I.

Introduction

Flintshire or Flint (Welsh, Sir y Fflint), unitary authority and county, north Wales, bounded on the north by the Irish Sea, on the north-east by the estuary of the River Dee, on the east by the English county of Cheshire, on the south by the county borough of Wrexham, and on the west by the county of Denbighshire. It was created with its present boundaries on April 1, 1996, and bears the same name as the historic county of Flintshire, which existed from 1284 until 1974. Under the local government reorganization implemented in 1974, Flintshire (which was also known as Flint) became part of the county of Clwyd. The new county of Flintshire was established as a unitary authority under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1994, which changed the structure of local administration in Wales from a two-tier system of county and district councils to a single-tier system of unitary authorities. It comprises the north-east Clwyd districts of Delyn, and Alyn and Deeside. Compared with the boundaries of the historic county, the new unitary authority has lost territory in the south and west to Wrexham and Denbighshire respectively. Flintshire has an area of 437 sq km (169 sq mi).

II.

Land and Resources

Flintshire is largely low-lying, but the Clwydian Range of mountains rises in the west; Moel Famau (556 m/1,820 ft), on the border with Denbighshire, is the highest point. The underlying strata are largely carboniferous. The principal river is the Dee, the estuary of which borders the county on the north-east. The River Alyn enters the county at Moel Famau, runs through Mold, and goes underground for a short distance, later joining the Dee.

The climate is cool in winter, with an average January temperature of 2° C (36° F). In summer the average July temperature is 20° C (68° F).

III.

Population and Administration

The population of the county is 148,565 (2001). The county has become a favourite retirement area as well as a residential area for commuters from Merseyside, on the other side of the Dee estuary. Because of this, Flintshire has become greatly anglicized, and consequently has a fairly low percentage of Welsh speakers; according to the 2001 census the figure is around 21 per cent. The main towns are Mold (population, 1991, 8,745), which is the administrative centre, Buckley (1991, 17,753), Connah's Quay (1991, 14,443), and Flint (1991, 11,737).

There is a Crown Court in Mold. The police authority is the North Wales Police, which has its headquarters in Colwyn Bay, in Conwy unitary authority.

IV.

Places of Interest

Formerly the county town of Flintshire, Flint is remarkable for the ruins of its castle, which dominates the Dee estuary. Begun in 1277, it was one of the first castles to be built by the English king, Edward I. The building of Ewloe Castle, about 8 km (5 mi) south of Flint, was begun by Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in the early 13th century, and completed by his nephew, Llywelyn ab Gruffudd some 50 years later. The Clwydian Range has been designated by the Countryside Agency as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Loggerheads Country Park near Mold, comprising 28 hectares (70 acres) of parkland at the foot of Moel Famau, is noted for the richness of its bird life. Ornithologists also enjoy the sight of seabirds and waders at Point of Ayr, the northernmost tip of the county.

V.

Economy

In the past, coal mining and textiles were among the leading industries, and Deeside was a major industrial centre. However, the closure during the late 1970s and 1980s of the mines, of many textile plants, and of the Shotton steelworks led to large-scale unemployment. The agriculture sector also experienced recession. Today the county's economy depends mainly on service industries, which employ more than 50 per cent of the workforce; hotels and catering make up a large proportion of jobs in this sector. Engineering and light manufacturing are also of importance, including vehicle manufacture and the production of metal goods. Some extraction of ores and metal manufacture continues, but agriculture, forestry, and fishing are declining year by year.

VI.

History

Remains of Stone, Bronze, and Iron Age cultures have been found. The Romans conquered the area in the 2nd century ad, and left many traces of their occupation. They built roads from Chester to Caernarfon and to their fortress of Tomen-y-Mur in Merionethshire; these roads crossed Flintshire. They also worked the lead deposits in the hills. After the departure of the Romans in about ad 400, the area witnessed considerable conflict between the Welsh and the English. When Offa's Dyke was constructed in the 8th century as a defence for the English kingdom of Mercia against the Welsh, the territory that is now Flintshire was on the Mercian side of the dyke. The Normans arrived in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, but it was not until the end of the 13th century that Edward I of England finally subdued the Welsh, and built the many castles which helped him to keep control of the territory. In 1284 he issued a statute establishing the shire of Flint, replacing the ancient cantref (Welsh, division of a region) of Tegeingl. Owen Glendower (in Welsh, Owain Glyn Dŵr) held the area for ten years in the early 15th century. Under the 1536 Act of Union between England and Wales, Flintshire was enlarged. Flint Castle was substantially damaged during the English Civil War.