welcome to
Froncysyllte
Froncysyllte stands on the banks of the River Dee and the Llangollen Canal, surrounded by the farming landscape of the Vale of Llangollen, at the southern end of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Its houses were built on limestone for quarry, limekiln, brick and tile workers in the nineteenth-century. The Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir is known internationally but other aspects of Froncysyllte’s community spirit, talent and innovation are celebrated locally too. The beautiful seasonal canalside pop-up café Sian Williams houses in her own garden and the importance of Froncysyllte Community Centre as an intergenerational social and cultural hub, are just two examples. We have been working with Keith Sinclair, Froncysyllte Community Centre Secretary and Community Councillor for Llangollen Rural Community Council, who is passionate about his ongoing work to celebrate a range of lesser-known local heritage sites in Froncysyllte. There is an enormous amount of heritage in this area that is in need of conserving, restoring and sharing before it is forgotten or destroyed for now and the future. Through the generosity of Keith and a number of other community members we have been able to explore, capture and share their heritage and knowledge with a focus on the inclusivity of diverse past and present heritage. Understanding heritage goes beyond the tangible architecture and monuments we see - this is just half the story. To truly bring these heritage sites to life in a sustainable way we need to capture the interconnected lived histories that span generations of families here. With the same focus we should value and celebrate the entrepreneurship and creative legacy that followed and is visible today.
Community members collaborated with artist Ian Richards, videographer Leon Bowen and the project team to make a short film to begin to capture some of this and a sense of ‘what community is’ across the four communities. The film includes drone footage of the incredible landscape of the area and key sites important to the individuals included, who all generously offer their unique perspectives in order to tell rich and fascinating stories of place, directly from their lived experiences. The film includes interviews with community leaders, volunteers, artists and entrepreneurs all passionate about their work and about their community.
We were also delighted to support Keith’s aspiration to highlight and share some significant local heritage with new audiences through the printed heritage leaflet focussed on St. David’s churchyard, which is also available online through the Canal & RIver Trust website. Keith collaborated with the project team photographer, Leon Bowen, and graphic designer Amy Davies to make this happen.
Froncysyllte Boer War Memorial
The original, ornate, Italianate Froncysyllte Boer War Memorial drinking fountain was commissioned and funded by public subscription in 1909. It is constructed of Faience and was produced by the J.C. Edwards brickworks. The freestanding, random rubble masonry backing with scalloped flanking walls has subsequently provided space for the display of two First and Second World War marble tablets. These were saved when a local Methodist Chapel was demolished and the whole memorial was relocated and reconfigured in its current form and in its current position in 1996. Efforts continue to secure funding to fully restore the memorial which has been an outstanding feature of village life for over 100 years.
Cross Street Aqueduct
is a small masonry aqueduct that allows access under the Llangollen Canal. The area under the aqueduct is an often overlooked gem of the industrial history of Froncysyllte. It forms part of a circular walk very well used by local residents and is an area that is significant to local people. The Great Western Railway’s ‘Fron Branch’ and the standard-gauge Wrexham to Shrewsbury line near Irish Bridge both serviced the Froncysyllte Limekilns. The ‘Fron Branch’ tramway ran parallel with the canal, at the crossing point turntables were positioned at ninety degrees on either side of the canal to turn the trucks. On the north side bricks surrounding the turning plate are still in-situ, on the south side the iron turning plate is still in position though mainly buried under the track surface.
The Aqueduct Inn Froncysyllte
The Aqueduct Inn is both a key part of the history of Froncysyllte and a thriving local business where locals and visitors enjoy good food and drink. It is a former coaching inn; coaches travelling between London and Holyhead climbed or descended the hill opposite the pub. Tired horses would be cared for in the pub’s stables. The pub is an ideal spot to visit for a meal, including excellent Sunday roasts, or to enjoy a glass of wine or beer whilst enjoying the view of the Llangollen Canal below.
Bruce Barkley, in Light and Shade
One of the exhibitions in the Fron Community Centre on 23rd November will be of the late Bruce Barkley’s prints, some of which were featured in his ‘in Light and Shade’ publication. Bruce was an artist-in-residence with the Wrexham Leader Newspaper and local celebrity well known for his beautiful drawings of local landmarks, villages, towns and scenes of the waterways. Bruce and his family were from Froncysyllte, with a family tree dating back to the 1700s. The prints are courtesy of June Smith, Angela Lawrenson and Hilary Edwards, Bruce’s daughters and niece. Also on display will be a huge range of postcards that have been collected over decades by a local family, the Alcocks. This collection, which is mounted on boards, has previously been shown in Fron Community Centre. We are very excited that they will be exhibited as part of the event to give us an insight into Fron through the eras. Cakes & Co, Froncysyllte’s own community café, will be there on 23rd November doing an extra Saturday especially for the event! Cakes & Co was established in 2007 as a meeting place for locals and visitors to the beautiful valley. It is staffed by volunteers and takes place on the first Saturday of every month. Some of the organisations who benefit from the café’s fundraising are the village school, the Church, the Chapel and the Darby and Joan Club as it is important to have the continued support of locals and visitors. Their freshly made sandwiches and home-made cakes are very reasonably priced and you can still get a cup of tea or coffee for 50p. As well as visitors from all over the UK, their visitors’ book shows entries from people from as far away as Vancouver, Canada; Bondi, Australia; Wanganui, New Zealand; Florida, USA; Milan, Italy; Tokyo, Japan and Shanghai, China, all of whom have enjoyed the café’s hospitality.
