Gwynfryn, Wrexham

Gwynfryn is a small mountain village in the community of Minera in Wrexham county borough, Wales. Its name, originally that of the village chapel, is formed from the Welsh words bryn, "hill", and gwyn, "white": "white hill". At the time of the 2001 census, its population combined with that of the neighbouring, larger village of Bwlchgwyn was 1,148.[1]

Gwynfryn

Part of the village of Gwynfryn, viewed across a former limestone quarry
Gwynfryn
Location within Wrexham
OS grid referenceSJ259526
Community
Principal area
  • Wrexham
Ceremonial county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWREXHAM
Postcode districtLL11
Dialling code01978
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
  • Clwyd South

Like the neighbouring villages of Minera and Bwlchgwyn, Gwynfryn is associated with the development of lead mines and limestone quarries in the vicinity. It is situated at the head of the Clywedog Valley in a hilly limestone area.[2] The area was originally known as Plas-Gwyn ("white hall") Mountain, its name on the 1879 and 1900 Ordnance Surveys of Denbighshire, or as Pentre-Bais ("petticoat village"). According to a local story the latter name was changed to Gwynfryn by the disapproving village postmaster (or schoolmaster, in some versions).[3][4]

There was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel in Gwynfryn, which in 1905 had a congregation of 194.[5] There was also a small Church in Wales chapel, St David's, which as of 2010 has been closed.

The musician, composer and Eisteddfod adjudicator Thomas Carrington (1881–1961) was born in Gwynfryn.[6]

References
  1. National Statistics. "Neighbourhood statistics". Retrieved 4 March 2007.
  2. Landscape Character Area – Minera, Gwynfryn, Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham County Borough
  3. Minera history, BBC North East Wales
  4. The Wilcoxon Family, Minera History
  5. Minera, GENUKI
  6. Thomas Carrington, National Library of Wales
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