Coordinates: 53°06′58″N 3°18′22″W / 53.116°N 3.306°W / 53.116; -3.306

Ruthin
Welsh: Rhuthun
The Old Court House built in 1401
Ruthin  Ruthin shown within Denbighshire
Population	5,218 (2001)
OS grid reference	SJ127854
Community	Ruthin
Principal area	Denbighshire
Ceremonial county	Clwyd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	RUTHIN
Postcode district	LL15
Dialling code	01824
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Clwyd West
Welsh Assembly	Clwyd West
List of places: UK • Wales • Denbighshire

Ruthin ( /ˈrɪθɪn/ RITH-in; Welsh: Rhuthun) is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of the River Clwyd (which became apparent on several occasions in the late 1990s—new flood control works costing £3 million were inaugurated in autumn 2003).^[1] Ruthin also has villages on the outskirts of the town such as Pwllglas and Rhewl.

The name 'Ruthin' comes from the Welsh words rhudd (red) and din (fort), and refers to the colour of the new red sandstone which forms the geologic basis of the area,^[2] and from which the castle was constructed in 1277-1284. The original name of Rhuthin was 'Castell Coch yng Ngwern-fôr' (red castle in the sea-swamps).

Demographics[link]

The population at the 2001 Census was 5,218^[3] of whom 47% were male and 53% female. The average age of the population was 43.0 years and the population is 98.2% "white".

Crime rate[link]

North Wales Police classify Ruthin as having an "average" level of crime for their area, which itself has one of the lowest crime rates in the United Kingdom.

Source: North Wales Police: Ruthin crime levels and statistics

History[link]

There is evidence of Celtic and later Roman settlements in the area. However, little is known of the history of the town before construction of Ruthin Castle started in 1277 by Dafydd, the brother of prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, but he forfeited the castle when he rebelled against King Edward I with his brother; Edward's queen, Eleanor, was in residence in 1281. The Marcher Lord, Reginald de Grey, Justiciar of Chester, was given the Cantref (an administrative district) of Deffrencloyt (= Dyffryn Clwyd, the Welsh for Vale of Clwyd), and his family ran the area for the next 226 years. The third Baron de Grey's land dispute with Owain Glyndŵr triggered Glyndŵr's rebellion against King Henry IV which began on 16 September 1400, when Glyndŵr burned Ruthin to the ground, reputedly leaving only the castle and a few other buildings standing.^[4]

The Lord de Grey established a fine Collegiate Church in 1310. Now, the Collegiate and Parish Church of St Peter, it dominates the Ruthin skyline. The double naved church boasts 2 fine medieval carved roofs. The church is known for its excellent musical tradition, it has a large choir of children and adults and a fine 4 manual Wadsworth-Willis Organ. Behind the church can be seen the old college buildings, school and Christ's hospital that form a charming precinct befitting a significant establishment.

A Ruthin native, Sir Thomas Exmewe was Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1517-18.

The half-timbered Old Court House (built in 1401), now a branch of the NatWest Bank, features the remains of a gibbet last used to execute a Franciscan priest, Charles Meehan. He had the misfortune to be shipwrecked on the Welsh coast when Catholicism was equated with treason — Meehan was hanged, drawn, and quartered in 1679.^[5]

Clock tower on St Peter's Square. In the background are the Myddleton Arms pub, Castle Hotel, and HSBC bank.

Nantclwyd House, (Nantclwyd-y-dre), is the oldest known town house in Wales, with timbers dated to 1435.

Exmewe Hall, on St Peter's Square, is now Barclays Bank. Despite appearances, it was reconstructed entirely in the 20th century from modern materials.

The old Gaol is now a museum. This is a view of the courtyard.

The town War Memorial

Denbighshire County Council built a new headquarters building in 2004-05.

During the English Civil War the castle survived an eleven-week siege, after which it was demolished by order of Parliament. The castle was rebuilt in the 19th century as a country house, and is now a luxury hotel, the Ruthin Castle Hotel.

From 1826 until 1921 the castle was the home of the Cornwallis-West family, members of Victorian and Edwardian high society.

In its 18th century heyday as a town on drovers' routes from Wales into England, Ruthin was reputed to have "a pub for every week of the year". By 2007, however, there are only eleven pubs in the town.

The first copies of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, were printed in what is now the Siop Nain tea and gift shop on Well Street.

In 1863 the Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway, which linked in Denbigh with the Vale of Clwyd Railway (subsequently part of the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Rail) reached the town. The route ran from Rhyl on the north coast, through Denbigh and Ruthin to Corwen. Thereafter the line joined a route from Ruabon through Llangollen, Corwen and Bala to Barmouth. The railway and Ruthin railway station closed in 1963 as part of the Beeching Axe. The site of the town's railway station is now occupied by a large road roundabout (Brieg Roundabout) and the Ruthin Craft Centre which originally opened in 1982 but was rebuilt and reopened in 2008 [1].

