This is the second in our non-series on Rhuthun villages. The first dates from May *2008*
Greater Llandyrnog. It sounds akin to Greater Manchester. Perhaps not. Greater Llandyrnog nevertheless has a population of just over 2,400 souls and, for a village, that makes it one of the Vale’s largest. Dyrny’s not particularly remarkable on the surface but it does have some interesting features. One is that the new chief executive of Denbighshire county council is purported to live there, or at least nearby in Greater Llandyrnog.
Another is that it has its very own corner of cyberspace, with a blog! How a blogger manages to keep the flow of information going when it’s difficult enough in a town the size of Rhuthun/Ruthin, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s easier in a close knit community of Llandyrnog's size.Or perhaps that’s why the blog seems to be more of a community notice board than a blog, per se. The blogger does manage to blend it with his tai chi (which, to the uninitiated, is nothing to do with "your houses"). More power to the person or people behind the blog.
The most interesting vilage feature (for me) is Llandyrnog’s Cocoa & Reading Rooms. Tucked away in the corner of Church Square, it’s a reminder of times past. In Victoria’s reign, at the temperance movement’s height, cocoa rooms sprang up to counter what was seen as the grip of the demon drink. Cocoa rooms generally offered sobriety, newspapers, social activities, a library, games such as the favoured bagatelle, and non-alcoholic beverages. There were at least two in Rhuthun (but that’s another story).
Built on donated land, Llandyrnog’s is reported as opening exactly 125 years ago. It wasn’t long till it passed to the civil parish council. In the 1920s, it continued as a social club for young men. It remains in community use but I wonder how many villagers think (or care) about the intentions & history behind this unique venue. It’s interesting that its original use seemed to last but nine years, yet Greater Llandyrnog has retained three public houses, including the Kinmel Arms to the north, in Greater Llandyrnog. Two of the three offer meals while all of them are supported by the real ale fraternity.
In addition to its pubs and post office/stores, Llandyrnog supports Clwyd Williams, the butcher who used to run a shop in Rhuthun’s Clwyd Street. His meat is renowned and there’s more than one of Rhuthun’s townsfolk who make the six-mile journey to his small shop.
You can’t mention Llandyrnog without referring to its creamery. In the same way that 2009 was a rough year for the creamery, so will 2010 be. In June, Milk Link seemed to safeguard 170 jobs following the Dairy Farmers of Britain’s administration. This was somewhat optimistic, as September saw an announcement cutting 93 jobs.
This follows the likely end of pre-packaged cheese at Llandyrnog. It’s said that “Llan Pak” vacuum-sealed cheese packaging was invented there. Indeed, the site’s been manufacturing cheese since 1921. In something of a parallel, it closed for some five years from 1930, during the Great Depression.
In spite of troubled times with its major employer, Llandyrnog’s been and will continue to be the subject of quite some considerable housing development. New bungalows form a ribbon as you enter. Two new estates lie within. Expect the population to increase beyond the current 2,400. Llandyrnog is a key village, on account of its facilities. And, people long for the rural idyll.
In exchange they must travel for many things though not for ale, stamps or lamb. They must put up with poorly draining lanes of variable width that quickly become mucky in wet weather. And road familiarity can breed inappropriate speeding contempt.
Greater Llandyrnog. It sounds akin to Greater Manchester. Perhaps not. Greater Llandyrnog nevertheless has a population of just over 2,400 souls and, for a village, that makes it one of the Vale’s largest. Dyrny’s not particularly remarkable on the surface but it does have some interesting features. One is that the new chief executive of Denbighshire county council is purported to live there, or at least nearby in Greater Llandyrnog.
Another is that it has its very own corner of cyberspace, with a blog! How a blogger manages to keep the flow of information going when it’s difficult enough in a town the size of Rhuthun/Ruthin, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s easier in a close knit community of Llandyrnog's size.Or perhaps that’s why the blog seems to be more of a community notice board than a blog, per se. The blogger does manage to blend it with his tai chi (which, to the uninitiated, is nothing to do with "your houses"). More power to the person or people behind the blog.
The most interesting vilage feature (for me) is Llandyrnog’s Cocoa & Reading Rooms. Tucked away in the corner of Church Square, it’s a reminder of times past. In Victoria’s reign, at the temperance movement’s height, cocoa rooms sprang up to counter what was seen as the grip of the demon drink. Cocoa rooms generally offered sobriety, newspapers, social activities, a library, games such as the favoured bagatelle, and non-alcoholic beverages. There were at least two in Rhuthun (but that’s another story).
Built on donated land, Llandyrnog’s is reported as opening exactly 125 years ago. It wasn’t long till it passed to the civil parish council. In the 1920s, it continued as a social club for young men. It remains in community use but I wonder how many villagers think (or care) about the intentions & history behind this unique venue. It’s interesting that its original use seemed to last but nine years, yet Greater Llandyrnog has retained three public houses, including the Kinmel Arms to the north, in Greater Llandyrnog. Two of the three offer meals while all of them are supported by the real ale fraternity.
In addition to its pubs and post office/stores, Llandyrnog supports Clwyd Williams, the butcher who used to run a shop in Rhuthun’s Clwyd Street. His meat is renowned and there’s more than one of Rhuthun’s townsfolk who make the six-mile journey to his small shop.You can’t mention Llandyrnog without referring to its creamery. In the same way that 2009 was a rough year for the creamery, so will 2010 be. In June, Milk Link seemed to safeguard 170 jobs following the Dairy Farmers of Britain’s administration. This was somewhat optimistic, as September saw an announcement cutting 93 jobs.
This follows the likely end of pre-packaged cheese at Llandyrnog. It’s said that “Llan Pak” vacuum-sealed cheese packaging was invented there. Indeed, the site’s been manufacturing cheese since 1921. In something of a parallel, it closed for some five years from 1930, during the Great Depression.
In spite of troubled times with its major employer, Llandyrnog’s been and will continue to be the subject of quite some considerable housing development. New bungalows form a ribbon as you enter. Two new estates lie within. Expect the population to increase beyond the current 2,400. Llandyrnog is a key village, on account of its facilities. And, people long for the rural idyll.
In exchange they must travel for many things though not for ale, stamps or lamb. They must put up with poorly draining lanes of variable width that quickly become mucky in wet weather. And road familiarity can breed inappropriate speeding contempt.
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