Rhosllanerchrugog
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 Stiwt Theatre, Broad Street | |
  Rhosllanerchrugog Location withinWrexham | |
| Population | 9,694 Census 2011[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ295465 |
| Community |
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| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WREXHAM |
| Postcode district | LL14 |
| Dialling code | 01978 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
53°00′40″N3°03′07″W / 53.011°N 3.052°W /53.011; -3.052  Map of the community | |
Rhosllanerchrugog[2][3] (/ˌroʊsˌlænərˈkriːɡɒɡ/;[4]standardised and also spelled asRhosllannerchrugog,[3][5][r̥ɔsˌɬanɛrχˈrɨːɡɔɡ]ⓘ or simplyRhos) is a village andcommunity inWrexham County Borough,Wales. It lies within thehistoric county ofDenbighshire. The entire built-up area includingPenycae,Ruabon andCefn Mawr had a population of 25,362.[6]
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The name of the village is derived from that of the old Llanerchrugog estate, once one of the landholdings of Cynwrig ap Rhiwallon, Lord ofMaelor Gymraeg.[7] The nameLlanerchrugog is usually stated to be based onWelshllannerch ('clearing' or 'glade'), and (withsoft mutation),grugog ('heathery'), although an etymology based oncrugog ('hilly' or 'rough') has also been suggested.[8] The name of the mining village which later grew up on nearby moorland was usually written asRhos Llanerchrugog, ('the Llanerchrugog moor', literally 'moor, heath of the heather glade'[9]) in the early and mid-19th century, but later often became written asRhos-llanerchrugog and finally as a single word. The spellingRhosllannerchrugog has also been used since 1997 as an alternative to the legal community name.[3][10]
Locally, it is usually known simply asRhos, or (inWelsh English) asthe Rhos. In the dialect of the area this is invariably pronounced ['r̥əus], in opposition to the Standard Welsh [r̥oːs].[11]
The village was originally within the ancient parish ofRuabon and thetownship of Morton Above (i.e. Morton, or moor town, aboveOffa's Dyke) or Morton Wallichorum (theWelsh Morton). In 1844 Morton Above, along with part of the neighbouring township of Dynhinlle Ucha, became part of the newly created parish of Rhosllanerchrugog.[12]
The Llanerchrugog estate itself was owned by the Jones family from at least the 1400s to the 19th century;[13] in 1649 the landowner John Jones of Llanerchrugog claimed a detailed genealogy going back 2400 years toDyfnwal Moelmud, and attempted to use his ancient rights of ownership to argue he should be exempt from taxes.[14]
The development of the village can be attributed largely to thecoal seams of north-east Wales that pass near it. The burgesses ofHolt were granted the right to dig for coal at Rhos in theirborough charter of 1563.[3] Acoal mining community was established during the 18th century, and grew substantially from the 1840s onwards.[3] Unlike many other mining villages in the district and in other parts of Wales, the majority of early immigration to Rhos was from Welsh-speaking upland agricultural areas in West Wales, giving the village a distinct linguistic identity[15] which it has retained until the present day. The proportion of Welsh-speakers in Rhos did not fall below 50% until the time of the1981 census.
By the early 18th century the Rhosllanerchrugog mines were the property of the futureSir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet, of Wynnstay, a member of the area's major landowning family and a prominentJacobite. At the accession ofGeorge I in August 1714, Williams-Wynn incited the miners of Rhos to march to Wrexham, singing Jacobite songs, to sack twoDissenting meeting houses, to smash the windows ofWhig tradesmen and to prevent the bells of Wrexham church ringing to celebrate the accession.[16][17]
The available notes of Mr Kenrick, minister of the New Meeting, dispute many of these assertions. In Wrexham, it was on July 15, 1715 (before George I's accession), that Tory resentment overflowed into riots that were mainly directed at the Dissenters. The New Meeting House was destroyed and the Old Meeting House was badly damaged. The colliers came into town on July 20, 1715 to help and protect the rioters. Upon request from the Dissenters, Watkin Williams-Wynn interceded and persuaded the men to desist. Sporadic rioting continued, at least until October 20, 1715, which was the King's Coronation Day.[18]
The Jacobite politics of the district's landlord and his tenants is popularly thought to be the source of the nickname "Jackos" or "Jacos" still applied to inhabitants of Rhos.[19]
A symbol of Rhos' coal-mining andlabour movement heritage is seen in the "Stiwt", theminers' institute in Broad Street. This was erected and paid for by the miners, during thegeneral strike of 1926, as, a social and cultural centre for the community. TheWelsh Religious Revival of 1904 also had a major impact on Rhos. Thecynghanedd "Beibl a Rhaw i Bobl y Rhos" ("a bible and a spade for the people of Rhos")[20] reflects the importance of both coal-mining and the chapels on the village's culture and heritage. The later strength ofNonconformity in Rhos became one of the village's distinctive features, along with its dialect, working-class institutions, and tradition of education, which for decades meant that no school in the area "[seemed] complete without a teacher from Rhos on the staff".[20]
Rhos hosted theNational Eisteddfod in 1945 and 1961, and theCeltic League was founded there in 1961 during the Eisteddfod. The many informal fringe performances around this event were memorialised in the poem "The Cross Foxes" byHarri Webb, remembering the night when in Rhos "we drank the pub dry".[21]
With a population of over 10,000, the moderncommunity of Rhosllanerchrugog is one of the largest in Wales. The 2011 census showed that the population of the built-up area of Rhosllanerchrugog including adjoiningPen-y-cae is 13,501.[2] The area retains a proportion of Welsh speakers above the national average, despite the loss of older speakers and the impact of non-Welsh speakers moving into the area:[22] the2001 Census showed that 31.5% of the community area was Welsh speaking, declining to 24% at the 2011 census.[22]Welsh medium education is, however, popular and significantly increasing in the area.
