Denbighshire

Denbighshire
Sir Ddinbych (Welsh)
Coat of arms of Denbighshire
Motto(s): 
Welsh: Unwn i Wneud Da, lit.'we unite to do good'
Denbighshire shown within Wales
Denbighshire shown within Wales
Coordinates: 53°05′12″N 3°21′16″W / 53.08667°N 3.35444°W / 53.08667; -3.35444
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryWales
Preserved countyClwyd
Incorporated1 April 1996
Administrative HQRuthin
Government
 • TypePrincipal council
 • BodyDenbighshire County Council
 • ControlNo overall control
 • MPs
 • MSs +4 regional members
Area
 • Total323 sq mi (837 km2)
 • Rank8th
Population
 (2022)[2]
 • Total96,558
 • Rank16th
 • Density300/sq mi (115/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 codeGB-DEN
GSS codeW06000004
Websitedenbighshire.gov.uk
Berwyn Viaducts, Denbighshire

Denbighshire (/ˈdɛnbiʃər, -ʃɪər/ DEN-bee-shər, -⁠sheer;[3] Welsh: Sir Ddinbych [ˌsiːr ˈðɪnbɨχ]) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name.

Denbighshire has an area of 326 square miles (840 km2) and a population of 95,800, making it sparsely populated. The most populous area is the coast, where Rhyl and Prestatyn form a single built-up area with a population of 46,267. The next-largest towns are Denbigh, Ruthin, and Rhuddlan, while St Asaph is its only city. All of these settlements are in the northern half of the county; the south is even less densely populated, and the only towns are Corwen and Llangollen.

The geography of Denbighshire is defined by the broad valley of the River Clwyd, which is surrounded by rolling hills on all sides except the north, where it reaches the coast. The Vale of Clwyd, the lower valley, is given over to crops, while cattle and sheep graze the uplands. The Clwydian Range in the east is part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Hand-drawn map of Denbigh and Flint by Christopher Saxton from 1576

This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewydd-Llanelwy) Palaeolithic site has Neanderthal remains of some 225,000 years ago. The county is also home to several medieval castles, including Castell Dinas Brân, Denbigh, and Rhuddlan, as well as St Asaph Cathedral. Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod takes place in the town each July.[4]

  1. ^ "Your Council". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011). Roach, Peter; Setter, Jane; Esling, John (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
  4. ^ "Attractions in Clwyd". Britain Express. Retrieved 21 April 2016.