Holywell – accommodation, history and more

If you’re long time followers of The Glan yr Afon, you’ll know that we’re situated in Holywell, Flintshire. But what do you know about our lovely area?

If you’re looking for accommodation in Holywell, then you might be interested in finding out more about the area – here are just a few resources to help you out!

Wikipedia tells us that:

The market town of Holywell takes its name from the St Winefride’s Well, a holy well surrounded by a chapel.[4] 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.[5] 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.

The Holywell Wikipedia page also talks about demographics, community and famous local people. Did you know that TV presenter Gaz Top comes from Holywell? Neither did we!

The Holywell Town website has a huge range of information, including tourist details, details of clubs and societies and local events. It’s currently being updated but still well worth a look, and it tells us that:

The villages within the Holywell catchment area include: Bagillt, Brynford, Carmel, Gorsedd,  Halkyn, Lixwm,  Lloc, Mostyn, Pantasaph, Pentre Halkyn, Rhes-y-Cae, Rhosesmor, Trelawnyd, Whitford, Ysceifiog and the town of Caerwys.

If you visit the Holywell TripWolf site, you can download a nice little PDF with all sorts of usefull details, including Holywell accommodation – of course the Glan is recommended in there!

Finally, we love Holywell, but sometimes words can’t tell you how beautiful a place is and you need pictures – see this Flickr search for some great Holywell photography.

We’re offering accommodation for workers on the offshore windfarms at Mostyn Port

As more and more people start work on the offshore windfarms in the Mostyn area, we’re lucky to be able to put them up here at the Glan yr Afon, and hear their great stories!

Construction of the windfarms is going full steam (should that be wind?) ahead, and we’re not far from Mostyn Port,  a major player as a base for the Offshore Windfarm Construction and Support Industry. It has seen four major wind farms constructed from Mostyn over the last five years, the furthest being Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth.

Robin Rigg Facts:

• When complete, Robin Rigg will generate enough energy to power nearly 117,000 homes.
• Sixty turbines are to be installed as part of the project. Each turbine is approximately 126m to blade tip.
• The windfarm will be one of the largest schemes in the UK.
• More info on Robin Rigg is on the BBC website, with some great pictures

If you’re looking for hotel or B&B accomodation in the Mostyn area, then why not give us a call on 01352 710052 to book your room now?

The Pope to visit St Winefride’s Well near The Glan?

We’re a little excited here at The Glan yr Afon to hear rumour that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI might be popping in for a quick pint!

OK, well the chances of him nipping in for a snifter is pretty remote, but we have been told it’s possible he’ll be visiting St Winefrid’s Well in Holywell as part of his visit to the UK, probably in September next year!

According to the legend, St Winefride’s Well first erupted at the spot where her would-be rapist Caradog cut off her head with his sword. Restored to life at the prayers of her uncle St Beuno, Winefride lived as a nun until her second death some 22 years later. Whatever the exact truth of her legend, Winefride herself was real rather than legendary, and the extraordinary and enduring personality of this 7th-century Welsh woman has meant that she has been venerated as a saint ever since the moment of her death. Since that time, too, her Well at Holywell has been a place of pilgrimage and healing – the only such place in Britain with a continuous history of public pilgrimage for over 13 centuries.

The Times says the visit would also include:

the dramatic spectacle of the Pope addressing MPs and peers in Westminster Hall, where Sir Thomas More was condemned to death in 1535 for opposing the Act of Supremacy. The act made Henry VIII “supreme head” of the nascent Protestant religious group the Church of England, signalling a split from Rome. Benedict XVI would also meet the Queen on his visit.

We’re readying our rooms for the hordes of you that are bound to descend and want somewhere to stay for this hostorical event!

Sculptor Suzie Marsh adds another Nelson in North Wales Pub

Sculptor Suzie Marsh who sculpted Nelson the Seal for Looe Harbour has now provided a sculpture of Nelson the Cat to The Glan Yr Afon Inn in North Wales.