Rhos contains a number of listed public buildings. Notable buildings in the village include:
TheStiwt Theatre, formerly the "Miners' Institute" (Plas Mwynwyr), which was built in 1926 to the designs of John Owen of Wrexham and F. A. Roberts, Mold.[23] The Institute closed in 1977, following which the local council purchased the building in 1978. They decided to demolish the building in 1985, but it was saved as a result of local campaigning. Following fundraising efforts, it was renovated and reopened as a community theatre. The Stiwt Theatre holds the Wrexham young people's music festival since 2006. The Stiwt now do various shows and thegrade II* listed building is open to the public to see.
Church of St John Evangelist A grade IIlisted building, built in 1852 to a design byThomas Penson and consecrated on 4 October 1853. A good example of aRomanesque Revival church, it isNorman style, with coursed and squared sandstone and slate roofs. It has a cruciform plan withnave,transept andchancel and bell tower in the angle of the south transept and the chancel. The church closed in 2004. The churchyard containswar graves of a British and a Canadian soldier of theFirst World War.[24]
St David's Welsh Church, built in 1892 to a design byDouglas and Fordham ofChester. Since the closure of St. John's, this was used as the parish church until its closure in the early 2020s.
Penuel Chapel (Capel Penuel) Two-storey Welsh Baptist chapel built in 1856–59, with a brick façade installed during renovations performed in 1891 to the designs ofOwen Morris Roberts,Porthmadog.[25] The chapel was the starting point site ofR. B. Jones's campaign in the village during thereligious revival in 1904–05. One of the chapel's ministers wasLewis Valentine.
Capel Bach, officiallyBethlehem Welsh Independent Chapel, Hall Street. First built in 1812 and rebuilt in 1839, 1876 and (also to designs by architect Owen Morris Roberts of Porthmadog) in 1889.[26] A large, two-storey Romanesque chapel with integral clock tower and canted stair tower: grade II listed as a prominent feature of Rhos and an unusual example of aRundbogenstil facade.[26] There is a 1908 organ byNorman and Beard: the composerCaradog Roberts was the organist here between 1904 and 1935.
Capel Mawr, officiallyJerusalem Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Brook Street, is a grade II listed chapel, built of stone in a classical gable-entry style. It was first built in 1770 and rebuilt in 1876 to the designs of Richard Owen of Liverpool.[27] Fittings include a war memorial tablet and a 1927 stained glass window by Jones and Willis.
Rhos was one of the centres of theWelsh Religious Revival of 1904–1905. R. B. Jones, a visiting Baptist preacher, held a campaign in Penuel Baptist Chapel, Rhosllanerchrugog in November 1904.[citation needed]
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Rhos is known for its musical heritage, and has a concert hall at the Stiwt Theatre. Composers from the village includeCaradog Roberts, best known for thehymn tune "Rachie"; andArwel Hughes, conductor and composer of the hymn tune "Tydi a Roddaist". Notable performers from Rhos include the baritoneJames Sauvage and pianistLlŷr Williams.
Rhos has severalchoirs, including the Rhos Male Voice Choir (Côr Meibion Rhosllannerchrugog); the Rhos Orpheus Male Voice Choir (Côr Orffiws Y Rhos); Johns' Boys Male Chorus (Côr Meibion Johns' Boys); a Pensioners' Choir (Côr Pensiynwyr Rhosllannerchrugog); a Girls' Choir (Côr Merched Rhosllannerchrugog); and the Rhos Singers (Cantorion Rhos), a mixed voice choir. Themale voice choirs have performed in many countries.
TheRhos Prize Silver Band was formed in 1884, but later became known as theHafod Colliery Band. After the closure ofHafod Colliery in 1968 the band was renamedRhos and District Silver Band. In 2001, the band changed its name toWrexham Brass and is now based at theGlyndŵr University campus in Wrexham.
