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Denbighshire Sir Ddinbych (Welsh) | |
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 Coat of arms | |
| Motto: | |
 Denbighshire shown withinWales | |
| Coordinates:53°05′12″N3°21′16″W / 53.08667°N 3.35444°W /53.08667; -3.35444 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Wales |
| Preserved county | Clwyd |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1996 |
| Administrative HQ | Ruthin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Principal council |
| • Body | Denbighshire County Council |
| • Control | No overall control |
| • MPs | 4 MPs |
| • MSs | 3 MSs |
| Area | |
• Total | 323 sq mi (837 km2) |
| • Rank | 8th |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total | 98,202 |
| • Rank | 16th |
| • Density | 300/sq mi (117/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-DEN |
| GSS code | W06000004 |
| Website | denbighshire |
Denbighshire (/ˈdɛnbiʃər,-ʃɪər/DEN-bee-shər, -sheer;[3]Welsh:Sir Ddinbych[ˌsiːrˈðɪnbɨχ]) is acounty in thenorth-east ofWales. It borders theIrish Sea to the north,Flintshire to the east,Wrexham to the southeast,Powys to the south, andGwynedd andConwy to the west.Rhyl is the largest town, andRuthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from thehistoric county of the same name.
Denbighshire has an area of 326 square miles (840 km2) and a population of 95,800, making it sparsely populated. The most populous area is the coast, where Rhyl and Prestatyn form a single built-up area with a population of 46,267. The next-largest towns areDenbigh,Ruthin, andRhuddlan, whileSt Asaph is its only city. All of these settlements are in the northern half of the county; the south is even less densely populated, and the only towns areCorwen andLlangollen.
The geography of Denbighshire is defined by the broad valley of theRiver Clwyd, which is surrounded by rolling hills on all sides except the north, where it reaches the coast. TheVale of Clwyd, the lower valley, is given over to crops, while cattle and sheep graze the uplands. TheClwydian Range in the east is part of theClwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation –Pontnewydd (Bontnewydd-Llanelwy) Palaeolithic site hasNeanderthal remains of some 225,000 years ago. The county is also home to several medieval castles, includingCastell Dinas Brân,Denbigh, andRhuddlan, as well asSt Asaph Cathedral.Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod takes place in the town each July.[4]
The main area was formed on 1 April 1996 under theLocal Government (Wales) Act 1994, from various parts of the county ofClwyd. It includes the district ofRhuddlan (formed in 1974 entirely from Flintshire), the communities ofTrefnant andCefn Meiriadog from the district ofColwyn (entirely Denbighshire) and most of theGlyndŵr district. The last includes the formerEdeyrnion Rural District, part of the administrative county of Merionethshire before 1974, covering the parishes ofBetws Gwerfil Goch,Corwen,Gwyddelwern,Llangar, Llandrillo yn Edeirnion and Llansanffraid.[5]
Other principal areas including part of historical Denbighshire areConwy, which picked up the remainder of 1974–1996 Colwyn, the Denbighshire parts of 1974–1996Aberconwy, andWrexham, which corresponds to the pre-1974 borough ofWrexham along with most ofWrexham Rural District and several parishes of Glyndŵr. Post-1996Powys includes the historically Denbighshire parishes ofLlanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant,Llansilin andLlangedwyn, which formed part of Glyndŵr district.[5]
Researchers have found signs that Denbighshire was inhabited at least 225,000 years ago.Bontnewydd Palaeolithic site is one of the most significant in Britain. Hominid remains of probableNeanderthals have been found, along with stone tools from the laterMiddle Pleistocene.[6]
In 2021 February, archaeologists from Aeon Archaeology announced a discovery of over 300Stone Age tools and artifacts inRhuddlan. They revealedscrapers,microliths, flakes ofchert (a hard, fine-grained, sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz),flints and other rudimentary tools. An expert, Richard Cooke, believes the lithic remains belonged to ancient peoples, who while passing through the area, made camp by the river more than 9,000 years ago.[7][8]
The eastern edge of Denbighshire follows the ridge of theClwydian Range, with a steep escarpment to the west and a high point atMoel Famau (1,820 ft (555 m)),[9] which with the upper Dee Valley forms anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty, theClwydian Range and Dee Valley –one of just five in the Wales.[10] TheDenbigh Moors (Mynydd Hiraethog) are in the west of the county and theBerwyn Range adjacent to the southern edge. TheRiver Clwyd has a broad fertileVale running from south–north in the centre of the county. There is a narrow coastal plain in the north which much residential and holiday-trade development.[9] The highest point in the historic county wasCadair Berwyn at 832 m or 2,730 ft), but the boundary changes since 1974 makeCadair Berwyn North Top the highest point. Denbighshire borders the present-day principal areas ofGwynedd,Conwy County Borough,Flintshire,Wrexham County Borough, andPowys.
