We do enjoy looking at estate agent speak. They're fair game, don't you agree.
Perhaps as a prelude to the Sunday Times judging Rhuthun/Ruthin to be the best place in Wales to live, the Cavendish Ikin blog has run an article on 'Five Reasons to Live in Ruthin'.
(Note to Blogmaster at Cavendish Ikin. 'Five' rather than '5' is correct)
So, let's look at the exaggerations as published:
Historic town: Ruthin is an historic town with a rich cultural heritage, including the medieval Ruthin Castle and St Peter’s Square, a well-preserved medieval market square
Buildings on the Square are likely to be older than their facades but it's an exaggeration to suggest the Square is medieval (i.e. dating from the middle ages). Given that Owian Glyndŵr sacked the town in 1401 and wiped everything out (it's said) then you might not expect too many medieval buildings at its heart. The most prominent buildings, Exemewe Hall, the HSBC, post office and Castle Hotel are certainly not medieval. Some suggest that the Myddelton is medieval but that's not determined. The Old Courthouse and St Peter's Church are.
We could say that we have a range of buildings across a number of architectural periods, from medieval to Victorian. Or, better still, Cavendish Ikin could just trumpet the world class streetscape (irrespective of its age or epoch). Because that's what it is: distinguished and outstanding.
Good transport links: Ruthin is well-connected to major cities in North Wales, with good road and bus links, making it easy for residents to travel in and out of the town
Much of this is patently untrue. The A494 eastwards is the main commuter gateway. It's substandard. Only after Gwernymynydd does the road improve. Overtaking opportunities are variable and depend upon the volume and speed of on-coming traffic. There are speed restrictions at Llanbedr, Llanferres, Loggerheads and Gwernymydd. Overall, the road can result in a slow journey if stuck behind wagons. And our link to the A55 is even worse. Rightmove tells us that our nearest rail station is at Penymynydd. Don't expect to get far from there.
And, where are the 'major cities' in North Wales? The road to Wrecsam is windy, sometimes slow, often waterlogged and in parts rutted.
Surely, our principal attraction is that we're something of a backwater, thanks to distance and the substandard road network.
Growing economy: Ruthin is home to a growing economy, with several small and large businesses operating in the area, providing a range of job opportunities for residents
Leaving aside that the word 'several' implies 'few', our major employer (the county council) has shrunk over the years and will likely continue to do so. 30 years ago, people moved here to work in local government. How many do today? No longer need anyone move to work at the county council: so-called hybrid working means that much can be achieved at home and that could be anywhere. Rhuthun is neither Deeside nor Wrexham industrial estate (thank heavens). If there were such a thing as a truly growing economy, there wouldn't be the daily morning exodus north towards the A55 and east on the A494.
People move to Rhuthun to place distance between where they live and where they work: that's the attraction. Local employment certainly doesn't support our higher house prices.