Colwyn Bay

Colwyn Bay
Welsh: Bae Colwyn

Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
 Colwyn Bay shown within Conwy
Population 31,353 (2011)
OS grid referenceSH865785
CommunityColwyn Bay
Principal areaConwy
Ceremonial countyClwyd
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town COLWYN BAY
Postcode district LL29
Postcode district LL28
Dialling code 01492
Police North Wales
Fire North Wales
Ambulance Welsh
EU Parliament Wales
UK ParliamentClwyd West
Welsh AssemblyClwyd West
List of places
UK
Wales
Conwy

Coordinates: 53°17′N 3°42′W / 53.29°N 3.70°W / 53.29; -3.70

Colwyn Bay (Welsh: Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. Eight neighbouring communities are incorporated within its postal district. Established as its own separate parish in 1844 with just a small grouping of homes and farms where the community of Old Colwyn stands today, Colwyn Bay has expanded to become the second-largest community and business centre in the north of Wales as well as the 15th largest in the whole of Wales with the urban statistical area having a population of 31,353 at the 2011 census. (Including Old Colwyn, Rhos-on-Sea, Mochdre and Llysfaen communities]. Locally nicknamed "The Bay".

History

The western side of Colwyn Bay, Rhos-on-Sea, includes a number of historic sites associated with St Trillo and Ednyfed Fychan, the 13th century general and councillor to Llywelyn the Great.

Government

Bay of Colwyn Town Council is a statutory body, covering the communities in the urban area. The mayor for 2016 - 2017 is Councillor John Davies.[1]

Geography

The town is situated about halfway along the north coast of Wales, between the sea and the Pwllycrochan Woods on the towering hillside. Groes yn Eirias (Welsh:Cross in Torch) was once a separate hamlet centred on the Glyn farmhouse (c1640) but the area is now occupied by the Glyn estate and Eirias Park.

Climate

As with the rest of the British Isles, Colwyn Bay experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters, and often high winds. The local climate is well known for the prevalence of Foehn winds - where winds from the South pass over the nearby mountains and warm and dry on their descent, leading to far higher temperatures than otherwise might be expected; the area holds the Welsh high temperature record for January, March, August, October, November and December.

Climate data for Colwyn Bay 36m asl, 1981-2010
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3)		 8.4
(47.1)		 10.3
(50.5)		 12.1
(53.8)		 15.2
(59.4)		 17.6
(63.7)		 19.6
(67.3)		 19.4
(66.9)		 17.4
(63.3)		 14.3
(57.7)		 11.1
(52)		 8.9
(48)		 13.6
(56.5)
Average low °C (°F) 2.8
(37)		 2.7
(36.9)		 4.1
(39.4)		 5.3
(41.5)		 7.7
(45.9)		 10.4
(50.7)		 12.5
(54.5)		 12.5
(54.5)		 10.7
(51.3)		 8.1
(46.6)		 5.7
(42.3)		 3.2
(37.8)		 7.2
(45)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 74.7
(2.941)		 53.0
(2.087)		 57.5
(2.264)		 50.7
(1.996)		 52.9
(2.083)		 56.1
(2.209)		 52.1
(2.051)		 64.6
(2.543)		 70.2
(2.764)		 96.8
(3.811)		 89.8
(3.535)		 90.2
(3.551)		 808.7
(31.839)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 56.2 81.8 115.0 162.8 209.0 185.6 189.6 174.7 135.2 108.2 59.9 44.1 1,522
Source: Met Office[2]

Demography

Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of around 25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed just the central part of the overall town and in the 2001 Census contained just 9,742 people, with the others as follows: Mochdre (1,862), Rhos-on-Sea (7,110), Glan Conwy (2,290), Old Colwyn (7,626) and Llysfaen (2,652). This gives a total figure for the six communities of 31,382, generally referred to as the population of Colwyn Bay, making it the 16th largest urban area in Wales and the second largest settlement in North Wales. Bringing 2011 figures into account that figure is now 33,549. The area is sometimes referred to by the name Bay of Colwyn.

According to the census of 2001, 20% of the population can speak Welsh fluently. The highest percentage of speakers is in the 10–14 years age group, where 38% can speak the language.

