Rhosymedre LL14 3YE

Rhosymedre is a village within the community of The Cefn & Cefn Mawr District at the centre of the Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site in the county of Wrexham, Wales. The Cefn is largely built on the common land between the Wynstay and Trevor Estates. Rhosymedre can be accessed along Park Road, the B5605 from the A483 Ruabon interchange roundabouts and High Street, Rhosymedre, the B5096 connects to Rhosymedre to Cefn Mawr Village Centre.

Rhosymedre High Street junction with Park Road continuing on ahead to Cefn Bycan and New Bridge, Cefn Mawr is off to the right and this is the main turning for Cefn Druids Football Ground at the ‘Rock’ and the new Tesco Supermarket opened in 2014.

Approaching the junction of Rhosymedre High Street, the B5096 with Park Road the B5605 from the south as it was in the 1940’s. The Plough Inn marked the road junction until demolition in 2013 for new housing on what is the Plough Corner.

The same scene in 2016 approaching the junction of High Street with Park Road in Rhosymedry with Cefn Mawr off to the left. Park Road gets its name from the Wynstay Park which is to the right of Park Road on the other side of the boundary stone walling as seen above. The Wynstay Estate is the largest estate in the area and dominated by Wynstay Hall.

Issac Richards Cycle Shop, Rhosymedre, 1914 at the junction of High Street with Park Road, and one of the first in the area. Isaac is seen standing outside his shop with his daughter by an array of shovels, spades and forks, as well as his Triumph and Rudge bicycles for ladies and gents. Not many people in the area could afford to purchase a bicycle in those days. Tools were an investment since there were many allotments to help out with food bills for their large families. Many too kept chickens and pigs for the same reason. This corner was cleared about 1930, and Isaac Richards had his shop further along Park Road.

Isaac Richard Bicycle Shop corner where his shop once stood at the junction of High Street with Park Road opposite the Plough Inn Rhosymedre and the old Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapel can be seen next door along High Street. 

The Plough Inn before Inn before closure in 2010 and eventual demolition in 2013.
Park Road looking towards Ruabon from High Street with the Plough Inn on the left

Looking along Park Road from Rhosymedre High Street Junction in 2016 and note the Plough Inn has been replaced by new housing.

High Street junction with Park Road at the Plough in 1865 and the new railway line!
High Street in Rhosymedre from the junction with Park Road and the Plough Inn

High Street Rhosymedre 1914, the photograph leads from the Plough corner and Isaac Richards’ shop along the High Street towards Cefn Mawr. On the left was the Anchor Public House where travelling actors performed ‘Maria Marten’ and ‘Murder in the Red Barn’ as well as stunts which were common on fair grounds where ‘Red Indians’ (from South Wales) with waist long hair displayed the strength of Samson. Later the property was purchased by the Cooperative Society Ltd. The Shop on the right of the photograph was a barber’s shop, another a newsagent and small stores, and at the end of the street was Isaac Richards’ shop. What is noticeable is that all the buildings but one, are built of Cefn stone quarried nearby.

The Cooperative Society Ltd., Rhosymedre, 1921 following the work of the Rochdale Pioneers of 1894, one of their speakers came to Cefn Mawr in 1900 from Manchester with a view to establishing a new branch. In 1901, the Society opened a shop in Well Street, and two years later a larger shop was opened in Crane Street, Cefn. Bt 1908-1910, the central premises were established at Rhosymedre. In 1915, they built a new bakery in Park Street. New braches were set up in Acrefiar, Trevor and Rhos. In 1929, larger extensions and alterations were made to the Rhosymedre premises. The photograph shows the first boot and shoe shop with Mr Astley and Mr Fred Bate, toe of the Society’s faithful staff for many years.

The Bowling Green Pub, Rhosymedre used to be called the Anchor before it was demolished in the nineteen fifties. Polly and Ted Carden kept the Anchor through the 40's-50's. He was a carpenter and also worked in Hughes & Lancaster. His brother who was a builder lived in Church Street and made coffins for the district.

