Welcome to Through Hope the Ages& Caergwrle hese communities in the Alyn Valley have a long and rich history, The Alyn Valley itself became an important transport Tinfluenced by their location in the Welsh borderlands and the route, playing a key role in the development of the underlying mix of rocks. nearby industries. Pack-horse trails, drovers routes and later turnpike roads crossed the valley but the biggest impact came in The area has often been a battleground. In the Dark Ages and Medieval 1866 with the opening of the railway along the valley. periods, the Welsh fought a succession of Saxon, Norman and English invaders. During the Civil War it was in the midst of the fighting between The trains also brought 20th century tourists to the area, both Royalist and Parliamentarian troops. Edwardian visitors, to take the health giving spring waters, and ramblers and cyclists from Merseyside, to explore the beautiful scenery. The two sandstone hills at Caergwrle were ideal vantage points, overlooking the valley roads and the Cheshire Plains. They were used to good effect by Farming has always played an important part in the village the Celts, who built Caer Estyn hillfort, and the Welsh prince, Dafydd, who communities, with most of the population employed in farms built Caergwrle Castle. or associated crafts before 1750. Crops were grown on the fertile boulder clay in the valley and the less fertile hillsides The fast flowing River Alyn powered mills and factories along the valley. The were grazed in the summer months. Farming remains the fresh spring waters at Caergwrle were used to brew tasty beer, and also led major land use today. to the development of Caergwrle Spa that drew tourists to the area. Collieries, brick and ironworks developed around the rich coal This booklet has been produced by the local community to celebrate the seams in the Nant-y-Ffrith Valley at Llay, Cefn-y-bedd and rich cultural and natural heritage of the area. Many thanks to all who have Ffrwd. The limestone of nearby Hope Mountain was quarried provided photographs or shared their memories and knowledge. The booklet can also be downloaded from www.cadwynclwyd.co.uk or for building stone or burned to produce lime. Sand and gravel www.flintshire.gov.uk/tourism were quarried at Fagl Lane, Hope, and at Ffrwd. Scripting: Lorna Jenner Research: The late Alison Matthews, Rhona Phoenix, Dave Healey. Editing: Sarah Brennen Design: William Smuts Wildlife photography: Steve Young, Simon Booth, Mick Brummage, Barry Barnacal, Carl Rogers Photographs: the collection of Rhona Phoenix and Alison Matthews, Hugh Edwards, Russell Fidler, Lorna Jenner, William Smuts. Printing: Design and Print 01352 704000 1905 Through the ages Pumphouse for Caergwrle spa was built. 2010 Modern day visitors walk Wat’s Dyke Way and explore the castle ruins. circa 1675 2000BC For centuries long Bronze Age tribes farmed packhorse trains carried locally. A Bronze Age shale goods through bowl decorated with gold Caergwrle. leaf was found on the banks 750BC - 47AD of the River Alyn. Iron Age people built Caer 1277 Estyn hillfort. Dafydd ap Gruffydd began to build Caergwrle Castle. Early Christian Hope church, dedicated to 5th century Saint Cynfarch, was one of the first churches in 250,000 - 8000BC Flintshire. 1866 Prehistoric tribes Wrexham, Mold roamed here. Flint tools and Connah’s Quay have been found locally. Railway opened. 1860 1403 Caergwrle brewery Owain Glyndwr’sˆ established. forces burned the 48 - 400 Circa 780 English settlement of Roman soldiers based Wat’s Dyke built. Hope in 1403. in Chester passed Remnants of this earth through en route to lead bank that ran through workings in Ffrith. Hope and Caergwrle can still be seen today. Border country ope and Caergwrle have had a turbulent past faced earth wall that encircled the Hdue to their location on the border of Wales summit. The remains of a stone faced and England. Successive waves of invaders from wall around Caergwrle Castle hill has England sought to take Welsh lands and ownership of been dated between 250-400AD, which the settlements changed several times. These changes suggests that the Celts or Roman invaders are reflected in the place-names. ‘Hope’ is originally Old may have also used that hilltop. English, meaning ‘enclosed land in a marsh’. ‘Caergwrle’ may Another reminder of the area’s borderland history mean ‘crane’s meadow by the castle’ and is a combination of the two is Wat’s Dyke. This tall bank, with a ditch on its languages. Caer is Welsh for fort, and the ending is thought to be a western side, may have been dug in the 8th century for the Welsh version of the original Old English name, corley meaning crane Saxon rulers of Mercia, to protect their boundary with North Wales. (a heron-like bird) and leah meaning clearing or river meadow. Most