Economy

The town is dominated by the tourist trade, because of its famous beaches. A business and commercial centre with rail links and close access to the activities that are available in the surrounding countryside. Colwyn Bay is a Fairtrade Town as certified by the Fairtrade Foundation as part of the Fairtrade Towns scheme.

Culture

Colwyn Bay hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1910, 1947.

Community facilities

The town has parks and gardens and many places of natural beauty such as Eirias Park. Colwyn Bay has received a gold award 8 times in the Wales in Bloom competition. In 2009 and 2010 the town has been invited to enter Britain in Bloom and has been awarded silver gilt in both years. The Welsh Mountain Zoo is nearby.

The Porth Eirias Watersports Centre offers tuition in sailing, windsurfing and power boating as well as kayak and canoe hire. In 2013 it was nominated for Building Design's Carbuncle Cup.[3]

Landmarks

The Victoria Pier has been closed to the public since 2009 when a dispute between Conwy County Borough Council and the pier's owner led to him being declared bankrupt. There are now arguments between whether it should remain standing or if it would be better to remove the pier. Rob Dix, Head of Business and Tourism in Conwy, has said: “The straight answer to ‘Will it ever be demolished’ is that the council hope it will, substantially. We want to see it demolished for health and safety and visual reasons to be able to re-open that section of the beach,”.[4] Llety'r Dryw is a Grade II listed house in Abergele Road, built for the uncle of Anthony Eden and now used as the training centre for North Wales Police. Llys Euryn is a medieval manor house on Bryn Euryn, now in ruins.

Transport

The town is served by Colwyn Bay railway station located in the town centre on the North Wales Coast Line with trains run by Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin Trains. The A55 road passes through the town, running parallel to the North Wales Coast Line.

Tramline

The Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway operated an electric tramway service between Llandudno and Rhos-on-Sea from 1907 and extended to Colwyn Bay in 1908. The service closed in 1956.[5]

Education

Colwyn Bay has three secondary schools - one private and two state. Eirias High School is in Eirias Park and Ysgol Bryn Elian is in Old Colwyn. Ysgol Bryn Elian mainly serves Old Colwyn and Eirias High School mainly serves Colwyn Bay, Rhos on Sea and Penrhyn Bay. Rydal Penrhos is a private school, which is on multiple sites in the town. The town's primary schools are Ysgol Glan y Mor, Ysgol Pendorlan, Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, Ysgol T Gwynn Jones, Ysgol Hen Golwyn, and Saint Joseph's R.C. Primary and the Welsh-language Ysgol Bod Alaw.

Religious sites

Anglican churches in and around the town include the parish church St Paul's Church, St David's Welsh Church, St John the Baptist's Church, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen to the south of the town.

Sport

The local football team is Colwyn Bay F.C., the local cricket team is Colwyn Bay Cricket Club who play at Penrhyn Avenue and the rugby union team is Colwyn Bay RFC. As of 2012, the RGC 1404 rugby team also play in Colwyn Bay as part of a development venture by the WRU.

Colwyn Bay Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1893. The club and course closed in 1959 and the land was used for a housing development.[6]

The Black Cat Cycling Club, founded in 2014, is based in Colwyn Bay [7] with members made up of cyclists from the town and the surrounding area.

Notable people

See Category:People from Colwyn Bay

See also

Colwyn Bay in the early 2000s.

References

  1. ↑ "The Mayor 2016/2017". www.colwyn-tc.gov.uk.
  2. ↑ "Colwyn Bay 1981-2010 averages". Met Office. Retrieved 24 Aug 2012.
  3. ↑ "Britain's ugliest new buildings named". Daily Telegraph.
  4. ↑ http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/whats-happening-colwyn-bay-pier-11746721
  5. ↑ The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
  6. ↑ “Colwyn Bay Golf Club”, “Golf’s Missing Links”.
  7. ↑ "The Black Cat Cycling Club Club profile". British Cycling.
  8. ↑ Davies, William (d. 1593) at National Library of Wales Dictionary of Welsh Biography
  9. ↑ Squad Profiles: Wales Women at Welsh Rugby Union, 2012
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