The massive Wrexham AFC history thread (The sad case of a founding members and player of Wrexham...)

[Dafgog]

What a wonderful thread, had me reaching for Gareth M Davies and PeterJones' 1872-1950 book. I would certainly welcome a similar book based on the ground and player specifics outlined above. A big DIOLCH to all.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by jonesfach

That's a good pic never seen that one before...

So the question now is when did we first play Villa?

If the pic is 1920 did we really play then circa 1870?

I believe that Aston Villa were founded in 1874, jonesfach.
The earliest game between Wrexham and Aston Villa that I can find is 1882, although Villa played Chirk and a couple of other local teams in 1881.

[jonesfach]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

I believe that Aston Villa were founded in 1874, jonesfach.
The earliest game between Wrexham and Aston Villa that I can find is 1882, although Villa played Chirk and a couple of other local teams in 1881.

Very interesting that it was one of our earliest fixtures ESR.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by Rhosymedre Red

http://www.redpassion.co.uk/forums/a...1&d=1530447449
1940s?

Certainly pre 1953.
The tree/s at the top of the photo, on The Racecourse side of Mold Road were cut down prior to the opening of Denbighshire Technical College.
With construction starting in early 1950, the college was eventually completed and then opened in November 1953, but the photo (attached) most likely taken in 1952, shows that the trees in question were still in place until the landscaping phase at the end of the job, when a low hedge was planted along Mold Road.
While the dress fashion does perhaps suggest that the photo you posted was taken in the 1940's, there are two stop/go lighting columns still in place from the old tram line- one in the gardens on the left hand side and one approximately where the entrance to GU car park is today.
There used to be a double tram line forming an oval-shaped cuircuit for a short distance, imediately outside of the Turf Hotel; hence the need for traffic lights, but the trams were stopped in 1927 and replaced with buses.
An OS survey of the area taken in 1949 (attached) shows that the land where GU car park is now situated was briefly used as a bus depot prior to the depot being moved to the opposite side of Mold Road, and so it may have been that the tram-light column in that location was removed from the entrance to give access for the buses, which would therefore make the photo pre 1949, at least. I have not been able to find out when the stop/go column was removed from the gardens opposite The Turf Hotel.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

Correction- The 4 feet wide footpath (Crispin Lane- as above) was actually the base of the ditch of Wat’s Dyke.

In 1882, an article in Archaeologia Cambrensis reported that in quite recent years, long strips of Watt’s Dyke have been levelled in Crispin Lane, Bersham and Ruabon, while in 2003, CADW recorded ‘The monument consists of a linear earthwork, a substantial bank and ditch forming a major boundary between two adjacent landholdings. These two sections of Wat's Dyke are bounded to the west by Crispin Lane where it is probable that the modern road overlies the original western ditch.’

In effect, the original Crispin Lane (see attachment) was formed due to the silting up of the base of the ditch of Wat’s Dyke, leaving a natural, flat, four-feet-wide footpath, bordered on each side with a raised hedge bank, which had grown over the many centuries since the dyke was first constructed.
The lane (or 4 feet wide footpath) followed the ancient boundary line, beyond Felin Puleston, at least as far as Erddig., and so there would have been no need obtain a right of way from different owners along the route, as the ditch of Wat’s Dyke (which later became a footpath) had pre-dated later ownership of the land and also continued to serve as a town boundary.
The dyke can be seen in John Evans maps of Wales 1793-1795 (attached) which also shows the area known as Crispin.

We can say with some certainty that Crispin Lane evolved as an ancient track-way on the silted-up base of the ditch of Wat’s Dyke, because the location of this defensive structure was recorded on maps, prior to the introduction of The North Wales Mineral Railway. Navvies excavated a cutting for the mineral line on the eastern ‘town-side’ of the defensive rampart from 1844 and the mineral line was opened in 1846.
More of the rampart was excavated on the town-side of the dyke to accommodate the platform and line of The Wrexham, Mold and Connah’s Quay Railway, which was opened in 1866, but the ditch on the western side of Wat’s Dyke remained intact and still served as an ancient thoroughfare, which connected Rhosddu Lane with the road, which was then called Hope Street, but is now known as Mold Road, while also serving as an access road to the property known as The Crispin, from whence the name Crispin Lane was derived.
The property and farm known as The Crispin had been built on the ridge of Wat’s Dyke’s rampart, facing eastward to the town of Wrexham and overlooking a large pond. Thomas Durrack bought the property and renamed it Bryn Llyn (lake on the hill) at the beginning of the 19th Century, although the lake was removed when the mineral railway was built in the 1840’s and the east facing garden was also removed to make way for the WM&CQR in the 1860’s. John Strachan- the borough surveyor kept his horses in the stables at the farm in 1866, but the outbuildings were gradually demolished leaving just a cottage, which was used as living accommodation for the station master until this too was demolished in the 1870’s.
The lane on the silted up ditch to the rear of property (Crispin Lane) which had been known locally as a lovers lane, was given a gravel surface in 1855, and had been widened, in part, in the 1860’s.
The top corner of the lane was later diverted through the Turf Tavern gardens and across the corner of the Racecourse when the railway bridge was constructed on Mold Road in 1886/87. The armoury of The Royal Welsh Fusiliers Volunteer Force was also demolished to accommodate this diversion, but the lane was returned to its original location when the construction work was completed.
The pavement on the railway side of Crispin Lane now follows the original course of the ditch of Wat's Dyke.

[Rob]

Great stuff as always!

[Mr Wonderful]

Excellent work ESR.

[Sir Crispin Lane]

Fantastic work as ever ESR

[eastsussexred]

I have also tried to email Wrexham Tourist Information Centre twice regarding the new dates relating to the club, the Racecourse and The Turf Hotel, but never received a response. Whether it is WAG, Coflein, CADW, WST, the club, FAW or WCBC, it seems that the history of this particular area is somehow taboo, which seems strange, as you would have thought that the powers that be would be only to pleased to promote the cultural, sporting and social history of the area.