Nantclwyd y Dre to welcome back visitors this week

 

* Nantclwyd y Dre historic house and gardens is re-opening tomorrow (Thursday). 

Nantclwyd y Dre historic house and gardens close to Llangollen is set to welcome visitors once again as it opens for the season tomorrow (Thursday).

 

The higgledy-piggledy timber-framed townhouse in Ruthin, which offers visitors over 500 years of history under one roof and beautiful hidden gardens, is bursting with new and updated exhibitions, activities, and trails, designed to tell this historic attraction’s fascinating history, in new and interactive ways.

 

A major highlight for 2025 is the introduction of historical scents. From smoky tallow candles in the medieval room, to fresh bread in the kitchen and delicate roses in the Georgian bedroom, evocative fragrances add to the immersive experience, complementing the period costumes, soundscapes, and hands-on activities that help bring Nantclwyd y Dre’s history to life.

* The historic house offers hand-on experiences.

 

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage, said: “I look forward to the opening once again of Nantclwyd y Dre. It’s a vital piece of Ruthin and indeed Denbighshire’s history. The townhouse, the tranquillity of the gardens are just some of the reasons to pay it a visit and I would encourage you all to do so.”

 

Kate Thomson, Site Manager at Nantclwyd y Dre, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back for another season. Our enthusiastic staff and volunteers are putting the final touches to the new ways we have for visitors to explore the house and gardens - we can’t wait to see to see visitors enjoying them!”

 

* Enjoying the garden at Nantclwyd y Dre.

Designed to make history ‘hands-on’, Nantclwyd y Dre’s unique visitor experience offers plenty of ways for visitors of all ages to learn about the house and experience what daily life was like for the characters who lived and worked here. Holding Hidden Gem status, Kids in Museums accreditation and rated 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor, Nantclwyd y Dre offers a highly enjoyable outing for history enthusiasts and families alike.

 

* Nantclwyd y Dre will be open from 10.30am to 4.30pm (last entry 3.30pm), Thursday – Saturday until September 30. For full details on opening times and ticket prices, please visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/heritage

A5 speed limit changing from 20 to 10mph from today April 1

 

April 1 exclusive

The controversial 20mph speed limit on the A5 (Queen Street, Regent Street and Berwyn Street) in Llangollen is reverting to ... 10mph.

When the 30mph restriction was slashed to 20 on many urban roads in Wales in September 2023 it sparked a storm of protest by motorists across the country.

This led to a record-breaking petition with a total of 469,571 signatures being handed into the Senedd headed by the demand: “We want the Welsh Government to rescind and remove the disastrous 20mph law.”

As a result the government agreed to a review which resulted in councils across Wales asking the public which roads they would like to see going back to 30mph.

It is due to this consultation that the length of the A5 running from just before Birch Hill to just after the Wild Pheasant will see the limit change - not from 20 down to 30mph as in many other parts of the country but down yet again to a creeping 10mph from noon today, Tuesday April 1.

The local resident behind the reduction is Rob Philipson who said: “When the council asked for our views on what the speed limit on Regent Street should be I immediately responded saying that rather than taking it back up to 30mph they should in fact cut it even further to just 10mph. I think many other people must have expressed the same view because that’s now being implemented.

“After all it’s an extremely busy and potentially dangerous road and since the 20 limit was imposed in 2023 the traffic has slowed down considerably making it much safer pedestrians and cats to get across.

“I for one am delighted to see it going right down to 10mph and I’m now campaigning for the council to take things even further and safer by having a man with a red flag walking in front of the vehicles travelling along the street.

“To enforce this we could have a convoy system where the flagman waits for say 10 or 12 vehicles to arrive before he leads them all along the street together. I think this makes good sense really and I’d like to hear what other local people think of it.”      

Story suggests future is secure for town's public toilets

* Llangollen's public toilets in Market Street.

Nation.cymru are carrying a story today which indicates that Llangollen's public toilets will not be closed.

Although the headline talks of "closure plans" the story suggests the future may have been secured for the Market Street toilets.   

* For the full story, see: Council push ahead with toilet closure plans

Latest local roadworks update from Denbighshire County Council

Latest local roadworks update from Denbighshire County Council is:

28 MILL ST MILL STREET 10/04/2025 10/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY

A542 Verge ABBEY ROAD 31/01/2025 13/06/2025 Gwaith Ar Wal Gynnal/ Retaining Wall Works DCC HIGHWAYS

OUTSIDE PROPERTY CALLED 'MAYTREE' FRON BACHE FRON BACHE 07/04/2025 09/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Llandyn Hall Farm Culvert TRACK TO LLANDYN HALL FROM A539 28/04/2025 23/05/2025 Gwaith ar Gylfat/ Culvert Works Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall Street, Llangollen. HALL STREET 12/04/2025 17/04/2025 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works NMWTRA (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

O/S NUMBER 20 CASTLE STREET 07/04/2025 09/04/2025 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

Sustainable Denbighshire walks guide launched

A new series of Denbighshire walks are encouraging walkers to try out more sustainable routes.

