Overton-on-Dee
Encyclopedia
Overton-on-Dee is a small rural town and a local government community
, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales
.
It is situated on the edge of an escarpment
which winds its way around the course of the River Dee
, which Overton-on-Dee derives its name from.
The community of Overton, which also includes the village of Lightwood Green and a number of small hamlets, had a total population of 1,276 at the 2001 census.
and exactly 22 miles (35 km) from both Chester
and Shrewsbury
. Its neighbouring villages are Bangor-on-Dee
and Penley
whilst the small towns of Ellesmere
and Ruabon
are only a short distance away.
The hamlet
of Overton Bridge is a distinct settlement west of the town at above the Dee and the road bridge that carries the A528 road across the river.
against the forces of the English king Edward I.
The town is situated in an exclave of the traditional county of Flintshire
known as Maelor Saesneg (English
: "English Maelor"), sometimes called "Flintshire Detached", and was the administrative centre of that part of the administrative county
between 1889 and 1974. Between 1974 and 1996 Overton was administered as part of the short-lived county of Clwyd
. Strangely, the community (parish) and county boundary between it and Erbistock
(in historic Denbighshire
) is, in part, on the west side of the river due to oxbow
formation in the river. It is now in Wrexham borough.
The churchyard of St Mary the Virgin dominates the high street and is famous for twenty-one very ancient yew
trees. The yew trees are traditionally one of the Seven Wonders of Wales
and commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme:
At 1,500 to 2,000 years old, the oldest tree predates the church, whose earliest stonework is probably Norman. In 1992 the village celebrated the 700th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter
to Overton by Edward I
in 1292 with a royal visit from the present Queen who planted a new yew tree.
Most of the town was once owned by the Bryn-y-pys Estate. The 1848 sale particulars, with 4300 acres (17 km²) and a majority of the houses and farms in the town, run to several pages. It was made clear that the estate wielded "Great Political Influence", as without the secret ballot at general elections, the purchaser, who would be virtually everyone's landlord, was guaranteed of a place in Parliament.
There are several interesting buildings in the town including: the "Cocoa and Reading Rooms", a terracotta building of 1890, built to promulgate temperance
, now the library; almshouse
s and a Victorian village pump.
pitch which is used for competition with its twinned town of La Murette
in France. Overton is also an excellent rendezvous point for walkers as it finds itself on the map of the Maelor Way
, a 38km long-distance footpath; this in turn links up with Offa's Dyke Path
National Trail at Bronygarth and the Sandstone Trail
, Llangollen Canal
, South Cheshire Way
, and the Marches Way
.
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....
, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in 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...
.
It is situated on the edge of an escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
which winds its way around the course 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....
, which Overton-on-Dee derives its name from.
The community of Overton, which also includes the village of Lightwood Green and a number of small hamlets, had a total population of 1,276 at the 2001 census.
Geography
Overton-on-Dee is 7 miles (11 km) from WrexhamWrexham
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 exactly 22 miles (35 km) from both Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
. Its neighbouring villages are Bangor-on-Dee
Bangor-on-Dee
Bangor-on-Dee is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village in the ancient district of Maelor in Wales, situated on the banks of the River Dee...
and Penley
Penley
Penley is a village in the County Borough of Wrexham, in Wales close to the border with Shropshire, EnglandThe village was, until 1974, in an exclave of the ancient county of Flintshire known as Maelor Saesneg. , sometimes called "Flintshire Detached", which was administered from Overton-on-Dee...
whilst the small towns of Ellesmere
Ellesmere, Shropshire
Ellesmere is a small market town near Oswestry in north Shropshire, England, notable for its proximity to a number of prominent lakes, the Meres.-History:...
and Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
are only a short distance away.
The hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Overton Bridge is a distinct settlement west of the town at above the Dee and the road bridge that carries the A528 road across the river.
History
One of Overton's earliest appearances in history was as one of the first targets of the revolt of 1294-95, led by Madog ap LlywelynMadog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
against the forces of the English king Edward I.
The town is situated in an exclave of the traditional county of Flintshire
Flintshire (historic)
Flintshire , also known as the County of Flint, is one of thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which mostly lies on the north east coast of Wales....
known as Maelor Saesneg (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: "English Maelor"), sometimes called "Flintshire Detached", and was the administrative centre of that part of the administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
between 1889 and 1974. Between 1974 and 1996 Overton was administered as part of the short-lived 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...
