Industrial heritage

Help us to build a history archive using stories, photos and films to give an insight into the region's industrial past. This is what we have so far - and we're looking for more contributions...

Breweries

Wrexham Lager van

At one time it seemed Wrexham had a brewery on every corner. But it was the spring waters of Ruthin that gave rise to a popular non alcoholic drink, Ruthin Soda .

Brewing and breweries

Brickworks

Buckley's last chimney

North east Wales had 130 brickworks from the late 1800s, mainly as a consequence of the colliery industry. It's said bricks were Rhyl's first industry, 200 chimneys served Buckley's brickworks and Wrexham's Ruabon red bricks went around the world.

Brickworks

Canals and Trams

Llangollen Canal

How the canal came to Wrexham, why it stopped at Llangollen, Thomas Telford's involvement and the connection with old tramways around the Ceiriog Valley, Cefn and Rhos.

Canals and Trams

Coal's legacy

Gresford Memorial

There was no doubt that coal was once king with a coalfield stretching across the region. Former miners and their families have been sharing their memories to create a wealth of material revealing the industry's history and its legacy.

Coal

Farming

Evacuees

There's much we want to add to this section, not least around the stories of Women's Land Army members, evacuees and even World War II prisoners of war who came to work the fields.

Dig for Victory

Potteries

Horse-pulled tram

Why Buckley Mountain was once such an important pottery centre, how the pots were 'rolled' down to ships waiting on the Dee, and how the industry shaped local dialect.

Buckley's pots

Steelworks

Steelworkers

Brymbo and Shotton steelworkers share stories of the past. Plus, we've sourced old photos and films to reveal what life was like inside the sprawling works.

Steelworks

Textile Mills

Courtaulds staff

Courtaulds was once a major employer with mills at Flint and Holywell but even now, long after their demise, former workers are still sharing their recollections.

Courtaulds

Tourism

Happy campers

Contributors share memories of annual stays at Rhyl and Prestatyn's holiday camps, as well as locals who earned their living - or even pocket money - from the visitors.

Holiday camps

Transport

Rhyl Hovercraft

Looking back to a time when ships came up the Dee, when Queensferry's ferry was in business, Rhyl ran its hovercraft and Buckley had trams.

Transport

This is a growing local history archive so, if there's anything you want to share, then please get in touch.

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