Connah's Quay

Connah's Quay (Cei Connah) is the largest town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the River Dee, near the border with England. It can be accessed by road from the A550, by rail from the nearby Shotton station and also lies on the National Cycle Network Route 5. It is situated near the region's industrial centre - Deeside Industrial Park, home to three power stations. The major part of Corus Steelworks lies on the town's border on the north bank of the River Dee. Wepre Woods, an ancient woodland in the town, is controlled by Flintshire County Council's Ranger Service and includes Ewloe Castle which dates from the 13th century.

History

The town's name is believed to have to come from a former landlord of "The Old Quay House", a public house which still lies on the docks in what is now the west side of the town. Other's state that Connah was a man who owned a Chandlery store on the docks. The docks became known as "Connah's Quay" some time after the 1860s. It has also been known, to some people, that Connah's Quay had got its name from a lady called Mary Connah. When people crossed the River Dee, from places opposite, such as Parkgate or Neston, they would ask, "Could you take me to Connah's Quay," because Mary Connah used to own the Dock. The dock itself was connected by the Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway to the nearby town of Buckley, chiefly to transport fire-clay and pottery products. It grew from this small port which included a shipyard and now encompasses the former hamlets of Wepre, Kelsterton and Golftyn.

Governance

Connah's Quay has a town council of twenty members.

Education

Schools in Connah's Quay include Connah's Quay High School, Bryn Deva Primary, Wepre Primary, Dee road, Custom House Lane Primary and Golftyn Primary.

Further education is provided by Deeside College, formerly Kelsterton College, and by the sixth form in Connah's Quay High School as part of Deeside Consortium.

Community

In the last decade several large housing developments have been built in Connah's Quay and the town has a booming property market, with houseprices steadily increasing the town appears to have finally shaken the effects of the mass redundancies from major employers in the 1970s and 1980's.

Although never used historically, the Welsh translation for Connah's Quay is Cei Connah, which has recently been incorporated into signage of the area.

Public houses

• Cross Keys
• Gillespies
• Halfway House
• Hare and Hounds
• Castle Inn/Hendys
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• The Custom House
• The Boathouse
• The Swan
• The Old Quay house
• Red Hall
• The Ship
• Wepre Inn

Sport

The town is home to the North Wales indoor athletics centre and athletics track which is used by GAP Connah's Quay F.C, formerly known as Connah's Quay Nomads. It is also home to Connah's Quay Cricket Club, who have two team in the North Wales League.

Cultural references

Wepre Brook is heard at the beginning of the Stone Roses album Second Coming. The Roses were at the time recording in nearby Ewloe.

References

External links

• Connah's Quay Town Council
• BBC Wales - Connah's Quay, Shotton & Queensferry website
• National Cycle Network Route 5
• Wepre Country Park
• Ewloe Castle
• Deeside College
• Connah's Quay Cricket Club
• Historic Photos