Holywell

Holywell

infobox UK place
country= Wales
welsh_name= Treffynnon
constituency_welsh_assembly=
official_name= Holywell
population= 7,530 (2001 Census)
unitary_wales= Flintshire
lieutenancy_wales= Clwyd
constituency_westminster= Delyn
post_town= HOLYWELL
postcode_district= CH8
postcode_area= CH
dial_code= 01352
os_grid_reference= SJ185755
latitude= 53.27020
longitude= -3.22351
static_

static_image_caption= The Well Head, Holywell. Holywell ( _cy. Treffynnon) is the fifth largest town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying to the west of the estuary of the River Dee.

History

The town is known for St Winefride's Well, a holy well surrounded by a chapel. The well has been known since at least the Roman period, and has been a site of pilgrimage since about 660 when Saint Winefride was beheaded there by Caradog who attempted to rape her. [citeweb|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07438a.htm|title=Holywell|work=Catholic Encyclopedia|accessdate=3 March|accessyear=2007] The well is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales and the town bills itself as "The Lourdes of Wales".

From the 18th century, the town grew around the lead mining and cotton milling industries.

Holywell hosted an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1869.

Demographics

Administratively, Holywell consists of three wards of the Flintshire County Council local authority. At the 2001 Census, the total population of the town was:

Community

Holywell is split into four distinct areas — Pen-y-Maes, The Strand, The Holway and the town centre. Pen-y-Maes is the richer of the areas in Holywell in the north east side of the town (based on land prices)Fact|date=June 2007. The old cottage hospital was located here until it closed. A new one has been built near the football pitch of the local team. The Holway, located on the west side of the town, is the largest of the residential areas of Holywell.Fact|date=June 2007 The town centre contains many small businesses, a Somerfield and a Woolworths. A Lidl has just opened its doors as has the new Tesco store in Holywell which also has Tesco Direct. The village of Greenfield is effectively a suburb of Holywell, as are many other villages that surround the town.

The town contains a secondary school with over 500 pupils and a leisure centre.

Holywell also has a local football team, Holywell Town who play in the Welsh Alliance League.

In 2007, a group of locals proposed a circular walk way, the "St Beuno's Circular Walk", joining all of the historical and religious locations of the town. [citeweb|url=http://www.holywellwalk.bravehost.com/ |title=Proposed St Bueno's Circular Walk|accessdate=10 May|accessyear=2007]

Notable people

* Actor Jonathan Pryce was born in Holywell in 1947.
* Former Southampton and Wales footballer Ron Davies was born in Holywell in 1942.
* Dixie Dean the Everton football legend once had a near fatal motorbike accident in Holywell in the late 1920s. This almost ended his professional career.
* TV's Gareth Jones (Gaz Top) comes from Holywell

References

External links

* [http://www.holywell-town.co.uk Holywell website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/sites/holywell_town/ BBC Wales: Holywell]


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  • Holywell — • Two documents of the twelfth century, preserved in the British Museum, and printed by the Bollandists, give its history, with the earliest record of the miraculous cures effected by its waters Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Holywell …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Holywell — Holywell, Marktflecken der Grafschaft Flint (Wales), an der Deemündung u. der Eisenbahn von Chester nach Holyhead; Hafen, Fabriken, namentlich in Baumwolle, Kupferhütte, Kupferhammer, Blei u. Kohlenminen; 6000 Ew. Dabei im Thale Greenfield die… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Holywell — (spr. hóllĭ , welsch: Tre Fynnon), Stadt in Flintshire (Nordwales), auf einer Anhöhe beim Ästuar des Dee, hat Bleigruben, Zementwerke, eine Lateinschule und (1901) 2652 Einw. Dabei die kal le Wunderquelle der heil. Winfrida (daher H., »heilige… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Holywell — (Halliuell), engl. Stadt in Wales an der Mündung des Dee, mit Kupfer . Blei u. Kohlenminen, 11000 E. In der Nähe die warme Quelle St. Winfrieds …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Holywell — Recorded in several forms including Haliwell, Hallwell, Hallewell, Holwell, Holywell, Holliwell, and others this is an English surname of medieval origins. It is locational from any of various places which describe a holy well . These include… …   Surnames reference

  • Holywell — Original name in latin Holywell Name in other language Holywell, Treffynnon State code GB Continent/City Europe/London longitude 53.27466 latitude 3.22895 altitude 140 Population 6969 Date 2011 07 31 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Holywell — 53° 16′ 26″ N 3° 13′ 23″ W / 53.274, 3.223 Holywell (galois : Treffynno …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Holywell — ▪ Wales, United Kingdom Welsh  Treffynnon        town, historic and present county of Flintshire, Wales, near the Dee estuary. The holy well is on the spot where in the 7th century the head of the Celtic St. Winifred (Gwenffrwd) is said to have… …   Universalium

  • Holywell (disambiguation) — Holywell may refer to:* Holywell, Bedfordshire * Holywell, Cambridgeshire * Holywell, Cornwall * Holywell, Dorset * Holywell, Eastbourne * Holywell, Flintshire * Holywell, Herefordshire * Holywell, Hertfordshire * Holywell, Oxfordshire * Holywell …   Wikipedia

  • Holywell Street — is a street in central Oxford, England. It runs east west with Broad Street to the west and Longwall Street to the east. About half way along, Mansfield Road adjoins to the north.New College dominates the south side of the street. At the western… …   Wikipedia

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