Sir Henry Haydn Jones MP (1863–1950) politician, slate quarry owner, and owner of the Talyllyn Railway was brought up in the town. He is immortalised for children as Sir Handel, owner of the Skarloey Railway in Rev. W. Awdry's Railway Series.

On 6 June 1947 Władysław Raczkiewicz, the first president of the Polish government in exile, died in Ruthin. He was buried in the Polish Cemetery in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Ruthin hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1868 and 1973. The Urdd National Eisteddfod visited Ruthin in 1992^[6] and 2006.

Education[link]

The town's principal school is Ysgol Brynhyfryd (Brynhyfryd School), a comprehensive school for 11-18 year olds. It was founded in 1898 as Ruthin County School for Girls (the town's boys travelling five miles by train to Denbigh High School, and vice versa). The school went co-educational with feeder junior schools up to around six miles away in 1938. The school underwent building work in the 1950s, early 1970s (when the number of pupils increased from 700 to 1000 in a few years, when the minimum school leaving age was raised from 15 to 16), and 2001-2. The school's sports facilities, including the swimming pool are used as the town's Leisure Centre, and it also features a theatre and arts complex, Theatr John Ambrose, named after the late headmaster of the school in the 1980s and 1990s, which was opened by the actor Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, etc.) a former pupil of Ysgol Pentrecelyn and Ysgol Maes Garmon in Mold, but brought up in Ruthin.

In 1574 Dr Gabriel Goodman re-founded Ruthin School which had been originally founded in 1284 and is one of the oldest public schools in the United Kingdom. In 1590, Goodman established Christ's Hospital for 12 poor persons around St. Peter's Church on the square, and was Dean of Westminster for 40 years (1561–1601).

Transport[link]

Ruthin lost its railway line and station in the 1960s. It was connected to Denbigh and Rhyl to the north, and Corwen in the south.

Nowadays, the town has a good bus service. The X50 and X5 services provide two buses per hour to Denbigh, with hourly buses continuing to Rhyl. There is an hourly service (X50) to Wrexham. Service X5 continues roughly hourly southbound to Corwen, with connections for Dolgellau and Llangollen. The Ruthin Fflecsi (numbers 70 and 77) bus service links Ruthin with the surrounding villages of Cyffylliog, Clocaenog, Bontuchel, Efenechtyd, Betws Gwerfil Goch, Melin-y-Wig, Llanelidan and Clawdd-Newydd to the west and southwest. A roughly hourly service (numbers 1 and 2) runs eastwards to Mold, and there are two buses per day (Monday - Friday) directly to Chester (service X1). Ruthin is large enough to merit its own town service, number 73. Service 76 runs to Denbigh via the villages of Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Llangynhafal and Llangwyfan, and continues to Pentrecelyn, south of Ruthin. All of the above services run Monday - Saturday only. On Sundays, there is a roughly two-hourly service to Denbigh on service X50 only.

Ruthin is unusual in that all its bus services are operated by independent companies. All services except the 76 are operated by GHA Coaches, originally based in nearby Betws Gwerfil Goch. Service 76 is operated by the smaller firm of M&H Coaches.

Sport[link]

The football team is Ruthin Town F.C.

The rugby team is Ruthin/Rhuthun R.F.C - (Teams: Minis, Youth, 3rd XV, 2nd XV, 1st XV & Women's XV [2] [3])

Ruthin Badminton club at Brynhyfryd leisure centre.

The 17th century Crown House, on Well Street, houses the head office of The Broadcasting Company, Europe's largest radio sports agency.^[7]

On 13 June 1981 Ruthin hosted the Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board, the body which determines the laws of football.^[8]

Twin Town[link]

Ruthin is twinned with Brieg, Brittany.^[9]

Tourism[link]

Ruthin Gaol[link]

Ruthin Gaol ceased to be a prison in 1916 when the prisoners and guards were transferred to Shrewsbury. The County Council bought the buildings in 1926 and used part of them for offices, the county archives, and the town library. During the Second World War the prison buildings were used as a munitions factory, before being handed back to the County Council, when it was the headquarters of the Denbighshire Library Service. In 2002 the Gaol was extensively renovated and reopened as a museum.