In this map extract from 1912 both the Plough Inn and the Anchor PH (4598) can be seen with the bowling green that became a car park for the Wheatsheaf Workshops.

High Street, Rhosymedre, 1905, this is a view of the street from Park Road, looking towards Cefn Mawr with the stone quarries in the distance. The chapel on the left was the Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapel, now closed but used as an upholstery workshop. Across from the chapel was the Plough Inn. Further along the street can be seen the barber’s pole outside the shop of Tommy Jones the barber. Further along the street, the road crosses by a bridge over the Chester-Shrewsbury Railway. The most important shop here on the right is that of the Cefn Cooperative Society which had been opened just a few years. It was to assume great importance for the next fifty years, as the main shops and the central offices for the whole district were centred here.

Rhosymedre High Street in the 1950’s and the much larger Cooperative Building to the right of picture, also known as the Wheat Sheaf and later  owned by WCBC in the 2000 millennium.

The iconic Cooperative Society building the Wheatsheaf Workshops All for Each & Each for All 1901 to 1931, now let by WCBC in the 21st century at the junction of Chapel Street. This is home to a number of small traders from Fancy Dress to a Launderette Service.

The old Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapel, opened again as an upholsterers in 1978 and still going today, well done. Border Upholsterers, High Street, Rhosymedre, Wrexham, LL14 3YE Telephone: 01978 822047 www.borderupholsterers.co.uk

And next along the road next to the old chapel is Hubbard’s Butchers Butcher Shop 28 High St, Wrexham, Clwyd LL14 3YE, United Kingdom Phone 01978 821770

Tommy the Barber, 1912, this shop in high Street, Rhosymedre, served as a barber’s shop for many years before this photograph was taken. Note the barbers pole. In the 1880’s George the Barber was here and he was succeeded by A.E. Roberts. In this photograph, the shop is shown as belonging to Jones, Hairdresser. Thomas Jones worked at the Wynstay Colliery but following a serious accident to his left leg from a heavy fall of coal down the pit, he was forced to take up this new occupation. Here he remained through his life. The baby with him was his son, William, who lost his life with the RAF in the Battle of Britain. The man may have been his assistant. 

Looking down High Street towards Park Road and the Plough Inn in the late 1800s
Looking down High Street towards Park Road and where the Plough Inn once stood 2013

Josie’s Chip Shop High Street Rhosymedre excellent fish and chips from here this evening, well recommended by all

The three bridges of Rhosymedre crossing the Chester to Shrewsbury main railway line 2016, High Street, Chapel Street and Church Street, and St Johns Church. The Wheatsheaf Workshops can be clearly seen at the junction of Chapel Street and High Street.

Rock Road Rhosymedre, with the Jolly Mason’s or top house to the right, it was given the local name top house as there were once two Jolly Masons pubs and this one was the higher of the two!

Looking down Rock Road 2012 towards where Cefn Druids Rock Stadium is now built.

Cefn Druids Football Club Rock Stadium built in the former Rhosymedre Quarry which provided the majority of Cefn Sandstone stone for construction of the mighty Cefn Viaduct.

The most famous Football Club in the area is Cefn Druids, and also the oldest football club in Wales. They were formed in 1873 and have won the Welsh Cup on more than one occasion and among the players have been Welsh Internationals. The team played in the 1880’s at Wynstay and Plasmadoc Parks, and later at Rhosymedre. From Rhosymedre, they moved to Acrefair on the ‘Top Ground’ above the Hughes & Lancaster Works. In the 1950’s they would move again to the lower field at the centre of Cefn Mawr on Waterloo Lane by Plas Kynaston Hall, and later still with the arrival of Tesco to the Rock.

