Colwyn Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Colwyn Bay
|
|
|---|---|
|
From the top, View over Colwyn Bay, Station Road, Penrhyn Road
|
|
 Colwyn Bay
|
|
| Population | 10,576 (Community, 2021) 29,275 (Built up area, 2021) |
| OS grid reference | SH865785 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area |
|
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | COLWYN BAY |
| Postcode district | LL28, LL29 |
| Dialling code | 01492 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament |
|
| Welsh Assembly |
|
Colwyn Bay (called Bae Colwyn in Welsh) is a lively town and popular seaside resort on the north coast of Wales. It looks out over the Irish Sea and is part of the Conwy County Borough. In 2021, about 10,576 people lived in the community, and the larger built-up area had around 29,275 residents. The town is famous for its beautiful 3-mile-long sandy beach. This beach was made even better with millions of tons of sand, so it's always ready for visitors, no matter the tide!
Contents
- History of Colwyn Bay
- Local Government in Colwyn Bay
- Geography and Climate
- Population and Language
- Economy and Fair Trade
- Culture and Events
- Fun Things to Do and Places to Visit
- Important Landmarks
- Getting Around Colwyn Bay
- Schools in Colwyn Bay
- Churches and Religious Sites
- Sports and Activities
- Famous People from Colwyn Bay
- See also
History of Colwyn Bay
The western part of Colwyn Bay, known as Rhos-on-Sea, has old sites linked to Saint Trillo and Ednyfed Fychan, an important general from the 1200s.
The name 'Colwyn' might come from Collwyn ap Tangno, a Welsh nobleman from the 1000s, or from the River Colwyn. In Welsh, Colwyn can mean "puppy," but Collwyn (a slightly different spelling) means "hazel grove."
In 1399, King Richard II was ambushed in Old Colwyn by supporters of Henry Bolingbroke.
_(LOC)_(3751644619).jpg)
The Colwyn Bay railway station opened in 1849. It was first called Colwyn, then Colwyn Bay in 1876. The town grew fast after the railway arrived, becoming a popular seaside holiday spot. It was easy for people from big towns in north-west England to visit. The Pwllycrochan Estate owned much of the land and helped develop the town from 1875.
Britain's first milk bar opened in Colwyn Bay in 1933.
During World War II, the Colwyn Bay Hotel was the main office for the Ministry of Food. Colwyn Bay also helped the war effort by doing important work with diamonds.
Local Government in Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay has two main local government bodies. The Bay of Colwyn Town Council looks after Colwyn Bay, Old Colwyn, and Rhos-on-Sea from the Colwyn Bay Town Hall. The larger Conwy County Borough Council also has offices in town. These councils manage local services and community needs.
Geography and Climate
Colwyn Bay is on the north coast of Wales, between the sea and the Pwllycrochan Woods. Groes yn Eirias, once a small village, is now home to Eirias Park.
The town has a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. It often experiences strong winds. Special Foehn winds from the south can make temperatures much warmer than expected. For example, on February 23, 2012, Colwyn Bay recorded a high of 18.7 °C, a Welsh record for February at the time.
| Climate data for Colwyn Bay 36m asl, 1981-2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
18.7 (65.7) |
21.4 (70.5) |
24.8 (76.6) |
28.1 (82.6) |
30.3 (86.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.4 (90.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
12.1 (53.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
19.6 (67.3) |
19.4 (66.9) |
17.4 (63.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
11.1 (52.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
13.6 (56.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) |
2.7 (36.9) |
4.1 (39.4) |
5.3 (41.5) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
12.5 (54.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.1 (46.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
3.2 (37.8) |
7.2 (45.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.9 (14.2) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.7 (42.3) |
4.0 (39.2) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 74.7 (2.94) |
53.0 (2.09) |
57.5 (2.26) |
50.7 (2.00) |
52.9 (2.08) |
56.1 (2.21) |
52.1 (2.05) |
64.6 (2.54) |
70.2 (2.76) |
96.8 (3.81) |
89.8 (3.54) |
90.2 (3.55) |
808.7 (31.84) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 56.2 | 81.8 | 115.0 | 162.8 | 209.0 | 185.6 | 189.6 | 174.7 | 135.2 | 108.2 | 59.9 | 44.1 | 1,522 |
| Source: Met Office | |||||||||||||
Population and Language
In 2021, Colwyn Bay's community had 10,576 people. The wider built-up area had about 29,275 residents. The Bay of Colwyn Town Council serves Colwyn Bay, Old Colwyn, and Rhos-on-Sea, with a combined population of 26,467 in 2021.
In 2011, about 17.9% of people aged three and older in Colwyn Bay could speak Welsh. For those born in Wales living here, about 29.9% spoke Welsh.