The first House of Correction, or Bridewell, was built at the bottom of Clwyd Street, next to the river, in 1654, to replace the Old Court House, where able-bodied idlers and the unemployed were sent to work. Following John Howard's investigations into prison conditions the Denbighshire justices resolved to build a new model prison in Ruthin on the site of the old Bridewell. Work began in January 1775. In 1802 the prison had four cells for prisoners and nine rooms for debtors. By 1837 it could hold 37 inmates. The Prisons Act of 1865 set new standards for the design of prisons — as the Ruthin County Gaol did not meet the standards plans were drawn up for a new four-storey wing, and the new prison accommodating up to 100 prisoners, in the style of London's Pentonville Prison was built at a cost of £12,000. On 1 April 1878 the Ruthin County Gaol became HM Prison Ruthin, covering the counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Merionethshire. As far as is known, only one person was ever executed in the prison, William Hughes of Denbigh, aged 42, who was hanged on 17 February 1903 for the murder of his wife, his plea of insanity having failed. Another colourful prison personality was John Jones, known as Coch Bach y Bala – who was a kleptomaniac and poacher who had spent more than half his 60 years in all the prisons of north Wales and many in England; he twice escaped from Ruthin Gaol, first on 30 November 1879 when he walked out of prison with three others while the staff were having supper — a £5 reward was offered for his capture, which happened the following 3 January. On 30 September 1913 he tunnelled out of his cell and using a rope made out of his bedding he climbed over the roof of the chapel and kitchen and got over the wall; after seven days living rough on the Nantclwyd Estate several miles away, Jones was shot in the leg by one of his pursuers, 19 year old Reginald Jones-Bateman. Jones died of shock and blood loss, while Jones-Bateman was charged with manslaughter, though the charges were subsequently dropped.

Most Haunted: Midsummer Murders filmed the series' 5th episode in Ruthin in which the team investigated a Victorian Era murder. Some of the places the episode was filmed in were the Old Gaol and the town library.

The Craft Centre[link]

The Craft Centre had 10 studios occupied by craftsmen who could be observed by tourists working at glass blowing, ceramic manufacture, painting, furniture restoration, etc. The original Craft Centre was demolished early in 2007, and a new Craft Centre opened in July 2008 in a £4.3 million scheme which contains six craft workshops, larger galleries and an expanded craft retail gallery, two residency studios, an education space and a tourist information centre, as well as a restaurant.^[10][11]

Nantclwyd y Dre[link]

Nantclwyd y Dre (previously known as Tŷ Nantclwyd), in Castle Street, was built about 1435 by a local merchant Gronw ap Madoc, and is believed to be the oldest surviving town house in Wales. The building was sold to the county council in 1982, restored from 2004, and opened to the public in 2007. It contains seven rooms which have been restored to represent various periods in the building's history.

Ain't Seen Ruthin Yet[link]

The 2010 song "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)" was the inspiration for actor Russell Gomer's parody "Ain't Seen Ruthin Yet", based on the song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive and the town of Ruthin.^[12]

Notable people[link]

See Category:People from Ruthin

• Dave Brailsford MBE, British Cycling Performance Director for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
• Robin Llwyd ab Owain, poet and national chair winner has lived in Ruthin since 1979; he won the chair of the National Eisteddfod in 1991.
• Seren Gibson glamour model.
• Actors Rhys Ifans and his brother Llŷr Ifans come from Ruthin
• Rhys Meirion the ENO opera singer.
• Cynthia Lennon, first wife of John Lennon settled in Ruthin and opened the Manor House Restaurant, Well Street. (Julian Lennon attended Ruthin School).
• Eifion Lewis-Roberts (who played rugby union for Ruthin and now lives in Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd) gained his first Welsh rugby union cap against Canada in November 2008.
• Formula One racing driver Tom Pryce was born and raised in Ruthin.
• Scarlets rugby union centre Rob Higgitt is a former resident.
• Eric Jones, climber and BASE jumper, was raised on a farm near Ruthin.

References[link]

External links[link]

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of the "Ruthin" article dated 2005-05-08, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

• Original Ruthin website
• Ruthin weather
• Town Council site in English
• Town Council site in Welsh
• Website of Ruthin gaol
• BBC Wales's Ruthin website
• Ruthin Show Society website
• Ruthin Produce Market website
• Ordnance Survey Geograph - dozens of photos of Ruthin
• Ruthin Gaol review with lots of photos