Produced by Denbighshire County Council Tourism Department, the newly published ‘8 Sustainable Walks: Discover Denbighshire by Bus’, has been developed to help keen walkers leave their cars at home to discover more of the county’s sights and sounds.

The walks were created by Julie Brominicks with the county’s bus services in mind. Julie was an educator at the Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth. 

Her book The Edge of Cymru, published by Seren Books, is the story of her walk around Wales in the course of a year. Her work is also regularly published in the BBC Countryfile magazine.

Arranged in order with the shortest first, each with its own map, they’re accompanied by Julie’s descriptions.

The walks take in some of the most picturesque areas including the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site. 

They also start and finish near a bus stop, so walkers can leave the car at home.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation said: “Denbighshire is a fantastic walking destination for both residents and visitors alike. We have stunning varied scenery to walk through to relax and soak in the views.

“It’s great that this new series of walks helps you relax even more by taking away the stress of driving and parking and it fits in so well with how we are working to improve the county’s environment.”

* You can download ‘8 Sustainable Walks: Discover Denbighshire by Bus here: https://www.northeastwales.wales/booklets/

Print versions will be available shortly from Tourist Information Points and Centres.

 

Actor takes u3a members on Wilfred Owen's wartime journey

* Wilfred Owen during the First World War.

Looking back over 100 years isn’t something the Berwyn and District u3a usually does, but at the last open meeting members were gripped by Strange Meetings, a moving performance by actor and author Shaun Higgins. 

Higgins has studied the life and works of Wilfred Owen, and in a tour de force using many of the poet’s own words, he sketched the pity of war in a monologue which held his audience transfixed. 

This one man show went from Owen’s stay at Craiglockhart in Scotland, where he was treated for shell shock in 1918, to his death just days before the end of the First World War.  

The u3a has meetings open to everyone every third Monday of the month at Canalfon Ni, Corwen.

The next meeting, on April 23, will be a talk by Iwan Edwards of North Wales Wildlife Trust on gardening for wildlife. 

Management buyout for county's leisure services company

 

Denbighshire councillors have approved a management buyout for Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL).

The move will see DLL - which runs leisure centres across the county including Llangollen but from April 1 no longer Llangollen Pavilion - being funded to the tune of £1.5m by a private investor to purchase the company.

DLL says the aim is to grow and sustain and protect leisure services in the county over the next 10 years.

 

Meanwhile, it will lead to savings for the council with an initial payment for the company and an on-going annual saving in the cost of the service provided. 

This decision is dependent upon the council being satisfied as to a number of practical and regulatory matters to be determined over the next few months.

 

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of DLL, said: "There comes a point where we need to change the structure of the company. The council considered a proposal whereby we could bring some investment into the company. It's unique, the first of its kind, and an option I'm sure many councils won't have.

 

"This is about protecting our services for our residents, protecting jobs for our staff, protecting all the things we've become happy with as residents and visitors, and giving the company the best possible chance to grow into the future. We are essentially investing and growing instead of cutting and shutting. The council has taken the bold step in supporting us. It's transformational."

 

Councillor Rhys Thomas, Lead Member for Housing and Communities for Denbighshire and a Chair of DLL’s Board of Directors,  said: “There was a full and open debate in the council chamber on Wednesday where all members were given an opportunity to air their views.  

"Some members had legitimate concerns about the changes which were being discussed but by the end of the meeting most members agreed that the way forward was to approve the proposal. It was explained that not accepting the proposed changes could put at risk the excellent service delivered by DLL for the people of Denbighshire.

 

“As members, we needed to be sure that the proposal offered the best solution for Denbighshire residents and we’d like to reassure residents that the arrangements are being made to secure the future of leisure services over the next ten years in the county. We’d also like to reassure other parties, such as schools who share facilities with DLL, that we will ensure there are robust arrangements in place to safeguard these arrangements.”

 

The council says it will now work with DLL over the coming months to move the project forward.

* It was announced last month that Llangollen Eisteddfod will take over the day to day running of the Pavilion from DLL all year round, rather than just having access for a one-month period during the summer.