Orme
Great Orme
The Great Orme is a prominent limestone headland on the north coast of Wales situated in Llandudno. It is referred to as Cyngreawdr Fynydd in a poem by the 12th century poet Gwalchmai ap Meilyr...
and in eastern Anglesey are beds of 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....
from which metals have been mined since pre-Roman times. Added to all this are the complexities posed by Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain – in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys – is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century.-History:...
and the outcrops of unusual minerals such as Jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
and Mona Marble which make the area of special interest to geologists
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
.
Language
North Wales has a distinct regional identity. Its dialectDialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of the Welsh language
Welsh 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...
differs from that of other regions such as South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
in some ways; for example is used in most of the North instead of for "milk"; a simple sentence such as go upstairs now might be in North Wales, where it might be in South Wales. Colloquially
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
, a person from North Wales (especially one who speaks with this dialect or accent) is known as a North Walian, or a Gog (from the Welsh , meaning "north").
Newspapers
Two daily newspapers are published in North Wales. The region-wide North Wales edition of the Daily Post, based at Trinity Mirror's offices in Llandudno JunctionLlandudno Junction
Llandudno Junction , once known as Tremarl, is a small town in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. It is part of the ancient parish of Llangystennin, and it is located south of Llandudno. It adjoins Deganwy and is to the east of the walled town of Conwy, which is on the opposite side of the River...
, is distributed from Monday to Saturday, whilst The Leader (formerly the Evening Leader) publishes three editions for Wrexham, Chester and Flintshire and is based at the headquarters of NWN Media in 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...
.
Additionally, nine weekly newspapers provide local and community news:
Trinity Mirror titles
- Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald (Arfon and Dwyfor editions)
- The Mail (Bangor/Anglesey and Holyhead/Anglesey editions)
- North Wales Weekly NewsNorth Wales Weekly NewsThe North Wales Weekly News is one of a group of newspapers published weekly in Llandudno and between all titles covering most of coastal North Wales. Much of the material published is shared between a number of other titles but with the addition of some local material relevant to each specific title...
(General, Colwyn Bay and Conwy Valley editions)
NWN Media titles
- Denbighshire Free Press
- Flintshire Standard
- The Journal (Rhyl, Prestatyn and Abergele editions)
- North Wales Chronicle (North Gwynedd and Anglesey)
- North Wales Pioneer (Llandudno and Colwyn Bay editions)
- Wrexham Leader
The weekly Aberyswyth-based Cambrian News
Cambrian News
The Cambrian News is a weekly newspaper distributed in Wales. It was founded in 1860 and is based in Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth. Cambrian News Ltd was bought by media entrepreneur Sir Ray Tindle in 1998.- History :...
covers southern Gwynedd and publishes separate editions for the Arfon/Dwyfor and Meirionydd districts.
A weekly Welsh-language newspaper, Y Cymro
Y Cymro
Y Cymro is a Welsh language newspaper, first published in 1932.Y Cymro was founded in Wrexham, and succeeded other newspapers of the same name that had existed during the 19th and early 20th century. It is the only national newspaper in the Welsh language, and is published weekly, on a Friday.In...
is published each week by the Cambrian News
Cambrian News
The Cambrian News is a weekly newspaper distributed in Wales. It was founded in 1860 and is based in Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth. Cambrian News Ltd was bought by media entrepreneur Sir Ray Tindle in 1998.- History :...
from its Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
office alongside two localised Welsh titles, Y Cyfnod (Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
) and Y Dydd (Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
). Yr Herald Gymraeg is distributed by Trinity Mirror as a pull-out section in the Wednesday edition of the Daily Post. There are also 24 Papurau Bro
Papur Bro
A Papur Bro is a Welsh language local community newspaper, produced by volunteers and generally published monthly. The first such publication was Y Dinesydd, established in Cardiff in April 1973. There are currently 58 Papurau Bro, produced throughout Wales....
(area papers) providing community news and generally published each month.
Radio
Although no BBC local radio stations exist for North Wales, the Corporation's national services BBC Radio WalesBBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
and BBC Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Cymru is BBC Cymru's Welsh-language radio station, broadcasting throughout Wales from studios in Cardiff, Bangor, and Aberystwyth on FM since 1977. At the time of its launch it was one of the few FM-only radio services in the UK...
cover the region from its broadcasting centre in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, a smaller studio and newsroom 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...
and a satellite studio in Mold.
Three commercial radio stations serve the area — Heart North West and Wales
Heart North West and Wales
Heart North West and Wales is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Cheshire, the Wirral Peninsula and North Wales. The station began broadcasting on 2 July 2010 as a result of a merger between Heart Cheshire and North East Wales , Heart Wirral and Heart North Wales Coast...
broadcasts local breakfast and drivetime programming for Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy county as well as Cheshire and the Wirral with a Welsh language opt-out service for the former Coast FM area on 96.3 FM. Heart Cymru airs an extended local programming service, predominantly in the Welsh language, for Gwynedd and Anglesey. Both stations broadcast from studios in Gwersyllt
Gwersyllt
Gwersyllt is an urban village and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales....
on the outskirts of Wrexham. Real Radio Wales
Real Radio (Wales)
Real Radio Wales is a Regional Radio station owned and operated by GMG Radio and forming part of the Real Radio network. The station broadcasts from studios at Morganstown in Cardiff on various FM frequencies, DAB via the MXR Severn Estuary multiplex and across the UK on digital satellite TV...
broadcasts a national service from Cardiff but also operates from a news and advertising office in Wrexham.