v t e Denbighshire Principal settlements Corwen Denbigh Llangollen Prestatyn Rhuddlan Rhyl Ruthin St Asaph Towns and villages Aberwheeler Berwyn Betws Gwerfil Goch Bodelwyddan Bodfari Bontuchel Bryneglwys Bylchau Carrog Castell Cefnmeriadog Cerrigydrudion Clocaenog Corwen Crogen Cwm Cyffylliog Cynwyd Derwen Druid Dyserth Efenechtyd Gellifor Gellioedd Glasfryn Glyndyfrdwy Gronant Gwaenysgor Gwyddelwern Henllan Hirwaen Llanarmon-yn-Iâl Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd Llandegla Llandrillo Llandyrnog Llanefydd Llanelidan Llanferres Llanfwrog Llangar Llangwyfan Llangyhafal Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch Llansanffraid Glyndyfrdwy Llantysilio Llanychan Llanynys Llwynmawr Maerdy Meliden Nantglyn Prion Pentrecelyn Rhewl Rhuallt Saron Tafarn Y Gelyn Trefnant Trelawnyd Tremeirchion Oldest inhabited location Bontnewydd Palaeolithic site Moors Berwyn range Mynydd Hiraethog

Phillip Hughes

Personal information
Full name	Phillip Joel Hughes
Born	(1988-11-30) 30 November 1988 (age 23) Macksville, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Hughesy
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Batting style	Left-hand opening
Bowling style	Right-arm off-break
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 408)	26 February 2009 v South Africa
Last Test	17 November 2011 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2012–	Worcestershire
2011–present	Sydney Thunder
2010	Hampshire (squad no. 29)
2009	Middlesex
2007–present	New South Wales (squad no. 22)
Career statistics
Competition	Test	FC	LA	T20
Matches	17	66	45	17
Runs scored	1,072	5,476	1,567	527
Batting average	34.58	48.03	39.17	37.64
100s/50s	3/3	17/28	2/10	0/4
Top score	160	198	138	83
Balls bowled	0	18	0	0
Wickets	–	0	–	–
Bowling average	–	–	–	–
5 wickets in innings	–	0	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	0	–	–
Best bowling	–	0/3	–	–
Catches/stumpings	7/–	41/–	15/–	10/–
Source: Cricinfo, 16 December 2011

Phillip Joel Hughes (born 30 November 1988) is an Australian cricketer. He is a left-handed opening batsman who made his Test debut at the age of 20 after just two seasons with New South Wales.^[1]

Early life and junior career[link]

Hughes was born in Macksville, a small town on the north coast of New South Wales, to parents Greg and Virginia.^[2] The son of a banana farmer and an Italian mother, Hughes was also a talented rugby league player who once played alongside Australian rugby league international Greg Inglis.^[1] He played his junior cricket for Macksville R.S.L Cricket Club, where he excelled so quickly that he was playing A-Grade at the age of 12.^[2] At the age of 17, Hughes moved from Macksville to Sydney to play for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket^[3] while he attended Homebush Boys High. He scored 141* on his grade debut and enjoyed a solid 2006–07 season scoring 752 runs at an average of 35.81 with a highest score of 142*.^[4] He represented Australia at the Under-19s World Cup in 2007.^[5] He was coached at Activate Cricket Centre in Mortlake.^[6]

First-class career[link]

After scoring runs prolifically for New South Wales youth teams and Western Suburbs in Grade Cricket, Hughes was handed a rookie contract by New South Wales for the 2007–08 season.^[7] After scores of 51 and 137 for the New South Wales Second XI against Victoria's Second XI,^[8] Hughes was rewarded with a call up by Blues selectors to make his first-class debut. He played his first senior game against Tasmania on 20 November 2007 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. At 18 years and 355 days, Hughes was the youngest New South Wales debutant since Michael Clarke in 1999.^[9] In a comfortable victory for New South Wales, Hughes opened the batting and got his career off to a solid start, scoring a fluent 51 and taking 2 catches.^[10]

Hughes had an outstanding debut season for New South Wales, playing 7 matches and scoring 559 runs at an average of 62.11 with 1 century and 6 fifties.^[11] The highlight of Hughes' excellent season came in New South Wales' Pura Cup final victory over Victoria. He scored 116 off 175 balls in the Blues' second innings to help put his team in a commanding position. At 19 years of age, this innings made him the youngest ever player to score a century in a Pura Cup final.^[12] Hughes was rewarded for his achievements by winning the New South Wales Rising Star Award and earning an upgrade to a full state contract for the 2008–09 season.^[13][14]