Our ‘stream in the sky’ - Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Our ‘stream in the sky’ - Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - has been named as the most captivating UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. UNESCO status is given to landmarks or areas that have a major cultural, historical or scientific form of significance. Taking the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee valley in North Wales, the aqueduct took ten years to complete and is a fine example of the incredible feats of engineering you can find on our canal network. The aqueduct and surrounding area was first submitted to the ‘tentative list’ of properties being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1999. The length of canal from Rhoswiel, Shropshire, to the Horseshoe Falls, including the main Pontcysyllte Aqueduct structure as well as the older Chirk Aqueduct, were duly visited by assessors from UNESCO. The aqueduct was finally inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List on 27th June 2009. Today the World Heritage site is managed by a range of organisations, including the Canal & River Trust in Wales, working in partnership to protect, preserve and promote its outstanding universal value.
A six-foot LEGO model of the iconic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct has been created at the start of a campaign for the design to be incorporated into LEGO’s global collection.The model is on display at Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham and is the inspiration for a campaign that needs 10,000 online votes to see it included as the first Welsh landmark in the world famous LEGO collection, joining only four other famous locations in the UK in Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Old Trafford and Trafalgar Square. It was commissioned as part of The Bridge that Connects. Local residents and visitors are being encouraged to visit the LEGO website and to help the project reach 10,000 votes, the threshold required for LEGO to consider adding the model to their iconic set range, putting the awe inspiring Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Wrexham’s rural industrial heritage firmly on the global map. Between 1962 and 2000, LEGO was manufactured in Wrexham and became the distribution centre and base for LEGO UK’s model makers. On 23rd November, the model, as well as three bespoke miniature models, will be on display for the day at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Visitor Centre, so come along and see history being made!
Boaty Business
We asked local boat dweller and trader Julia Francis to develop the Floating Market for the event with local traders to support Trevor Basin to be a space for community across 23rd and 24th November. Julia talks to Bob Chase about life on the water and the Autumn Floating Market
Q: What exactly is a boat trader?
Boaters are pretty independent types and many run business from their boats. The more visible ones sell from their boats and often create their
products onboard. The Canal & River Trust issues special licences to traders, who have to present a business plan. They must also have proper insurance in place and, if they sell food, be registered with a local authority.
Q: Are there many boat traders on the Llangollen?
Roving traders have to move on every two weeks so they roam the canal system. Some are based on the Llangollen and travel widely, often returning for the winter. Traders from other areas visit the Llangollen looking for sales among the summer visitors. We also have what we call Coal Boats. Usually old working boats, they provide a vital service to boaters, delivering fuel and gas along the length of the canal. They are especially welcome in the winter.
Q: What do you make and trade?
We create our own products as well as source and sell items from land and boat-based artists and crafters. My husband, Roger, is a highly skilled sculptor and wood carver. He makes large pieces but also designs smaller items and wearable pieces. I love to design in felt to create colourful hats, waistcoats and clothing. I also enjoy making silver jewellery. We stock some fabulous soaps, made by a friend, as well as hand-made leather items and unique candle-holders from a maker in Cumbria. We do our best to seek out interesting local products.
Q: What do you like about living on a boat?
Water has always played a big part in my life so perhaps it’s no surprise I found and fell in love with the canals. It’s a joy to be able to find a peaceful spot to be on your own when you want one or or find a busy place if you feel like being sociable.
Boaters like their independence but are always willing to help each other. I really appreciate this sense of respect and community.
Q: What connections do you have with the area?
We moved ourselves and our business onto a boat (Asrai) on the Llangollen canal in 2014. Our children all enrolled in local schools. While Roger developed his sculpture practice, I was employed in Wrexham as a youth worker. At the moment I am a cover supply teacher. Roger’s family moved up here in the 1920s. One of his great uncles was involved in the Gresford Mine Disaster in 1934. This tragic event affected many local families and is still taught about in local schools. On a lighter note, he has a lovely story from his mother, Ann. She was very nervous crossing the high aqueduct so she learned to follow a friend and just look at her friend’s feet the whole way.
Q: Are you looking forward to the market?
Yes. It’s a great opportunity to showcase some of the wonderful stuff being produced and sourced by boat traders. The canalside can be beautiful in the autumn and we are hoping to see more local people without the summer crowds.
We also have a couple of great food boats joining us. Toastie will be serving up his famous coffees and The Little Narrowboat Kitchen will be dishing up pulled pork sandwiches and their delicious veggie soups. No one will go hungry. I hope lots of folk will come and find us to say hello!
Julia Francis runs Oblivious Gnome Creations with her husband Roger. They live on their boat Asrai on the Llangollen Canal.
Bob Chase is part of the TBTC project team supporting Julia to develop the market. Bob is also a narrowboat owner.
