Wrexham

Wrexham (Welsh Gwrecsam, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Wrightesham), a market town and parliamentary and municipal borough of Denbighshire, N. Wales, r1 m. S.S.W. of Chester, with stations on the Great Western railway, and on the Great Central railway, 202 m. from London. Pop. (Igor) 14,966. "One of the seven wonders of Wales" is St Giles's church, of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, with a panelled tower of several stages erected between 1506 and 1520, and containing ten famous bells cast (1726) by Rudhall; the interior is Decorated, and has two monuments by Roubilliac to the Myddletons. Wrexham is the seat of the Roman Catholic bishop of Menevia, whose diocese includes all Wales except Glamorganshire. The endowed free school was established in 1603. The markets and fairs are good, and the ales, mills (corn and paper) and tanneries locally famous. Brymbo Hall, in the neighbourhood, is said to have been built from a design by Inigo Jones, as were probably Gwydyr chapel (1633) and the Conwy bridge (1636), both at Llanrwst. Erddig Hall was noted for its Welsh MSS. Near Wrexham, but in a detached portion of Flintshire, to the S.E., is Bangor-is-coed (Bangor yn Maelor), the site of the most ancient monastery in the kingdom, founded before r80; some 1200 monks were slain here by IEthelfrith of Northumbria, who also spoiled the monastery. Bangor-is-coed was probably Antoninus's Bovium, and the Banchorium of Richard of Cirencester. Wrightesham was of Saxon origin, and lying E. of Offa's Dyke, was yet reckoned in Mercia. It was given (with Bromfield and Yale, or Idl) by Edward I. to Earl Warenne.