 

For more information on Wales’s Oldest Football Club, please click on the image and go to their website history page. Cefn Druids, The Rock, Rock Road, Rhosymedre, LL14 3YF, Wales, Tel 01978 810 287 http://www.cefndruidsafc.co.uk/

The Wooden Bridge in 1925 was locally known as the Prince of Wales Bridge and was opened in 1863, the year of the wedding of the Prince of Wales (who later became Edward the VII). The remarkable Gorge was cut through the ridge of Cefn Rock – to the right of Cefn Mawr, was to allow Henry Robertson to keep the railway at a lower contour than the earlier proposals of other surveyors. This was the Ruabon to Barmouth Line which was closed in 1965 as a part of Beaching’s cuts.

1930 and a steam passenger train entering the deep cutting through the ridge of Cefn Rock from Arcefair Station, this was the Barmouth train and had come via Bala, Corwen and Llangollen. Freight traffic for Acrefair and the area came into the siding with coal and other merchandise. It was a busy junction line, joining the main Chester to Shrewsbury line at Ruabon. The line was constructed in 1862 to the plans of Henry Robertson, a Scot, who came to the district for the rest of his life, and died in 1888.

The Anglican Church, St John’s was consecrated in 1837

The Anglican Church, St John’s was consecrated in 1837 and dedicated to St John the Evangelist and is part of the Diocese of St Asaph. Former vicars include John David Edwards (vicar from 1843 to 1885), whose most famous hymn tune composition is Rhosymedre.

 

 It was built on the land donated by Sir W.W. Wynn of Wynstay, Ruabon. The architect was Edward Welch who generally worked in partnership with Hansom (of Hansom Cabs). The church plan is a cruciform with low pitched roofs and corner pinnacles. It has a western porch with a saddle-back bell cote. The recedes of the Church is composed, on the sides and rear, of green and brown lustre tiles embossed with vine medieval-style encaustic tiles on the floor of this and the chancel. They were presented by members of this church and St Paul’s, Acrefair, employed in the Trefynant Tile Works, 1906

 

 

 

The Little Kitchen

The Community Enterprise Centre Rhosymedre – Cefn Mawr, Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site, Wrexham, LL14 3YD,

Telephone: 01978 814923

 

 

Dee Valley Trust

Community Enterprise Centre Rhosymedre – Cefn Mawr, Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site

Wrexham, LL14 3YD

Telephone 01978 814920

 

info@deevalleytrust.org

http://deevalleytrust.org/

Lads & Dads walk in barbers shop High Street, Rhosymedre - Cefn Mawr, Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site, Wrexham, LL14 3YD, Tel 01978 822 400

Clwyd Family History Society LL14 3AL Encourages the study of genealogy and family history in North-East Wales, and provides a forum for people who are interested in these subjects to meet, and to help each other. They produce a journal regularly and provide an educational programme of lectures, visits and other activities connected with subjects of interest to the Society. They seek out, transcribe, index, and wherever possible, publish or make available material relevant to the interests of the Society and provide guidance in family history research to those who have family connections in North-East Wales, but who now live elsewhere. The Society was founded in 1980, and now has more than 1300 members worldwide. The Society is a member of the Federation of Family History Societies and Association of Family History Societies of Wales.  Tel 01978 814 924  http://www.clwydfhs.org.uk

Parking in Rhosymedre

This publication is produced in an effort to help regenerate the economy of Cefn Mawr and establish Cefn Mawr on the Tourist Map. This will enable Cefn Mawr to become Rural / Urban Tourist & Transport Hub for The Pontcysyllte World Heritage Site, Dee Valley & South Wrexham over the course of the LDP2. Our website sees in excess of 10,000 hits per month so if you are a business on Rhosymedre it is well worth advertising with us and having a hot link into your own website of facebook page. All we ask is that you display a PKC Group Poster in your shop window which you can get from Dave & Janine at the Post Office. This will help us to get Visit Wales recognition and the Grant Funding we need for main road Brown & White Tourist Information Signs. And if you fancy having a chat about this you can always call round to the Holly Bush Inn where you will be most welcome.

Rhosymedre 2016
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Rhosymedre 2016.pdf
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