Economy and Fair Trade
Tourism is very important to Colwyn Bay, thanks to its popular beaches. The town is also a Fairtrade Town, supporting fair prices for producers worldwide.
Culture and Events
Colwyn Bay hosted the National Eisteddfod, a major Welsh festival, in 1910 and 1947. The old Victoria Pier was a popular venue for shows and dances until 2008.
Fun Things to Do and Places to Visit
Colwyn Bay offers many parks and gardens, including Eirias Park. The town has won gold awards in the Wales in Bloom competition multiple times. It also received silver gilt awards in Britain in Bloom in 2009 and 2010. The Welsh Mountain Zoo is a popular nearby attraction.
The Porth Eirias Watersports Centre provides lessons in sailing, windsurfing, and power boating. You can also rent kayaks and canoes. While the building itself received some criticism for its design in 2013, it remains a great place for water activities!
Important Landmarks
The Victoria Pier was a famous landmark. It closed in 2009 due to safety concerns. After a partial collapse in 2017, the pier was fully removed in May 2018. There are hopes to restore parts of it in the future.
Llety'r Dryw is a historic house now used as a training center for North Wales Police. The ruins of Llys Euryn, a medieval manor house, can be seen on Bryn Euryn.
Local architect Sidney Colwyn Foulkes designed several buildings here, including the old Williams Deacon's Bank (1925) and Colwyn House (1933-1937). The Colwyn Bay Community Hospital was completed in 1925.
Cotswold, a villa on Brackley Avenue, features unique Japanese and Arts and Crafts style gardens, which are historically protected. The Flagstaff garden also offers great bay views.
Getting Around Colwyn Bay
The town has good transport links. Colwyn Bay railway station is in the town center, on the North Wales Coast Line. Trains are run by Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast. The main A55 road also runs through the town.
Past Tram Services
An electric tramway, the Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway, operated between Llandudno, Rhos-on-Sea, and Colwyn Bay from 1907 until 1956.
Schools in Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay has several schools.
- Secondary Schools: Eirias High School is in Eirias Park, and Ysgol Bryn Elian is in Old Colwyn. They serve different parts of the area.
- Private School: Rydal Penrhos School is a private school with multiple sites. It is known for having the only Eton Fives courts in Wales.
- Primary Schools: These include Ysgol Nant y Groes, Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, Ysgol T Gwynn Jones, Ysgol Hen Golwyn, Saint Joseph's R.C. Primary, and the Welsh-language Ysgol Bod Alaw.
Churches and Religious Sites
Churches in and around Colwyn Bay include St Paul's Church, St David's Welsh Church, St John the Baptist's Church, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, and Christ Church, Bryn-y-Maen.
Sports and Activities
Colwyn Bay is home to many sports teams.
- Football: The local team is Colwyn Bay F.C., playing in the Cymru Premier, Wales' top football league.
- Cricket: Colwyn Bay Cricket Club plays at Penrhyn Avenue.
- Rugby: The rugby union team is Colwyn Bay RFC. The RGC 1404 rugby team also plays at Eirias Stadium.
- Other Sports: The Black Cat Cycling Club started in 2014. Glamorgan County Cricket Club plays one first-class game here annually. The North Wales Crusaders Rugby League club also plays at Eirias Stadium.
- Past Sports: The Colwyn Bay Golf Club operated from 1893 to 1959.
Famous People from Colwyn Bay
Many interesting people have connections to Colwyn Bay:
- William Davies (born 1555), a Welsh priest.
- William Roache (born 1932), an actor from Coronation Street.
- Terry Jones (1942–2020), an actor and comedian from Monty Python.
- Alun Michael (born 1943), a former Member of Parliament.
- Timothy Dalton (born 1946), an actor who played James Bond.
- Richard Ellis (born 1950), a well-known astronomer.
- Paula Yates (1959–2000), a British television presenter.
- Helen Willetts (born 1972), a BBC weather reporter.
- The Vivienne (born 1992), a talented performer.
- Isabelle Jane Foulkes (1970–2001), an artist and designer.
Sports Stars
- Nancie Colling (1919–2020), an international lawn bowls player.
- Tony Lewis (born 1938), a cricketer.
- Mike Walker (born 1945), a footballer and former manager.
- Peter O'Sullivan (born 1951), a former footballer.
- Mickey Thomas (born 1954), a footballer for Manchester United and Wales.
- Carl Dale (born 1966), a footballer.
- Ash Dykes (born around 1980), an adventurer.
- Rachel Taylor (born 1983), a Welsh international women's rugby player.
- Marc Williams (born 1988), a footballer.
- Rosie Hughes (born 1995), a footballer for Wrexham Women.
See also
In Spanish: Colwyn Bay para niños
- Mochdre, a nearby village.