Three community radio stations broadcast on FM — Calon FM
Calon FM
Calon FM is a community radio station broadcasting primarily to Wrexham and the surrounding urban areas, along with fair coverage through much of the central areas of Wrexham County Borough, and parts of southern Flintshire...
serving Wrexham County Borough & parts of southern Flintshire, Tudno FM
Tudno FM
Tudno FM is a community radio station serving the area around Llandudno in Conwy County Borough, north Wales, broadcasting on 107.8 FM locally and via the station's website...
broadcasting to Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
& surrounding areas and Point FM
Point FM
Point FM is a community radio station broadcasting to Rhyl and surrounding towns & villages in northern parts of Denbighshire, north Wales, on 103.1 FM locally and via the station's website...
serving Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, parts of the Vale of Clwyd and eastern areas of Conwy county. In addition, a fourth community station, Wrexham FM, broadcasts online.
Television
News coverage of North Wales is generally provided within the BBC's Wales Today, NewyddionNewyddion
Newyddion is a Welsh-language news programme consisting of Welsh, UK, and international news, produced daily by BBC Cymru Wales and broadcast on S4C.-Overview:...
and Ffeil
Ffeil
Ffeil is a Welsh-language television news programme for children and young people, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for S4C.-Overview:...
programmes (the latter two broadcast on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
) and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Wales Tonight
Wales Tonight
Wales Tonight is a national television news and current affairs programme, also including local sports news and local features of interest, produced by ITV Wales at its studios in the western outskirts of Cardiff....
programme. BBC Cymru Wales news teams are based at the Corporation's Bangor, Wrexham and Mold studios while ITV Wales runs a newsroom in Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
.
S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
has an administrative office in Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, where a cluster of independent production companies are also based or partly based including Rondo Media, Cwmni Da, Antena, Owain Roberts Animations and Tinopolis.
Football
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
; having been a member of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for over 80 years, in 2008 they were relegated into the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
for the first time in their existence. They remain the highest ranked team in the region, and play at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
in Wrexham and train at Colliers Park, 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....
. Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...
also play in the English pyramid at Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
level.
There are a number of teams playing within the semi-professional domestic leagues the Welsh Premier League and the Cymru Alliance
Cymru Alliance
The Huws Gray Alliance is a football league and forms the second level of the Welsh football league system in north and central Wales....
.
Rugby League
Wales was represented in the European Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
by Crusaders Rugby League, they re-located to 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...
for the 2010 season from south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. They played at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
and trained at Stansty Park both 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...
before folding in 2011.
Rugby Union
In September 2008 it was announced by the Welsh Rugby UnionWelsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
that a development team based in North Wales would be created, with a long term goal of becoming the fifth Welsh Region in the Celtic League. It was envisaged that this would both help the growth of the game in the area, and provide a larger pool of players for the Welsh national team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
to be selected from.
Attractions
In 2000, The Wales Tourist Board tourist identified the top 10 most visited attractions in the region. They included:- LlangollenLlangollenLlangollen 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:...
- PortmeirionPortmeirionPortmeirion is a popular tourist village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village and is now owned by a charitable trust....
- Caernarfon CastleCaernarfon CastleCaernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
- Conwy CastleConwy CastleConwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
- Bodnant GardenBodnant GardenBodnant Garden is a National Trust property near Tal-y-Cafn, in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. Bodnant Garden is situated above the River Conwy and overlooks the Conwy valley towards the Carneddau range of mountains.- History :...
- Llechwedd Slate CavernsLlechwedd Slate CavernsLlechwedd Slate Caverns is a visitor attraction in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales. Visitors can travel on the Miners' Tramway or descend into the Deep Mine, via a funicular railway, to explore the former Llechwedd slate quarry and learn how slate was extracted and processed and about the lives...
- Swallow FallsSwallow FallsSwallow Falls is a name coined by early tourists for the Rhaeadr Ewynnol, , a multiple waterfall system in Wales, located on the Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy county borough. It is visited by tens of thousands of tourists annually....
- Great Orme TramwayGreat Orme TramwayThe Great Orme Tramway is a cable-hauled gauge tramway in Llandudno in north Wales.This is Great Britain's only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of only three surviving in the world . It takes passengers from Llandudno Victoria Station to just below the summit of the Great Orme...
- Penrhyn CastlePenrhyn CastlePenrhyn Castle is a country house in Llandegai, Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales, in the form of a Norman castle. It was originally a medieval fortified manor house, founded by Ednyfed Fychan. In 1438, Ioan ap Gruffudd was granted a licence to crenellate and he founded the stone castle and added a...
- ErddigErddigErddig Hall is a National Trust property on the outskirts of Wrexham, Wales. Located south of Wrexham town centre, it was built in 1684–1687 for Joshua Edisbury, the high sheriff of Denbighshire and was designed by Thomas Webb....
See also
- Geography of WalesGeography of WalesWales is a generally mountainous country on the western side of central southern Great Britain, between the Irish Sea to the north and the Bristol Channel to the south. It is part of the United Kingdom, and is bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean, St George's Channel and Irish...
- South WalesSouth WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
- West WalesWest WalesWest Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
- Mid WalesMid WalesMid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
- North Wales PoliceNorth Wales PoliceNorth Wales Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. The headquarters are in Colwyn Bay, with divisional headquarters in St Asaph, Caernarfon and Wrexham....
- North Wales Fire and Rescue ServiceNorth Wales Fire and Rescue ServiceThe North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service covering the predominantly rural principal areas of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham in the north of Wales....
- Kingdom of GwyneddKingdom of GwyneddGwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
External links
PDF book by Alfred Neobard PalmerAlfred Neobard Palmer
Alfred Neobard Palmer was a chemist and local historian. He published several books concerning the local history of Wrexham and north Wales.-Biography:...
published in 1910