Shotton, Flintshire

Shotton is a town and community in Flintshire, Wales, lying within the Deeside conurbation along the River Dee, adjoining Connah's Quay, near the border with England. It is located 5 miles (8 km) west of Chester and can be reached by road from the A548. At the 2011 Census Shotton had a population of 6,663.[1][2]

Shotton

A view from the railway bridge, showing Chester Road
Shotton
Location within Flintshire
Population6,663 
(2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSJ305685
Principal area
Ceremonial county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDEESIDE
Postcode districtCH5
Dialling code01244
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
  • Alyn and Deeside

Etymology

The town's name is first recorded in Old English as Cyllingas deriving from a Celtic origin Cyllin or Cylla. This original name appears to have persisted throughout the town's history, surving today in the oldest part of the modern town as Killin's Farm and Killin's Lane. In 1822 Richard Willett recorded that the town contained one of the parish's most notable ancient houses, which by that time was named Kyllins. Willett also stated that this name derived from the Welsh Language word Celyn (Holly).[3]

The town shares it's modern English name with three other towns in Britain. These towns (all on the English side of the Scottish border) derive their names from Town of Scots but it is unlikely that a Flintshire town shares this etymology. The name probably derives from Scēot-tūn = "farmstead on or near a steep slope", or from Shot-tūn = "farmstead in a clearing in the wood". The town is officially named Shotton in both English and Welsh, making it one of the few towns in Wales to have neither a Welsh spelling or etymology.

History

Founded by Anglo-Saxons,[4] the town grew from the 18th century around coal mining and farming on reclaimed marshland. Shotton also became a railway junction.[5] Although known as Shotton Steelworks, the majority of the neighbouring large plant owned by Tata Steel lies in Connah's Quay.

The town lies under the Hawarden Bridge, which was completed in 1889 as a swing-opening bridge.

Education

Shotton is served by the following schools:

  • John Summers High School (formerly Deeside High School), now closed
  • Connah's Quay High School
  • Hawarden High School
  • Taliesin Junior School, built 1972, an English medium school in the town. In 2003 it had 182 pupils. It is named after the 6th-century Welsh bard Taliesin.
  • St Ethelwold Primary School

Transportation

Transport links include Shotton railway station, on the Borderlands Line and the North Wales Coast Line.

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See also

References
  1. 2001 Census: Shotton, Office for National Statistics, retrieved 1 January 2009
  2. https://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-wales.php?cityid=W38000019
  3. Willet, Richard (1822). A Memoir of Hawarden Parish, Flintshire, Containing Short Introductory Notices of the Princes of North Wales: So Far as to Connect, and Elucidate, Distant and Obscure Events. Hawarden, Wales. p. 120.
  4. Atlkinson, Keith, Shotton From Saxon Times, retrieved 20 August 2009
  5. Atlkinson, Keith, John Summers & Sons, retrieved 20 August 2009
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