My Welsh Team

Recently on Twitter, Clint Jones, the legend behind the wonderful The 94^th Minute, tweeted asking people to consider adopting a Welsh Pyramid team for the 2020/21 season, and I responded that after a few days of consideration that I had decided that I would be throwing my support behind Ruthin Town of the Cymru North. “Why Ruthin Town?”, I hear you ask, and that’s the whole point of this blog, here’s my attempt at explaining why I’ve chosen Ruthin Town as my adopted Welsh team.

First let’s talk about the town of Ruthin itself, as that seems like a logical place to start. According to Wikipedia, that bastion of knowledge, the population of Ruthin stands at 5,461, and the town is located within Denbighshire in picturesque North Wales. The town is situated on the River Clwyd, with the Clwydian Range lying to the east and the Clocaenog Forest and Denbigh Moors to the west, from personal experience I can testify to the beauty of the drive to Ruthin from Wrexham as the roads which run through the wooded areas surrounding the town are nothing but a pleasure to drive, and I thoroughly encourage people to drive to Ruthin just for the experience. The name Ruthin comes from the Welsh words Rhudd (Red) and Din (Fort), in reference to the colour of the sandstone of which Ruthin Castle was built from. Originally, Ruthin was known as Castell Coch yng Ngwern-for, which in English is Red Castle in the Sea Swamps, and I think we can all agree that Ruthin is far, far easier to say.

In 1277, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, brother of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, was granted the land which Ruthin Castle stands upon by King Edward I of England in gratitude for Dafydd’s assistance during the invasion of North Wales, and construction began on the castle, although it is unclear whether there was an existing fort on the site. By the time the English Civil War came around, the castle was in a state of disrepair and the works required to make it defensible were hastily completed, and the castle survived an eleven week siege by Parliamentary troops in 1646, until, due to threats of mines being lain under the walls, the defenders surrendered. Unfortunately, Oliver Cromwell’s forces dismantled and demolished the castle, in a process of organised de-fortification.

Ruthin Castle was rebuilt in the 19^th Century as a country house and became Britain’s first private hospital for the investigation and treatment of obscure internal diseases in 1923, before closing in 1950. From the 1960s, the castle remains have been incorporated into a hotel, with a notable guest being Prince Charles who stayed there for a night before his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.

The 18^th Century saw the town enter it’s heyday as a town on Drovers’ Routes from Wales into England, and the town was reputed to have “a pub for every week of the year”, however by 2007 there were only eleven pubs in the town compared to the thirty-one which were listed in the 1891 public records. The railway arrived in 1863 with the Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway reached the town, with the town now being connected to a route which ran from Rhyl, along the north coast through Denbigh and Ruthin to Corwen, before joining a route from Ruabon through Llangollen, Corwen and Bala to Barmouth. Due to the Beeching Cuts, the railway and Ruthin station closed in 1963, with the site of the station now being occupied by Brieg Roundabout, and the Ruthin Craft Centre.

One thing that I hope comes out of this whole Coronavirus situation is that people begin to appreciate the fact that you don’t need to go abroad to have a good holiday, and Ruthin is a place I would strongly recommend that people go on holiday to. There are plenty of interesting places to visit in Ruthin, such as Ruthin Gaol, now a museum. The first house of correction, known as Bridewell, was built at the bottom of Clwyd Street next to the river, in 1654, replacing the Old Court House, where able-bodied idlers and the unemployed were sent to work. Following investigations into prison conditions the Denbighshire justices resolved to build a new model prison on the site of the old Bridewell. Work started in January 1775, and in 1802 the prison had four cells for prisoners and nine rooms for debtors. The Prisons Act of 1865 set new standards for the design of prisons, and the Ruthin County Gaol, which in 1837 could hold thirty-seven inmates, did not meet the new standards, so plans were drawn up for a new four-storey wing, accommodating up to one hundred prisoners, and the new prison was built at a cost of £12,000. In 1916 the prison closed, and the prisoners and guards were transferred to Shrewsbury.

On Castle Street can be found Nantclwyd y Dre, which was built around 1435, by a local merchant, and is now open to visitors. Containing seven rooms which have been restored to represent various periods in the building’s history, and in the attic rooms visitors can observe a colony of Lesser Horseshoe Bats. Behind the house are two gardens, the 13^th Century inner garden, and the outer Lord’s Garden. Ruthin’s main park area is Cae Ddol, which contains a children’s play area, a lake and a picnic area, with the River Clwyd running through the park as well.

