Ffrith
| Ffrith | |
 Ffrith viaduct, built across the Nant-y-Ffrith stream, on the former Wrexham and Minera Railway |
|
  Ffrith Ffrith shown within Flintshire | |
| OS grid reference | SJ285553 |
|---|---|
| Community | Llanfynydd |
| Principal area | Flintshire |
| Ceremonial county | Clwyd |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WREXHAM |
| Postcode district | LL11 |
| Dialling code | 01978 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Alyn and Deeside |
| Welsh Assembly | Alyn and Deeside |
| |
Ffrith is a small village in the community of Llanfynydd in Flintshire, north-east Wales.
Name
The name Ffrith (the Welsh double "f" is pronounced simply as "f") reflects a spelling and pronunciation particular to Flintshire: it is derived from a North Welsh word meaning variously a "pasture", "enclosure" or "forest" and borrowed originally from the Middle English word "frith", meaning a forest or game preserve.[1] The name Belmont or Bell Mount was also commonly used for the village in the 19th century.[1] In local usage the village is usually referred to as "the Ffrith".
The village is situated in the southernmost part of the county in the wooded valley of the River Cegidog at the point where the Nant-y-Ffrith stream flows into it. Neighbouring villages include Cymau to the east, Brymbo to the south-east and Llanfynydd, one mile to the north. The nearest major towns are Wrexham to the south-east and Mold towards the north-west.
History
Archaeological excavations have revealed evidence of Roman presence in the area. A Roman villa was built here, a Roman road is thought to have passed through and lead mining may have taken place. Several centuries later, Offa's Dyke was constructed across the area.[2] Time Team led a dig in the area, digging in the car park of the Blue Bell pub as well as other areas of the village.[3]
In the 19th century, the village's size and importance grew as quarrying for limestone and silica and mining for lead and fireclay became more significant. A railway line, the Wrexham and Minera Joint Railway was built through the village and a small station, a number of shops and several pubs opened.
Industry in the area declined through the 20th century, with the last fireclay level closing in the late 1960s. The railway ceased operation in 1952 (a large stone viaduct still stands near the village) and the village shops have now closed, and one of the two pubs (the Blue Bell) remains open. The second, the Poacher's Cottage closed in mid-2009 and was the subject of a fire in mid-2010.[4]
There is a rare example of a packhorse bridge dating from at least the 18th century, and possibly older, in the village.[2]
Welsh groundsel, a plant found almost entirely in North Wales, was first discovered near Ffrith in 1948.
References
- Smuts, Bill, Jenner, Lorna & Sheerin, Nic (2006) Llanfynydd: a photographic journal, Delmar Press.