Rhyl and Prestatyn form a single built-up area in the north of the county, with a population of 46,267. They are immediately adjacent to theKinmel Bay andAbergele built-up area in neighbouringConwy, and at the eastern end of series of coastal resorts which that also includesColwyn Bay andLlandudno further west.
According to the2021 United Kingdom census, Denbighshire's population was approximately 95,800.[11] According to previous censuses, the population of Denbighshire was 93,734 in 2011 and 93,065 in 2001.[12] The largest towns on the coast areRhyl (2001 population c. 25,000) andPrestatyn (2001 population c. 18,000). According to the 2011 Census returns, 24.6 per cent stated they could speak Welsh.[13]
Since the 20th-century demise of the coal and steel industries in theWrexham area, there is noheavy industry in the county. Although most towns have smallindustrial parks or estates for light industry, the economy is based on agriculture and tourism. Much of the working population is employed in theservice sector. Theuplands support sheep and beef cattle rearing, while in the Vale of Clwyd dairy farming and wheat and barley crops predominate.[14] Many towns have livestock markets and farming supports farm machinery merchants, vets, feed merchants, contractors and other ancillaries.[15] With their incomes on the decline, farmers have found opportunities in tourism, rural crafts, specialist food shops, farmers' markets and value-added food products.[16]
The upland areas with their sheep farms and small, stone-walled fields are attractive to visitors. Redundant farm buildings are often converted into self-catering accommodation, while many farmhouses supply bed and breakfast. The travel trade began with the arrival of the coast railway in the mid-19th century, opening up the area toMerseyside. This led to a boom in seaside guest houses. More recently, caravan sites and holiday villages have thrived and ownership of holiday homes increased.[17] Initiatives to boost the economy ofNorth Wales continue, including redevelopment of the Rhyl seafront andfunfair.[18]
TheNorth Wales Coast Line running fromCrewe toHolyhead is served byTransport for Wales andAvanti West Coast services. Trains leaving Crewe to pass through Chester, cross theRiver Dee into Wales, and continue throughFlint,Shotton,Holywell Junction (closed in 1966),Prestatyn,Rhyl, and stations toBangor and Holyhead, which has a ferry service to Ireland.[19]
There are no motorways in Denbighshire. TheA55 dual carriageway runs from Chester throughSt Asaph to the North Wales coast at Abergele, then parallel to the railway through Conwy and Bangor to Holyhead. TheA548 run from Chester to Abergele through Deeside and along the coast, before leaving the coast and terminating atLlanrwst. The main road from London, theA5, passes north-westwards throughLlangollen,Corwen andBetws-y-Coed to join the A55 and terminate at Bangor. TheA543 crosses the Denbigh Moors from south-east to north-west, and theA525 links Ruthin with St Asaph.[20]
There are local bus services between the main towns. Several services byArriva Buses Wales run along the main coast road between Chester and Holyhead, linking the coastal resorts. Another route links Rhyl to Denbigh.[21]
Denbighshire was last represented in theHouse of Commons by threeMPs. TheWelsh Labour Party lost to theWelsh Conservatives in the2019 general election for the first time.[22]
The following MPs were elected from Denbighshire in 2019:
From 2024, Denbighshire is covered by four constituencies. These areBangor Aberconwy,Clwyd North,Clwyd East andDwyfor Meirionnydd.[26]
Denbighshire is also represented in theSenedd by three members elected in 2021:
In 2019, research byUnHerd in association with the pollster FocalData showed that most people across the county support theBritish monarchy.[30]
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