Sculptor Suzie Marsh was commissioned to make a lifesize sculpture of Nelson the Seal, who was left blind in one eye following a boating accident and was looked after by the fishermen and people of Looe, for Looe Harbour in Cornwall. He is cast in bronze and on public display on Pennyland Rocks in Looe Harbour. He was unveiled on the 28th May by Sir Robin Knox-Johnson.

Suzie has now also provided a sculpture of Nelson the Cat ( so called because of his black patch over one eye ) to The Glan Yr Afon Inn, Holywell, North Wales. The Glan Yr Afon’s owner, Chris Windley, knew Suzie from his days in the Royal Navy in Plymouth and asked her to provide the sculpture to commemorate Nelson who died in 2008.

Nelson adopted The Glan Yr Afon Inn during the time that Mr and Mrs Pepe Pastor owned it and remained there when Chris Windley bought it – despite not being an official part of the fixtures and fittings !!. Some of the locals still remember the day that Nelson walked into The Glan as a young cat and claimed The Glan as his home.

Suzie can now claim to have her Nelson’s looking out over the English Channel and the Dee Estuary.

Parkgate,Ness and Neston, across The Dee from The Glan was where Lady Hamilton, Nelson’s lover, was born.

Nelson the Cat can be seen in the video on The Glan’s website.

Nelson the Seal can be seen at http://www.suziemarshsculpture.co.uk/nelson.html

For more information please contact:
Chris Windley
The Glan Yr Afon Inn, Milwr, Dolphin,Holywell,Flintshire, North Wales,CH8 8HE.
info@glanyrafoninn.co.uk
01352 710052

Interested in Flintshire Pubs & Breweries?

Last week we were lucky enough to have author David Rowe in the Glan, launching his new book “Flintshire Pubs & Breweries”.

Flintshire has over seventy separate towns and villages, the largest being Mold, Buckley, Flint and Holywell. These mining communities were once home to numerous alehouses, coaching inns, taverns and independent breweries, many of which disappeared with the closure of the mines. Illustrated with over 100 old photographs, postcards and other memorabilia, this absorbing collection offers the reader an insight into the life of many Flintshire pubs and breweries past and present, and highlights some of the changes that have taken place during the last century. Glimpses of the area’s working and social life are featured; each image recalling the fascinating history of this part of North Wales. “Flintshire Pubs & Breweries” will delight all those who want to know more about the history of Flintshire’s public houses, their clientele, landlords and ladies and takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the past of their favorite local.

(Description taken from Amazon)

As well as finding out about David’s great book, we also learned some interesting facts.

Did you know:

• The name of the Holly Bush Inn goes back to the very early days of inns and taverns in Britain. This is because the Romans used the holly bush during their Saturnalia celebrations which often extended to seven days of unrestrained revelry that usually ended up with debauchery. On town fair days any house could put a sprig of holly over the door and serve hopme made brew without the need for a license
• In the 1820’s and 30’s the world price of lead was set in a small booth inside the ” Old Wine Vaults ” in Holywell ( still open ).
• The most popular pub names ( in Flintshire ) are – Red Lion, Royal Oak, Cross Keys, The Ship, Black Lion NB very few Welsh names !!

No? Neither did we! Buy David’s book to find out more!

Sub Aqua Diving club, Flintshire, can now splash out!

The Flintshire Sub-Aqua Diving Club meet every Wednesday at Holywell Leisure Centre, where they conduct diver training and organise the week’s diving events.

They’ll be ’splashing out’ on new equipment, including two buoyancy control devices, which help divers to stay at a constant depth and descend or ascend in a controlled way as well as breathing regulators after scooping £1,000 from the Sports Council for Wales’ funding scheme.

Weekly training events attract up to 40 divers, and guests are welcome – so just the place if you’re a budding diver and planning on staying at The Glan Yr Afon! (Check out our other activities too!)

Thanks to The Evening Leader for flagging this one up!