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Wrexham

In recent years, Wrexham, the largest town in North Wales, has undergone extensive refurbishment. Fortunately, this has not been at the expense of charming old streets such as Bank Street and Temple Row, or the traditional shopping arcades, all of which have retained their original character and charm. The town centre is now pedestrianised and offers a good mix of small independent shops and boutiques, along with the familiar High Street names. Altogether, the development has added 250,000 square feet to the town’s shopping area. The town’s origins as a market town are reflected in its three indoor markets, the monthly Farmer’s Market and the occasional French and Continental markets. An interesting experience for city dwellers is the cattle market held on Saturdays when farmers from the surrounding area come to socialise and oversee transactions and where visitors can wander around soaking up the rural atmosphere.

For those wishing to find out more about the town and its social, industrial and local history, then Wrexham Museum, housed in the County Buildings, which were originally constructed as the militia barracks in 1857, is a good place to start. The discovery of a skeleton nearby – it became known as Brymbo Man – traces the town’s history back as far as the Bronze Age, while the Romans are also known to have settled in the Wrexham area. Both Roundhead and Cavalier troops were garrisoned in the town during the Civil War and, in 1882, Britain’s first lager brewery was built here. The suburb of Acton was the birthplace of Judge Jeffreys, the notoriously harsh lawman who was nicknamed ‘Bloody’ for his lack of compassion and his belief in swift justice. More recently, Wrexham played a major role in the development of football in Wales and the museum houses the Welsh Football Collection.

Perhaps Wrexham’s best known building, and one that’s a particular favourite of American tourists, is the Parish Church of St Giles whose spire dominates the town’s skyline. It is famous for being the burial place of Elihu Yale, the benefactor of Yale University, who was laid to rest here on his death in 1721. Elihu had prospered as a senior official of the British East India Company, rising to become Governor of Madras. He was approached by a small college in Connecticut seeking funds to expand. Elihu responded generously and the new institution took his name. Yale’s tomb in St Giles was restored in 1968 by members of Yale University to mark the 250th anniversary of the benefaction and it can be found in the churchyard to the west of the tower.

The church itself is also well worth taking the time to look over; its 136-foot pinnacle tower is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. Begun in 1506 and much restored, this Gothic tower still carries some of the original medieval carvings, in particular those of St Giles, which are recognisable by his attributes of an arrow and a deer. Elsewhere in the church are a colourful ceiling of flying musical angels, two very early eagle lecterns, a Burne-Jones window and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers chapel.

Just to the south of Wrexham, and found in a glorious 2000-acre estate and country park, is Erddig (National Trust), one of the most fascinating houses in Britain. Its stunning state rooms have been restored to their original glory whilst, below stairs, visitors can see the living and working conditions of the many servants a house of this size and status required. The Servants Hall is particularly remarkable for its array of portraits of the servants commissioned by the owner. Within the exquisite grounds are restored outbuildings, a walled garden, a yew walk, woodland trails and the National Ivy Collection. Other attractions include a shop, restaurant and second-hand bookshop.