Within Ruthin there are plenty of listed buildings, and the historian Peter Smith said, “Until the 18^th Century most towns in Wales had many black-and-white houses. Ruthin is the only example we have left. It should be carefully conserved, as the last memory we have of these towns.” In St Peter’s Square, the listed buildings include: St Peter’s Church, which is the parish church of Ruthin and parts are as old as 1282, The Myddleton Arms, also know as the Seven Eyes, which is said to have been built in the 14^th century with a “Dutch Style”, long, steeped roof, the four tiers of dormer windows, each at a different elevation, are the reason why the building is known as the Seven Eyes of Ruthin. The HSBC Bank is another listed building on St Peter’s Square, formerly a confectionary and bakery shop, the property also served as a chemist’s and later Dick’s boot store. Exmewe House, formerly the Beehive, is a very old building, however the exact date of building is unknown, however the remains of the timber framing with wattle and daub give a hint of its age, with an advertisement claiming that it was built prior to 1397. Now Exmewe House serves as a Barclays Bank. The Post Office, which now operates as a hairdressers, was reportedly built in 1401, originally as a public house.

On Clwyd Street, the listed buildings are: Reebees, now a florist, it was originally the Red Lion public house which ceased trading in 1905. The Royal Oaks, now flats, is one of the finest buildings in Ruthin with three cruck frames, it is a grade II listed building. Porth y Dwr, is also a Grade II listed building which retains much of the medieval timber frame internally, the oak for which was felled between 1455 and 1456. The original purpose is unknown, and is said to have been converted for domestic use in 1586, and in 1655 a two-storey porch with glazed windows and internal timber panelling. In the 19^th century Porth Y Dwr was extensively altered with part being converted into a shop.

All buildings on Castle Street are listed by Cadw. These are the earliest settlements outside of the castle walls with some having burgage plots at the back, established by De Grey in 1283, with the plots and linear barely having changed since their foundation. The castle end of the street contained the residential properties with the commercial properties at the end close to St Peters’ Square.

Further listed buildings can be found on Record Street including the Old County Hall which now serves as Ruthin Library, originally known as Strd Y Chwain (Flea Street) due to its very low standard of living, the inferior housing was demolished to make way for the Country Court and much grander houses between 1785 and 1788. Also on Record Street is the Police Station, a grade II listed building which opened in 1890, giving convenient access to the courts.

Well Street houses a number of listed buildings such as Castle Mews, which is now a shopping precinct. The building dates back to the 15^th century with examples of wattle and daub just inside the building. It was remodelled in the 19^th century, becoming the Cross Keys coaching inn, before becoming a temperance commercial hotel. Number 10 and 12 Manor House, is another grade II listed building. Built in the late 18^th century as a family town house, which retained it’s late Georgian character until being developed into today’s boutique hotel and art gallery. It is said that the cellars were constructed of stone from Ruthin Castle, and has had many uses such as: a boarding house for Ruthin School, a family home, a restaurant and a hotel. The Wynnstay Hotel and Wayfarer Wool Shop used to be connected by an archway through which coaches and horses entered to be stabled at the rear. The Wynnstay Hotel is now a private house, and was first recorded as being established in 1549, as the coaching inn for travellers from Ruthin to Denbigh it was an important hostelry. Finally on Well Street is the Plas Coch, which is of medieval origin and is a former 17^th century town house. Rebuilt in 1613 using red sandstone from the castle, it became home to the Constable of the Castle. The building has two storeys with attics, and four large windows on each floor.

Elsewhere in Ruthin listed buildings include; the Spread Eagle, formerly an inn, records show that it traded between 1792 and 1915 before becoming a temperance hotel and then a retail shop. Rose Cottage is a private residence, notable for being a Grade II listed building due to it’s “exceptional survival of a medieval cruck-framed hall-house of relatively low status, retaining its plan-form, character and detail”. Finally, there is Scott House, which was built in 1933 to house the staff of Duff House Sanatorium, which acquired Ruthin Castle for their private clinic in 1923.

Personally, I’ve been to Ruthin twice, once for a job interview and once to watch Ruthin Town, and both times I found myself wishing that I had had more time to spend in the town, as it really is a beautiful place full of history and character, I’ve already mentioned how I hope that people begin to holiday within the UK, and I certainly recommend a weekend away in Ruthin, in fact I’m planning on holidaying in Ruthin myself!

