Mochdre, Conwy

Coordinates: 53°17′N 3°46′W / 53.29°N 3.76°W / 53.29; -3.76

Mochdre, Conwy
Welsh: Mochdre
Mochdre, Conwy  Mochdre, Conwy shown within Conwy
Population	1,862 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	SH825785
Principal area	Conwy
Ceremonial county	Clwyd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	COLWYN BAY
Postcode district	LL28
Dialling code	01492
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Clwyd West (UK Parliament constituency)
Welsh Assembly	Clwyd West (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
List of places: UK • Wales • Conwy

Mochdre is a village to the west of Colwyn Bay in Conwy County Borough, north Wales. Originally part of the Municipal Borough of Colwyn Bay prior to local government reorganisation in April 1974, it is now a separate community (equivalent to a parish in England for local government purposes), whose population at the 2001 census was 1,862.^[1]

Origin of the name

The name of the village comes from Welsh language words meaning pig (moch) and town (tref). The origin of the name is explained in one of the mythological Welsh tales known as The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, which were first written down in the early Middle Ages, but which actually go much further back into the history of oral Welsh storytelling. An incident in one of these tales, Math fab Mathonwy, concerns the theft of a herd of sacred pigs. One of the places where the stolen animals were kept overnight became known as Mochdre ("Pigtown") as a result.

History & Amenities

The village of Mochdre is famed for its parish church, which is actually the church of the parish of Llangwstennin (Cystennin being the Welsh version of Constantine Constantine I, the Roman Emperor who is reputed to have been born at the Roman settlement of Segontium in Caernarfon, north Wales), as it allegedly sits on the site of the oldest Early Christian church in Wales.

Mochdre has a place in railway history. Sited on the North Wales Coast Line from Chester to Holyhead, it was the location of experimental trackside water troughs, from which passing steam locomotives could scoop up fresh water supplies without having to stop. These devices became commonplace around the world, but Mochdre was the first place they were ever used, around October 1860. Ironically the exact spot is now a stretch of the A55 dual carriageway, the railway line having been realigned slightly to the north when this section of the road was built in the mid-1980s. Here too was Mochdre and Pabo station, closed originally in January 1917 as a World War I economy measure, reopened in May 1919, and finally closed for good in January 1931.

Sports Clubs

Mochdre Sports and Social Club is the centre of the community with the club house with refreshments; football and cricket grounds too. They have teams in Football, Cricket, Snooker, Pool and Darts.

The main parts of the sports club is the Mochdre Sports Football Club who compete in the Gamlins Clwyd Premier League and have player come from the club who are now playing for the likes of Llandudno Town and Colwyn Bay FC.

Mochdre Cricket Club is also a big sport in the village as they compete in the North Wales Cricket League Premier Division.

Former footballer Mickey Thomas is a native of Mochdre.

References

1. ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Conwy

External links

• http://www.msfc.co.uk
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Mochdre and surrounding area