Eryrys (; alternate spelling ''Erryrys)'' is a village in

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 ...

, Wales, located at approximate grid reference SJ203578, five miles south of

Mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...

. The village is built on the

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

formation of

Bryn Alyn Bryn Alyn is a hill and Site of Special Scientific Interest in Denbighshire, North Wales, and forms part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Bryn Alyn lies in the community of Llanarmon-yn-Iâl, to the east o ...

and many limestone outcrops can be seen close by. At 355m above sea level, Eryrys is one of a number of villages with a valid claim to be the highest in Wales; others include

Bwlchgwyn Bwlchgwyn is a village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, on the A525 road, west of the city of Wrexham and south-east of the town of Ruthin. Bwlchgwyn is part of the community of Brymbo. In the 2011 Census the population of the village was 8 ...

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 ...

(341m, but has a still-active church, which Eryrys does not), and Garn-yr-Erw,

Torfaen Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south ...

(390m, but has no church or pub). A number of sources suggested that the name is derived from the Welsh ''Erw Yrys'', or the "acre (''erw'') of Gyrys", sometimes linked with the "Hen Gyrys o Iâl" identified as the author of early Welsh collections of proverbs. There are several limestone quarries close to the village, some now closed but others still actively serving the local cement industry. Eryrys was formerly a lead-mining community, with the remains of several mines still visible nearby, although lead-mining in the area ceased in the late 19th century. The land around Eryrys is now primarily used for sheep-grazing, with also some dairy farming. Eryrys lies on the edge of the

Clwydian Range and Dee Valley , iucn_category =V , iucn_ref = , photo =Sunny Hillside, Frosty Valley Dee Valley Wales (11014647076).jpg , photo_width = , photo_alt =Image of the view of the Dee Valley from Moel Y Gamelin , photo_caption = ...

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of thei ...

and many walking routes go through or around the village.Clwydian Range AONB , About the Range , AONB Designation
/ref> Eryrys, Sir Ddinbych 08.JPG Eryrys, Sir Ddinbych 02.JPG Eryrys, Sir Ddinbych 06.JPG Eryrys, Sir Ddinbych 12.jpg

References

{{authority control Villages in Denbighshire