Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an o ...
,
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, t ...
and
seaside resort
A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germa ...
in
Conwy County Borough on the north coast of
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
overlooking the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the C ...
. It lies within the
historic county of
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
. Eight neighbouring communities are incorporated within its postal district. Established as its own separate parish in 1844 with just a small grouping of homes and farms where the community of
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn ( cy, Hen Golwyn, formerly Colwyn bilingually) is a large village just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn ...
stands today, Colwyn Bay has expanded to become the second-largest community and business centre in the north of Wales as well as the
14th largest in the whole of Wales with the urban statistical area, including Old Colwyn,
Rhos-on-Sea, and
Mochdre and
Penrhyn Bay, having a population of 34,284 at the 2011 census.
History
The western side of Colwyn Bay,
Rhos-on-Sea, includes a number of historic sites associated with St Trillo and
Ednyfed Fychan, the 13th century general and councillor to
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and ...
.
The name 'Colwyn' may be named after 'Collwyn ap Tangno' who was Lord of Eifionnydd, Ardudwy and part of the Llŷn peninsula, or the River Colwyn in Old Colwyn.
King Richard II (1367-1400) was ambushed in Old Colwyn in 1399 by supports of
Henry Bolingbroke as he returned to England from Ireland.
During WWII the Colwyn Bay Hotel, Marine Road (now demolished) was the headquarters of the Ministry of Food. This also housed the Cocoa & Chocolate division and was the communications hub for the ministry. They continued to use the hotel until 1953. Colwyn also supported the war effort by becoming a significant location for the diamond cutting and polishing industry, which was used to help fund the war effort.
Government
Bay of Colwyn Town Council is a statutory body, covering the
communities
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, to ...
in the urban area. It is based at the old police station and magistrates court. The mayor for 2019 to 2020 is Councillor Neil Bastow.
Conwy County Borough Council was based at the old civic centre in Colwyn Bay before moving to Coed Pella in Conway Road in Colwyn Bay in November 2018.
Geography
The town is situated about halfway along the north coast of Wales, between the sea and the Pwllycrochan Woods on the towering hillside. Groes yn Eirias (Welsh:''Cross in Torch'') was once a separate hamlet centred on the Glyn farmhouse (c1640) but the area is now occupied by the Glyn estate and
Eirias Park.
Climate
As with the rest of the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...
, Colwyn Bay experiences a
maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters, and often high winds. The local climate is well known for the prevalence of
Foehn wind
A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range.
It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...
s - where winds from the South pass over the nearby mountains and warm and dry on their descent, leading to far higher temperatures than otherwise might be expected; the area held the Welsh high temperature record for February at 18.7 °C from 23 February 2012 to 24 February 2019.
Demography
Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a
municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
with a population of around 25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as
communities
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, to ...
in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed just the central part of the overall town and in the
2001 Census contained just 9,742 people, with the others as follows:
Mochdre (1,862),
Rhos-on-Sea (7,110),
Glan Conwy (2,290),
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn ( cy, Hen Golwyn, formerly Colwyn bilingually) is a large village just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn ...
(7,626) and
Llysfaen
Llysfaen is a village and community in Conwy County Borough overlooking the north coast of Wales, and situated on the hill Mynydd Marian. For local government purposes, it is also a ward. The community includes the Peulwys estate of Old Co ...
(2,652). This gives a total figure for the six communities of 31,382, generally referred to as the population of Colwyn Bay, making it the
16th largest urban area in Wales and the second largest settlement in
North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...
. Bringing 2011 figures into account that figure is now 33,549. The area is sometimes referred to by the name Bay of Colwyn.
According to the
2011 Census, 17.9% of the population aged three and above noted that they could speak
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
. The Census also noted that 29.9% of the population who were born in Wales could speak Welsh.
Economy
The town is dominated by the tourist trade, because of its famous beaches. Colwyn Bay is a
Fairtrade Town as certified by the
Fairtrade Foundation
A fair trade certification is a product certification within the market-based movement fair trade. The most widely used fair trade certification is FLO International's, the International Fairtrade Certification Mark, used in Europe, Africa, Asi ...
as part of the Fairtrade Towns scheme.
Culture
Colwyn Bay hosted the
National Eisteddfod
The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitor ...
in 1910 and 1947. Also The Victoria Pier hosted many dances and shows during the 20th century and became popular with touring bands and artistes through the 1960s up until the final gig there in August 2008.