He was signed by Middlesex on a short-term contract, as cover for Murali Kartik for the beginning of the 2009 English cricket season.^[15][16] He was available for first six weeks of the season, and played in three County Championship matches, all eight of Middlesex's Friends Provident Trophy group matches and the first few matches in the Panthers' defence of the Twenty20 Cup.^[17] In most other years, a contract for the opening six weeks of the season would involve playing 4–6 Championship matches, some but not all FPT matches and no Twenty20, but the scheduling for 2009 has to accommodate ICC World Twenty20 and the eventually-cancelled Stanford Super Series. It has been noted that despite Hughes holding an Italian passport by virtue of his Italian mother, Middlesex resisted signing Hughes up as a Kolpak player and instead signed him as a foreign player.^[18] He enjoyed strong success in England, scoring 574 runs in his three first-class matches, including three hundreds, at an average of 143.50.^[19] Of his time at Middlesex, he commented "I thoroughly enjoyed it and the preparation has been great. The big thing that came out of it was that I played at three Test grounds I'm going to be playing on and got to experience them before this big series coming up. Lord's was my home ground there for Middlesex and I played at The Oval as well and Edgbaston. It couldn't have really worked out any better. The big thing was just going over there to experience the whole different culture really, the weather, the wickets and the bowlers as well."^[20]

Hughes hit back to back hundreds at the end of the 2010/11 season to earn Hilditch's praise. In his last two first class matches for NSW in the 2010/11 season he scored 54,115,138, and 93. Australia chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch stated "I was thrilled for Phil, I think he turned the corner the last game. I spent a bit of time with him before the last Shield game and he seemed to be in a really good place. Having had a tough season, to emerge like he has is a credit to him."^[21]

List A career[link]

Less than a week after his debut in first-class cricket, on 28 November 2007, Hughes made his List A debut against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While he was not originally scheduled to play the match, sickness to Australian opening batsman Phil Jaques handed him the spot.^[22] Just as he did in his first-class debut, Hughes passed 50 but was eventually dismissed for 68, top scoring for New South Wales in a "controlled" display.^[23] After New South Wales' wicket-keeper Brad Haddin was struck in the head by a top edge, Hughes took on the 'keeping duties for nine overs. On 17 May 2009, Hughes made his first limited overs century, scoring 119 for Middlesex against Warwickshire.

Australian Test career[link]

Ducking to a short ball that, according to critics, caused him problems in England.

After consistently making runs at domestic level, Hughes was called up to replace Matthew Hayden on Australia's tour of South Africa in February and March 2009. He was selected to make his debut in the first Test match starting on 26 February 2009 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg after making 53, then retiring, in Australia's tour match against the South African Board President's XI. He was dismissed for a duck in his first Test innings by Dale Steyn off just the fourth ball of the match, however he went on to top-score with 75 in the second innings, including 11 fours and a six.^[24]

Hughes hit his maiden Test hundred in the first innings of the second Test at the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban on 6 March 2009, before adding another hundred in the second Innings. In doing so, Hughes, at the age of 20 years and 96 days, became both the youngest Australian since Doug Walters to score a Test century,^[25] and the youngest player from any country to score a century in both innings of a Test match.^[26]

Hughes takes a catch at training.

During the 2009 Ashes campaign, Hughes' unorthodox technique was exploited by fast bowlers, who targeted his upper body, and avoided bowling wide outside off stump, restricting his opportunities to play shots through the offside, most notably the cut shot. He was dropped from the team, for the third Edgbaston Test in favour of Shane Watson, who opened the batting in his place and provided the Australians with an extra bowling option.^[27][28]

He was a fringe player for the next year or so, playing some Tests to cover other injured batsmen. He played two home Tests against Pakistan in this capacity, covering the injured Ricky Ponting in the Boxing Day Test, then Simon Katich in the New Year's Test. He was then called up to the Test squad for the tour of New Zealand in March 2010 to replace Shane Watson in the first Test; he scored a rapid 86 from 75 balls in a small fourth-innings run chase in this Test.

Hughes was dropped from the 2010–2011 Ashes squad, but was called up for the Third Test as a replacement for the injured Simon Katich. He was a regular in the Australian team for the following year, playing in the last three Ashes tests, tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa, and then a home series against New Zealand, but his spot came under pressure due to his inconsistency during that time. He scored two big scores (126 in Colombo and 88 in Johannesburg), but his next-highest score was only 36,^[29] and he consistently fell to catches at slip and gully. He was heavily criticised for his performance in the two-test series against New Zealand, in which he managed only 41 runs at 10.25, and was dismissed exactly the same way in all four innings: caught at slip by Martin Guptill from the bowling of Chris Martin.^[30] He was dropped from the Australian team following the series.^[31]

Awards[link]

• New South Wales Rising Star Award: 2007^[13]
• Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: 2009
• Sheffield Shield Player of the Year: 2008/09

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Phillip Hughes

• Player profile: Phillip Hughes from ESPNcricinfo
• Player profile: Phillip Hughes from CricketArchive
• Player Profile: Phillip Hughes from the New South Wales Blues

References[link]