Lorries in Town

You have to have some sympathy with the former mayor of Rhuthun whose house on Castle Street keeps being clipped by heavy lorries. Sir John Trevor House is directly opposite Nantclwyd-y-Dre but unlike set-back Nantclwyd, the first floor juts out slightly into the road.

The owners feel that there’s been an increase in the number of lorries using Castle Street. They blame satnavs. Whether they are right about the use of navigational aids, it’s fair to say that the number of lorries using Castle Street recently *has* increased. Whereas once it was a surprise to see a truck along Castle Street, now it’s becoming all too routine.

The residents are pressing for a weight limit along the road. This may yet protect one of Rhuthun’s finest streets. Many properties date from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Vale of Glamorgan council faces similar issues in rural areas and is currently experimenting with signs (above) designed to alert drivers to the inappropriate use of satnavs. Perhaps this is required in Castle Street, too.

It’s likely that drivers to and from Corwen and the south west are using Castle Street as a short cut. There was a time, though, when Castle Street was actually on the A494 trunk road south. The current A494 that links Pwllglas to Mwrog Street was once the B5372, which continued along Park Road, during which time the A494 went through Castle Street and Well Street in town.

Should the northern link road be removing lorries from the town centre? First, it was never designed as a by-pass, in spite of what people feel. This is a myth. Secondly, it’s unlikely to be of much use to vehicles travelling to and from Corwen, whose drivers have no advantage whatever in using the relief road, no matter their ultimate destination.