Community facilities
The town has parks and gardens and a number of natural amenities such as
Eirias Park. Colwyn Bay has received a gold award 8 times in the Wales in Bloom competition. In 2009 and 2010 the town has been invited to enter Britain in Bloom and has been awarded silver gilt in both years. The
Welsh Mountain Zoo is nearby.
The Porth Eirias Watersports Centre offers tuition in sailing, windsurfing and power boating as well as kayak and canoe hire. In 2013 it was nominated for ''
Building Designs
Carbuncle Cup.
Landmarks
The
Victoria Pier was closed to the public in 2009, when a dispute between
Conwy County Borough Council and the pier's owner led to him being declared bankrupt. The fate of the pier was initially uncertain; the council hoped it would be "substantially" demolished for "health and safety and visual reasons to be able to re-open that section of the beach”.
In January 2017, the lower end of the pier partially collapsed into the sea and Conwy Council subsequently announced plans to dismantle and store the pier, with a view of restoring it at a later date. The pier was finally demolished in May 2018.
Llety'r Dryw is a Grade II listed house in Abergele Road, built for the uncle of
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957.
Achieving rapid promo ...
and now used as the training centre for
North Wales Police
North Wales Police ( cy, Heddlu Gogledd Cymru) is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. Its headquarters are in Colwyn Bay. , the force has 1,510 police officers, 170 special constables, 182 police community suppor ...
.
Llys Euryn is a medieval manor house on
Bryn Euryn, now in ruins. There are a number of buildings by notable local architect
Sidney Colwyn Foulkes
Sidney Colwyn Foulkes (1884–1971) OBE FRIBA FILA AMTPI was a Welsh architect, especially known for his architectural designs in Colwyn Bay, cinemas and council estates in North Wales. He was one of the first industrial landscape architects i ...
. These include Williams Deacon’s Bank 1925 and Colwyn House 1933-7 originally occupied by the W.S.Wood department store.
Colwyn Bay Community Hospital
Colwyn Bay Community Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Cymuned Bae Colwyn) is a community hospital in Colwyn Bay, Wales. It is managed by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
History
The hospital has its origins in the Colwyn Bay Jubilee Cottage Hosp ...
was completed in 1925.
Transport
The town is served by
Colwyn Bay railway station located in the town centre on the
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...
with trains run by
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) cons ...
and
Avanti West Coast.
The
A55 road passes through the town, running parallel to the
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...
.
Tramline
The
Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway operated an electric tramway service between
Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craig ...
and
Rhos-on-Sea from 1907 and extended to Colwyn Bay in 1908. The service closed in 1956.
Education
Colwyn Bay has three
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
s - one private and two state.
Eirias High School is in
Eirias Park and
Ysgol Bryn Elian is in
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn ( cy, Hen Golwyn, formerly Colwyn bilingually) is a large village just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn ...
. Ysgol Bryn Elian mainly serves Old Colwyn and Eirias High School mainly serves Colwyn Bay, Rhos on Sea and Penrhyn Bay.
Rydal Penrhos School is a Methodist public school, which is on multiple sites in the town. Fees at this elite public school exceeded more than £34,000 per year for boarding in 2021 and boasts the only Eton Fives courts in Wales. Former alumni include Princess Maria of Romania, a cousin of Prince Charles.
The town's primary schools are Ysgol Nant y Groes, Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, Ysgol T Gwynn Jones, Ysgol Hen Golwyn, and Saint Joseph's R.C. Primary and the Welsh-languag
Ysgol Bod Alaw
Religious sites
Churches in and around the town include the parish church
St Paul's Church,
St David's Welsh Church,
St John the Baptist's Church,
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church and
Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen to the south of the town.
Sport
The local football team is
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pel-Droed Bae Colwyn) is a football club based in Old Colwyn in north Wales. They are currently members of the Cymru North, the second tier of the Welsh football pyramid. Nicknamed the Seagulls, but also know ...
who play in the
Cymru North, the second tier of Welsh football. The local cricket team is Colwyn Bay Cricket Club who play at
Penrhyn Avenue and the rugby union team is
Colwyn Bay RFC. As of 2012, the
RGC 1404 rugby team play at
Eirias Stadium
Eirias Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Eirias), known for sponsorship reasons as Stadiwm CSM, is a multi-purpose stadium that is part of the outdoor complex of the Eirias Events Centre in Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, Wales. It is home to the Principality Prem ...
in Colwyn Bay as part of a development venture by the WRU.