As well as being the home of many beautiful buildings, Ruthin has also been home to several notable people. Evan Owen Allen, a Welsh-language writer and poet, died in Ruthin. Sir Henry Haydn Jones MP was a politician, slate quarry owner and the owner of the Talyllyn Railway was bought up in the town. Tom Pryce, a Formula One driver was born and raised in Ruthin. Stanley J. Weyman, an English novelist called Ruthin home for thirty-three years before dying there. Possibly most notable is Isaac Clarke, a Welsh 19^th century newspaper proprietor, printer and publisher, who published the National Anthem of Wales: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of my Fathers). Clarke learned his printing skills with Hugh Jones of Mold and in 1845 he left Jones to become an overseer at a small printing establishment in Ruthin. Until his death in 1875, Clarke lived and worked in Ruthin from 1845, where his printing shop overlooked the Wynnstay Arms Hotel. In around 1850, Isaac set up his own business at 6 Well Street, now run as “Siop Nain”. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was written by Evan James, with the music by his son James James, and was printed by Isaac Clarke in “Gems of Welsh Melody” in 1860. Whilst “Gems of Welsh Melody” is the publication for which Isaac Clarke is mainly remembered, it is also said that Clarke spotted the talents of the young poet John Ceiriog Hughes, and in 1860 Clarke published Ceiriog’s first volume of poetry, “Oriau’r Hwyr”, of which nearly thirty thousand copies were sold.

As you can see the town of Ruthin is a truly fascinating place with an  extraordinary amount of history, which in no small part swayed me towards following Ruthin Town FC. And on the topic of Ruthin Town FC, I think this is the point in which we should discuss the football team I have adopted.

Football in Ruthin dates back to 1880, when a team representing the town reached the final of the Welsh Cup, losing 2-1 to Druids. Ruthin Town, in their present form, were formed in 1949 when they joined the newly re-organised Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) as Ruthin British Legion, and they finished as runners up in their first year which meant they were promoted to Division One. In 1953, the British Legion element of the name was dropped and Ruthin Town FC were born. A reserve side was introduced in 1958, joining the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division Three. The first team won the First Division in 1964, and the North Wales Challenge Cup in 1967. The 1972-73 season was a cause for excitement in the Vale of Clwyd as both Ruthin and Denbigh contested for the First Division title, on goal difference Denbigh won the title with both teams having won eighteen, drawn seven and lost three. There was consolidation for Ruthin as they won the North Wales Challenge Cup for the second time. Relegation from the First Division in 1978 meant that the reserve team also had to go down from the Second Division, and in the next year the club introduced a third team which played in the Clwyd League. That third team was later called the Colts as it joined the Fourth Division of the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) in 1980, with the club running three senior teams to this day. The First and Reserves were both promoted in 1980, as champions of their respective divisions, meaning that they were back in the First and Second Divisions. The next decade bought a period of stability for all three senior teams, as they established themselves in their respective leagues, with the youth system being set up in 1986, with the aim of providing a consistent source of players for the senior team, and nowadays most of the current first team squad are products of that youth system. Currently the club runs six youth teams from under 12’s to under 16s. The 1991-92 season bought further success as the first team finished as runners-up to Wrexham Reserves and were promoted to the Cymru Alliance, also winning the League Cup that year. For twenty-one years the club were ever-present in the Cymru Alliance before being relegated in 2013. They won the Welsh National League Premier League Cup in 2014, and in 2016 they matched their 1992 result by gaining promotion back to the Huws Gray Alliance and winning the Premier League Cup for the second time in three years. The NEWFA Cup was added to the trophy cabinet in 2018 as Ruthin Town beat Holywell in the final. Before the Coronavirus ruined everything, Ruthin Town sat 9^th in the Cymru North with their last match being a 1-0 loss to Bangor City on Saturday 7^th of March 2020.  

The club call the Memorial Playing Fields their home, a ground that I have visited once before, https://davidsadventuresingroundhopping.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/the-welsh-cup/, and according to blogs which have been produced more recently than mine, the already lovely ground has seen further improvements, which is another reason why a re-visit to Ruthin is part of my plans for the future. The clubs’ kits are also rather lovely with the home strip being a smart, but simple, Adidas kit with the shirts, shorts and socks all being a dark blue, and the away kit features red shirts with a black trim, black shorts and red socks.

Getting to Ruthin can prove to be tricky as there is no rail service to the town, and whilst there are bus routes these are from towns with no railway service, Mold and Corwen, and therefore reaching Ruthin on public transport would require several changes between bus services. However, as I’ve said already, for those who can drive it is certainly recommended, not only due to the public transport situation, but simply for how beautiful the roads around Ruthin are.

All of the above, apart from the public transport, are the reasons why I’ve chosen to adopt Ruthin Town FC, a club based in a historical town, with an ethos of developing local players.

Thanks for reading, and let me know in the comments if you’ve chosen a Welsh Pyramid side to adopt, I’d love to know who people are following!