We conclude our walk along the Northern Relief Road…
30 years ago, Lôn Parcwr as we know it was very different. It was a new road competed in 1982 at the time of the original Craft Centre, to gain better access to the then small industrial area previously off residential Canol y Dre. No one could agree on the new road's name.
It subsequently opened up land currently known as the industrial estate. Until the coming of the Northern Relief Road, it was an unclassified cul-de-sac, running from the Station Road roundabout (Craft Centre) and terminating at today's civic amenity site. It took the line of the old railway.
The previous post on the so-called "by-pass" covered the brand new road from Glasdir to the council depot. We now cover the "old" part, that built in 1982, from the council depot towards the so-called Briec roundabout.
The prominent stone and brick building where old and new join is one of the last remnants of the railway. Here, the road arrangement has been altered such that the dead end past Lewis & Hunter to the GHA bus yard now seems but a tributary rather than part of the original Lôn Pacwr.
Opposite is Hen Lôn Parcwr, home of the controversial Venue or V2 in a refurbished and much improved Birch House. V2 hangs by a (now broken?) thread and all around it industrialisation continues. I T Williams is well known at the junction. A diverse business, Williams specialises in haulage, truck sales, container & skip hire… and office furniture, as a parked lorry will often proclaim. When council salt stocks ran low, I T Williams always seemed to advertise a modest supply.
The coming of a through route has spawned an untidy tangle of advertisement signs at the throat of the industrial estate proper, chasing passing trade. This adds to the air of clutter & disorder along this early part of Lôn Parcwr. These are firms going about their business without the niceties of a manicured front lawn.
Enter the industrial estate proper to the north west. Here, there appears an unplanned & unco-ordinated collection of both unimaginative and creative steel framed warehouses that reflect both the spontaneity of their build and the eras in which they were built. Some are looking faded and tired, others fresh, particularly on the road parallel to Lôn Parcwr itself.
The single most remarkable building is Cadwyn Clwyd's at Llys Clwyd. All curved grey steel and blue glass, it would find good company in London's Docklands or Paris' La Défence. It's in total contrast to those around it and indeed any other in Rhuthun itself.
Opposite the industrial estate is the newly completed car sales & mobility specialist. This has tidied up a plot of derelict land similar to that currently between it and the outdoor furniture, timber and builders yards towards Rhuthun.
Here, the pavement runs out for a short stretch. There follows a row of mature horse chestnuts, their full flower candles having peaked in late May. Behind are the original brick built units that arrived shortly after the completion of Lôn Parcwr. Opposite is Patchwork Paté where for years there's been a makeshift roadsign in the centre of the entrance road exclaiming all to "STOP!" and buy several chillies con carne for tuppence ha'penny. That's now broken up and moved. Perhaps a lorry misjudged and hit it.
Approaching the town centre and the so-called Briec roundabout, here opposing each other are two memorials to the 21st century, two unmovable monoliths. Both are latter-day cathedrals, temples to modernity. Both are transforming influences. One is mediocre in style, the other sublime. But which is which? Tesco or the Craft Centre?
30 years ago, Lôn Parcwr as we know it was very different. It was a new road competed in 1982 at the time of the original Craft Centre, to gain better access to the then small industrial area previously off residential Canol y Dre. No one could agree on the new road's name.
It subsequently opened up land currently known as the industrial estate. Until the coming of the Northern Relief Road, it was an unclassified cul-de-sac, running from the Station Road roundabout (Craft Centre) and terminating at today's civic amenity site. It took the line of the old railway.
The previous post on the so-called "by-pass" covered the brand new road from Glasdir to the council depot. We now cover the "old" part, that built in 1982, from the council depot towards the so-called Briec roundabout.
The prominent stone and brick building where old and new join is one of the last remnants of the railway. Here, the road arrangement has been altered such that the dead end past Lewis & Hunter to the GHA bus yard now seems but a tributary rather than part of the original Lôn Pacwr.
Opposite is Hen Lôn Parcwr, home of the controversial Venue or V2 in a refurbished and much improved Birch House. V2 hangs by a (now broken?) thread and all around it industrialisation continues. I T Williams is well known at the junction. A diverse business, Williams specialises in haulage, truck sales, container & skip hire… and office furniture, as a parked lorry will often proclaim. When council salt stocks ran low, I T Williams always seemed to advertise a modest supply.
The coming of a through route has spawned an untidy tangle of advertisement signs at the throat of the industrial estate proper, chasing passing trade. This adds to the air of clutter & disorder along this early part of Lôn Parcwr. These are firms going about their business without the niceties of a manicured front lawn.
Enter the industrial estate proper to the north west. Here, there appears an unplanned & unco-ordinated collection of both unimaginative and creative steel framed warehouses that reflect both the spontaneity of their build and the eras in which they were built. Some are looking faded and tired, others fresh, particularly on the road parallel to Lôn Parcwr itself.
The single most remarkable building is Cadwyn Clwyd's at Llys Clwyd. All curved grey steel and blue glass, it would find good company in London's Docklands or Paris' La Défence. It's in total contrast to those around it and indeed any other in Rhuthun itself.
Opposite the industrial estate is the newly completed car sales & mobility specialist. This has tidied up a plot of derelict land similar to that currently between it and the outdoor furniture, timber and builders yards towards Rhuthun.
Here, the pavement runs out for a short stretch. There follows a row of mature horse chestnuts, their full flower candles having peaked in late May. Behind are the original brick built units that arrived shortly after the completion of Lôn Parcwr. Opposite is Patchwork Paté where for years there's been a makeshift roadsign in the centre of the entrance road exclaiming all to "STOP!" and buy several chillies con carne for tuppence ha'penny. That's now broken up and moved. Perhaps a lorry misjudged and hit it.
Approaching the town centre and the so-called Briec roundabout, here opposing each other are two memorials to the 21st century, two unmovable monoliths. Both are latter-day cathedrals, temples to modernity. Both are transforming influences. One is mediocre in style, the other sublime. But which is which? Tesco or the Craft Centre?
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Miscellaneous