Coedpoeth

Coedpoeth (Welsh: Coed-poeth;[2] [kɔidpɔiθ] ⓘ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales.

[3] Coedpoeth is on a hill between the Clywedog and Gwenfro valleys, surrounded by countryside with views of the Cheshire plain, Tanyfron, Southsea and the city of Wrexham.

The area is prone to snowfall, and has suffered localised flooding in recent years due to heavy rain.

The Talwrn (from Welsh talwrn, a cockpit, or more usually a field or open space[8][9]) in the valley of the River Gwenfro to the north, was home to several small-scale coal mines, and the name of the Smelt, to the west, referred to smelting of lead in the area.

These four hamlets became areas of Coedpoeth which grew, with increasing industrial development, around the inns and market hall on the ridge that became the high street of the village.

Today Coedpoeth is a dormitory village for commuters to Wrexham, and a point of sale for goods used by local farms and hamlets.

The village was surrounded by natural resources such as lime, iron ore, coal, and lead, and many ruins show the industrial past of the area.

The state of the roads (or lack of them) was said to lead to the practice of stockpiling coal in the winter and shipping it in the summer.

Early ordnance survey maps from 1872 to the end of the 19th century show several old shafts to the North and West of Coedpoeth, and one location in that area is marked as 'Old Talwrn Colliery'.

This appears to be otherwise known as Pentre'r-fron colliery, and was closed after a flooding event in 1819 which resulted in two lives lost and one remarkable survival.

John Evans survived for 12 days trapped in darkness in a cavity in the roofspace, eating candles and drinking water dripping from the roof above.

A campaign was launched in 1905 by the business people of Coedpoeth to have a branch line laid from the station to the village centre, one mile distant.

[15] Originally offering through services to two further halts on the line (Vicarage halt serving western Minera, and Berwig Halt), the station was a passenger terminus from 1926 and passenger services were withdrawn from 1930, although heavy goods use of the line by Berwig Quarry and Minera Limeworks continued until closure of the line in 1970, after the Limeworks was reduced to a base for road aggregates and was served by road.

Today, the village is linked to Wrexham by two bus services, one run by Arriva Buses Wales and another by D Jones and Son; also GHA Coaches used to provide a night time service, as well as all routes through the village going on to Ruthin and Denbigh, which now also stop along the high street.

Ysgol Bryn Tabor shared the same complex as Penygelli Infants to the south of the A525, which was part early 20th-century, with a large 1980s extension.

As the library was modernised, it was moved to the large games room on the ground floor, and the rest of the building became the community council headquarters.

[25] George Clark was also a quarrymaster and operated the Penygelli quarry from the late 1860s until the business was sold in 1874.

Minera St Marys only lasted one season in this competition, taking on the fixtures of Cerney Swifts and finishing second from bottom.

Following the end of hostilities Coedpoeth United re-emerged in 1920 in the North Wales Alliance League Division 2, a competition in which they finished as Runners Up, only missing out on being Champions on goals scored.

[38] Following the end of World War II, Coedpoeth re-emerged in the newly formed Welsh National League Wrexham Area East.

Coedpoeth SC were immediately successful and were Champions in their first season gaining Promotion to Division 2.

The club initially struggled back in Division 3, however in 1974 Coedpoeth SC were Champions and promoted.

The club finished 10th back in Division 1, however folded in 1977 after being knocked out of the Welsh Cup in the Qualifying Round.

Coedpoeth once again reformed for the start of the 1980–81 season and finished Second in Welsh National League Wrexham Area Division 4 however were not Promoted.

The current Adult section of the club reformed in 1999 and joined the Welsh National League.

Coedpoeth Station, 1900
Coedpoeth Old Carnegie Library