Colwyn Bay Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1893. The club and course closed in 1959 and the land was used for a housing development.
The Black Cat Cycling Club, founded in 2014, is based in Colwyn Bay with members made up of cyclists from the town and the surrounding area.
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club ( cy, Criced Morgannwg) is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Glamorgan ( cy, Morgannwg). Founded in 1888, ...
traditionally play one first class game a year at Colwyn Bay.
Notable people
:''See
:People from Colwyn Bay''
*
William Davies, (born at Groes yn Eirias in 1555) a Welsh Roman Catholic priest and martyr, beatified in 1987.
*
William Roache (born 1932), actor, plays
Ken Barlow in ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Orig ...
'', attended
Rydal Penrhos independent day school
*
Terry Jones (1942–2020) actor and comedian with the
Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over fou ...
comedy team.
*
Alun Michael
Alun Edward Michael (born 22 August 1943) is a Welsh Labour politician serving as South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner since 2012. He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 1998 to 1999 and then as the first First Secretary of Wal ...
(born 1943)
South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner
The South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner is the police and crime commissioner, an elected official tasked with setting out the way crime is tackled by South Wales Police in the "South Wales region" defined by the police force as the seven ...
and former
MP
*
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama '' The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence a ...
(born 1946) actor, played
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
, 1986–1994
*
Richard Ellis (born 1950), astronomer based in California-based, born and went to school in
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn ( cy, Hen Golwyn, formerly Colwyn bilingually) is a large village just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn ...
*
Paula Yates (1959–2000), British television presenter and writer.
*
Helen Willetts
Helen Willetts is a meteorologist on the BBC. She appears regularly on BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 2. Willetts is an occasional weather forecaster on the BBC News at Ten on BBC One. Early ...
(born 1972), a
BBC weather reporter.
*
The Vivienne (born ca.1985), drag queen, winner of season 1
RuPaul's Drag Race UK
''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. T ...
Sport
*
Nancie Colling
Florence Nancie Colling (née Whalley) also Nancie Evans (19 April 1919 – 1 July 2020) was an international lawn bowls competitor for England.
Bowls career
Born in Colwyn Bay her family relocated to Somerset. She started bowling in Frome du ...
(1919–2020) an international lawn bowls competitor
*
Tony Lewis
Anthony Robert Lewis CBE (born 6 July 1938) is a Welsh former cricketer, who captained England, became a journalist, went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage between 1986 and 1998, and became president of the Marylebone C ...
(born 1938), cricketer who captained Glamorgan.
*
Mike Walker (born 1945), footballer with 656 club caps and former manager of
Everton FC
Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has compe ...
and
Norwich City FC
*
Peter O'Sullivan (born 1951) a former footballer with 530 club caps, mainly with
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
*
Mickey Thomas (born 1954) footballer, played for
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
,
Chelsea,
Shrewsbury Town and
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
with 603 club caps and 51 for
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, lives in
Mochdre.
*
Carl Dale (born 1966), footballer for
Chester City and
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...
with over 430 club caps.
*
Ash Dykes
Ashley Philip Dykes is a Welsh adventurer and extreme athlete. He achieved two official world-first records, trekking across Mongolia and Madagascar, before the age of 25. In August 2019, he achieved his third official record, becoming the first ...
(born ca.1980) adventurer and extreme athlete, grew up in
Old Colwyn
Old Colwyn ( cy, Hen Golwyn, formerly Colwyn bilingually) is a large village just to the east of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974 it was part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn ...
.
*
Rachel Taylor (born 1983), Welsh
women's rugby international playerSquad Profiles: Wales Women
at Welsh Rugby Union, 2012
* Marc Williams
Marc Richard Williams (born 27 July 1988) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a forward for Llandudno.
Career
Williams came through the youth system at Wrexham and made his first-team debut in January 2006 against Rushden & Diamonds, in whi ...
(born 1988) footballer with over 400 club caps
See also
* Mochdre, a village to the west that was originally part of the Borough.
References
External links
*
A Vision of Britain Through Time
Bay of Colwyn Town Council
British Listed Buildings
Geograph
Office for National Statistics
{{authority control
Towns in Conwy County Borough
Populated coastal places in Wales