. Strangely, the community (parish) and county boundary between it and Erbistock
Erbistock
Erbistock is a village and a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. The village lies on the banks of the River Dee....
(in historic Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
) is, in part, on the west side of the river due to oxbow
Oxbow
An oxbow is a U-shaped wooden or metal frame that fits under and around the neck of an ox or bullock, with its upper ends passing through the bar of the yoke and held in place with a metal key, called a bow pin. The wood most often used is hardwood steamed into shape, like elm or hickory and...
formation in the river. It is now in Wrexham borough.
St Mary the Virgin Church and its yew trees
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
trees. The yew trees are traditionally one of the Seven Wonders of Wales
Seven Wonders of Wales
The Seven Wonders of Wales is a traditional list of notable landmarks in North Wales, commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme:The seven wonders comprise:...
and commemorated in an anonymously written rhyme:
- Pistyll Rhaeadr and Wrexham steeple,
- Snowdon's mountain without its people,
- Overton yew trees, St Winefride wells,
- Llangollen bridge, and Gresford bells.
At 1,500 to 2,000 years old, the oldest tree predates the church, whose earliest stonework is probably Norman. In 1992 the village celebrated the 700th anniversary of the granting of a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
to Overton by Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1292 with a royal visit from the present Queen who planted a new yew tree.
Buildings and heritage
Overton has a fine collection of 18th and 19th century buildings, many of which are listed as buildings of architectural or historic interest. Even the old telephone box has been "listed". The village centre is also designated as a Conservation Area.Most of the town was once owned by the Bryn-y-pys Estate. The 1848 sale particulars, with 4300 acres (17 km²) and a majority of the houses and farms in the town, run to several pages. It was made clear that the estate wielded "Great Political Influence", as without the secret ballot at general elections, the purchaser, who would be virtually everyone's landlord, was guaranteed of a place in Parliament.
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, now the library; almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s and a Victorian village pump.
Recreation
The village has the usual sporting recreational areas of cricket, football, bowls and tennis, but more interesting, it has a boulesBoules
Boules is a collective name for games played with metal balls.Two of the most played boule games are pétanque and boule lyonnaise. The aim of the game is to get large, heavy balls as close to the 'jack' as you can. It is very popular especially in France, but also Italy, where it may often be seen...
pitch which is used for competition with its twinned town of La Murette
La Murette
La Murette is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
in France. Overton is also an excellent rendezvous point for walkers as it finds itself on the map of the Maelor Way
Maelor Way
Maelor Way is a key long distance footpath, running 38 kilometres / 24 miles from the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail at Bronygarth to the Shropshire Way, Sandstone Trail, Llangollen Canal, South Cheshire Way, and the Marches Way all at Grindley Brook near Whitchurch.- The route :Most of the way is...
, a 38km long-distance footpath; this in turn links up with Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
National Trail at Bronygarth and the Sandstone Trail
Sandstone Trail
The Sandstone Trail is a long-distance walkers' path, following sandstone ridges running north–south from Frodsham in central Cheshire to Whitchurch just over the Shropshire border. The path was created in 1974 and extended in the 1990s...
, 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....
, South Cheshire Way
South Cheshire Way
The South Cheshire Way is a long-distance footpath running east–west mainly through Cheshire, England, though parts lie in Shropshire and Staffordshire. The western section from Grindley Brook, near Whitchurch, runs through farmland; the eastern section from Mow Cop, near Biddulph, runs through...
, and the Marches Way
Marches Way
The Marches Way is a partially waymarked long distance footpath in the United Kingdom. It runs 351 kilometres / 218 miles through the Welsh–English borderlands, traditionally known as the Welsh Marches and links the cities of Chester in the north and Cardiff in the south.-The route:The route...
.
Further reading
- Gordon Emery - Guide to the Maelor Way (1991) ISBN 1-872265-98-7
- Gordon Emery - Curious Clwyd (1994) ISBN 1-872265-99-5
- Gordon Emery - Curious Clwyd 2 (1996) ISBN 1-872265-97-9
External links
- St Mary The Virgin Church (Open Church Network)
- Overton-on-Dee website (Overton Community Council)
- photos of Overton-on-Dee on geograph