The village is well known for its unique dialect of theWelsh language, which has been the subject of several academic studies. Although having some similarities to the dialects of both North-East and Mid Wales, it has been described as "unlike anything else heard in Wales" and as frequently unintelligible to outsiders.[28]
As well as features found elsewhere in North Wales, such as the loss of final [v] in words such asaraf, "slow" (here pronounced ['ara]) or of final [ð] in words such asffordd, "road", (here pronounced [fɔr]),[29] the dialect shows numerous distinctive consonants and examples ofmetathesis.[30] Vowels also differ widely from modern standard Welsh: one of its key features is thediphthongisation of vowels [e] and [o], as seen in the vowel of the nameRhos, locally ['r̥əus].[11] Another typical feature is the contraction of verbal phrases, so that for exampleYr oedd gennyf ("I had") is rendered as ['ogai] andMae'n rhaid i mi ("I have to") as ['haimi].[31] These features are to an extent becoming lost in younger speakers under the influence of Welsh medium education.
The Rhos dialect is also known for a unique vocabulary. The main example is a word that has become synonymous with the village: thedemonstrative adjectivenene (pronounced approximately [neːneː]), meaning "that", or more specifically "that over there".[31] While the related formsene ("that") anddene ("there [...] is") are found in other parts of North-East Wales,nene is specific to Rhos.[31]
The word's association with the village is reflected in the title of the community's monthly newspaper,Nene, founded by the campaigner and local historian Ieuan Roberts ("Ieu Rhos", 1949–2016).[32] In usageNene is also combined withene; an example is the question "Be 'di nene ene?" - "What's that there?"[citation needed]
In September 2006, letters were sent by Rhos Community Council to relatives of people buried in the village's cemetery, where formerMiss WorldRosemarie Frankland is buried,[33][34][35] asking them to limit the number of floral tributes left at grave sites. The council reportedly planned to cover the cemetery with a lawn and feared that such tributes would breach health and safety rules. Feeling the council had handled the issue insensitively, relatives collected an 850-signature petition and 60 families made a public protest.[citation needed]
[37]The Stiwt is a 490-seater theatre located in the village. Founded in 1926 by the Miner's Institute, (lending it its name, 'Stiwt' coming from the word 'Institute' in 'Miner's Institute'), the day-to-day running of the Stiwt was paid for by weekly contributions from the Miner's wages. Paying in 20d a week, the Stiwt was both built and run by the wages of the Miners, the descendants of which continually have to fight to keep it open after almost facing closure in 1977, 1996 and 2016. Today the Stiwt is funded and run by Wrexham County Borough Council, the Arts Council of Wales, Rhos Community Council and Friends of the Stiwt.
The village was once linked to theGreat Western Railway by theRhos Branch, which ran to the village from nearbyWrexham viaRhostyllen and Legacy Station (near Talwrn, named after the short-lived Legacy colliery). Passenger services opened with great celebration on 1 October 1901, with around a thousand people carried on the first day.[38] In 1905 the passenger service was extended to halts at Brook Street (the location of the Rhos goods station), Pant and (via the formerRuabon Brook Tramway)Wynn Hall, although goods trains ran through toFroncysyllte wharf on theShropshire Union Canal via Plas Bennion andAcrefair. Passenger services were discontinued in 1931, except for Saturday football specials which ran occasionally until 1951-1952. To the East of Rhos a second line had been laid in 1868 North from Gardden Lodge Junction (near Ruabon) and extended as far as Bryn-yr-Owen colliery, and in 1874 was extended to the Legacy Colliery (which suspended production in mid-1874 with the loss of 111 jobs never to resume). When the Rhos Branch was built it linked to this line at Legacy Junction, and in 1905 the Great Western Railway introduced passenger services from Wrexham via Legacy Station, with halts at Fennant Road, Aberderfyn and trains terminating at the halt at Ponkey Crossing. The line was referred to as the Ponkey Branch line. The passenger services were withdrawn in 1915, and the line from Legacy junction was lifted a few years later, though the line south from Ponkey gasworks continued in use for freight until 1964.
Rhosllannerchrugog was also the end of the line of theWrexham and District Electric Tramways. The tram service began operating in 1903, and originally ran from Penybryn in Wrexham to the New Inn inJohnstown, but this was soon extended up Gutter Hill to Duke Street in Rhos. The company had its depot and staging area in nearby Johnstown. The trams were eventually and gradually replaced by buses owned by the same company, which was renamed the Wrexham & District Transport Company; for many years tram lines were visible outside the garage at the bottom of Gutter Hill.
Several local companies operated bus services in the village. The red and cream buses of Phillips & Son of Rhostyllen ran from Wrexham to Rhos via Johnstown, and at one time on to Tainant, from 1927 until it was taken over byCrosville in 1979. T. Williams & Sons ran a service from Rhos to Wrexham from the 1920s until 1986. The last surviving independent local company, Wright & Son, ran a service from Pen-y-cae to Wrexham via Rhos, and later via Ponciau also. When the bus industry wasderegulated in 1986 there was fierce competition between Wright's and the much larger Crosville. Wright's ceased operations in 1993, leaving Crosville as the sole service provider in the area. Crosville itself became part of theArriva group, which still operates a frequent bus service between Rhos and Wrexham city centre.
The nearbyA483 road provides links toLiverpool andManchester to the north andBirmingham,Swansea andCardiff to the south.
Books about Rhosllannerchrugog include:
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