of The 65km dyke ran from marshland south of Oswestry, to Wrexham, the outlying houses and farms have Welsh names, reflecting the origins along the eastern side of the Alyn Valley to Basingwerk Abbey at of most of the locals, despite the changes in overall landownership. Holywell. Construction of the dyke was no mean undertaking as it was, Caergwrle Castle Hill and Caer Estyn provided excellent defensive on average, a little over 8m wide at its base. It was mainly composed of positions with wide views east across the Cheshire Plain, north and soil strengthened with turf layers. One estimate suggests that it would south along the Alyn Valley, and west along the Nant-y-Ffrith Valley. have taken one hundred men approximately a year to build the 65km The Celts were the first to build on the high dyke! The raised bank, along which the footpath from Rhyddyn House ground, constructing Caer Estyn hillfort to Gresford Farm runs, is the remains of the dyke. sometime between 750BC-47AD. Wat’s Dyke Way Heritage Trail, a 61 mile (99km) walk through the border country between England and The hillfort consisted of a stone North Wales, from Llanymynech in Shropshire, to Holywell, is based on the course of Wat’s Dyke and passes through Hope and Caergwrle. (www.watsdykeway.org) The Celts lived in simple wooden roundhouses. Continuing unrest hese borderlands continued to be an area of conflict long after Mercia Thad declined and Wat’s Dyke had lost its importance. The dramatic hilltop ruins of Caergwrle Castle bear testament to the continued turbulence. was killed in battle but Dafydd was captured. In retribution for his defection, he was convicted of high treason and was the first person In the late 13th century, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, in England to be hung, drawn and quartered for that crime. Caergwrle refused to pay homage to the new English ruler, King Edward I. In Castle didn’t fare much better. Edward began to rebuild it but, a year retaliation, Edward invaded Wales in 1276 and forced Llywelyn to later, a fire ripped through the wooden parts of the castle and the work retreat into Snowdonia. Llywelyn’s younger brother, Dafydd, joined was abandoned. forces with Edward as he felt Llywelyn had cheated him of his inheritance. As a reward, Edward gave Dafydd the rich lands For more information about the castle refer to the panel situated in the castle grounds. around Caergwrle and Hope and, in 1277, Dafydd began to build Owain Glyndŵr his castle at Caergwrle. During the 14th century, the rights of the local Welsh population were However, Dafydd felt unfairly treated when English lords were restricted severely. In Hope, they were not allowed to drive livestock given more power and, five years later, he changed sides through the borough and could only sell goods at the borough market. and fought against the English invaders. Dafydd attacked They were denied positions of high office and were not allowed to nearby Hawarden Castle, which triggered acquire land that was in English ownership. a fierce rebellion across North Wales. Eventually, Edward’s immense army Feelings ran high and, in 1400, when Welsh nobleman, proved too strong for the rebels and Owain Glyndŵr, rebelled and proclaimed himself Prince of Edward gained control of the whole Wales, his support grew rapidly. By 1403 he had infiltrated of Wales. Llywelyn Flintshire, urging revolt. The local Welsh flocked to join his forces and burned the English settlement of Hope. Gradually, King Henry IV’s armies regained control. By 1410, the Flintshire Welsh had submitted to the English and were fined heavily for their part in the rebellion. The destruction of the borough and the disruption of the war years had a big impact and it was not until the 19th century that the area began to prosper. Below your feet he rocks below your feet have shaped the landscape and land use the gaps between Hope Mountain, Caergwrle Castle hill and Tof the Hope and Caergwrle area. Over many millions of years, Bryn-y-Gaer, before joining with the southerly end of the layers of different rocks built up. Limestone, from the calcareous Irish Sea glacier further along the Alyn Valley. Just north of bodies of marine life, was deposited when this part of Wales lay near Caergwrle, the ice gouged out a deep hole in the underlying the equator beneath a warm tropical sea. Then, as sea levels dropped rock, which filled with glacial debris, resulting in the deep vast river deltas developed, depositing sands and pebbles that formed sand and gravel deposits at Fagl Lane. the Cefn-y-Fedw sandstone, a hard millstone grit. Later, swamps and As the climate warmed over 14,000 years ago, the increased huge forests grew on the deltas, which eventually formed valuable river flow, swollen by the glacial meltwaters, widened the valley.