Ffrith

Ffrith is a small village in the community of Llanfynydd in Flintshire, north-east Wales.

Ffrith

Ffrith viaduct, built across the Nant-y-Ffrith stream, on the former Wrexham and Minera Railway
Ffrith
Location within Flintshire
OS grid referenceSJ285553
Community
Principal area
Ceremonial county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWREXHAM
Postcode districtLL11
Dialling code01978
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

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".

Location

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]

In 2005 the archaeological television programme Time Team led a dig in the area in conjunction with the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Several excavations were conducted throughout the village. Evidence indicates it was a substantial Roman settlement.[3]

In the nineteenth 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 twentieth 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. The village shops and pubs have all closed.[4]

There is a rare example of a packhorse bridge dating from at least the eighteenth century in the village.[2] Welsh groundsel was first discovered near Ffrith in 1948.

References
  1. Owen, H. W. The place-names of east Flintshire, University of Wales Press, 1994, p.297
  2. Ffrith, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust
  3. "Revealed - life in Ffrith BC". Chester Chronicle. 5 May 2005.
  4. Wrexham Evening Leader
  • Smuts, Bill, Jenner, Lorna & Sheerin, Nic (2006) Llanfynydd: a photographic journal, Delmar Press.
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