Rhydymwyn

Rhydymwyn is a village in Flintshire, North Wales, located in the upper River Alyn valley. Once a district of Mold, it was recognised as a separate parish from 1865.

Geography

The geology of the area consists of a layer of extremely pure, and hence structurally sound, 200ft thick layer of limestone at depths ranging from surface to 900 feet. The limestone holds other minerals, including lead, nickel and copper deposits, making it an ideal site for mining.

History

Due to the industrialisation of Northwest England, and it needs for mineral supplies, the mineral deposits in the Alwyn valley created a population explosion in various villages, including Rhydymwyn. From the mid-1700s, Rhydymwyn was the site for a range of industries, which included foundries, waterwheels as well as mine workings.citeweb|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/sites/flintshire/pages/valley.shtml|title=WWII secret weapons site|publisher=BBC Wales|accessdate=2008-09-18]

The new parish of Rhydymwyn was created on 31 March, 1865, comprising: parts of the townships of Gwysaney and Gwernaffield, formerly in the parish of Mold; parts of the townships of Cefn and Glust (or Llysdianhunedd), and the whole of the township of Dolfechlas, formerly in the parish of Cilcain; and part of the township of Caerfallwch, formerly in the parish of Northop. The foundation stone of the new parish church, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, was laid on 1 August, 1861, and the church was consecrated on 17 September, 1864. [citeweb|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/FLN/Rhydymwyn/|title=Rhydymwyn, Flintshire|publisher=GenUKI|accessdate=2008-09-18]

The Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway had a station on the south side of A541, which opened on 6 September, 1869. [citeweb|url=http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Mold_and_Denbigh_Junction_Railway/frame.htm|title=Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway|publisher=RailScot|accessdate=2008-09-18] After the closure of line under the Beeching Axe, the station closed to passengers on 30 April, 1962 and completely from 4 May, 1964. The former station building is now a private house. [citeweb|url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/r/rhydymwyn/index.shtml|title=Disused stations - Rhydymwyn|publisher=Subterranea Britannica|accessdate=2008-09-18]

Recent times

In the autumn of 2000, local rainfall was exceptional in terms of intensity and duration. Between 28 October and 6 November, 68 homes and 8 businesses flooded in Rhydymwyn thanks to overflow from the River Alwyn. In 2002 and 2003, DEFRA's internal team in two phases created a flood alarm and protection scheme to protect the whole village and Valley Works, with a level of protection in excess of a flood with a 1% chance of occurring in any one year. The total cost for the scheme was £88, 000. [citeweb|url=http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/regions/wales/139851/708757/709711/?version=1&lang=_e|title=Rhydymwyn Flood Alleviation Scheme|publisher=Environment Agency|accessdate=2008-09-18]

Valley Works

Due to its unique geographic structure, the Alyn valley has been used by the UK government for storage of sensitive material for most of the twentieth century. This is in part due to a combination of factors, including geology, old mine workings, and a very low population density; but with good road (A541) and railway (LNWR), transport links.

Originally used for mining, the site known as "The Foundry" was closed after becoming uneconomic. Controlled by the UK Government, while the War Office was investigating chemical weapons the site was chosen in 1938 as a UK site for chemical weapon production and storage. With access to clean and fast flowing water, and only 30 miles from ICI's site at Runcorn, Cheshire, Rhydymwyn offered an ideal site for a munitions factory.citeweb|url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/r/rhydymwyn/history.html|title=Rhydymwyn: History|author=Davies, Ian|publisher=Subterranea Britannica|date=1997|accessdate=2008-09-18]

Development

In September 1938 the Ministry of Supply started construction of a purpose-built chemical weapons storage facility at the Valley Works. Operating under the guise of ICI - the site was in actual fact unique, as it was the only private non-Royal Ordnance Factory munitions factory which was purpose built; the UK’s other six big munitions factories were based in ICI factories. Incoming services and utilities were adequate; however waste disposal was difficult, and so miners from the Hendre Mine company HDUM Ltd were commissioned to build a 24 inch waste pipe. Laid in total secrecy the six miles to the River Dee estuary for the disposal of high level waste, arrangements for gaseous emissions were classified as an "acceptable risk to the local populous."

In October 1939 HDUM miners began cutting four 30 feet wide, 8 feet high and 760 feet long tunnels into the hillside behind the former mine surface buildings. Connected to these are a set of four storage chambers at a depth of 140 feet below surface. The work was completed in October 1940.

World War Two operations

The first chemicals arrived on 19 June, 1940 but production didn't start until January 1942, when staff from ICI Randle arrived to supervise the startup of the Valley production plant. From 1942 to 1945, the factory produced the UK's entire supply of mustard gas, which via secure Royal Air Force guarded train onto the nearby LNWR railway line, was distributed all over the UK to various airfields.

The site consisted of"
*Four four 30 feet wide, 8 feet high and 760 feet long tunnels. Provided storage for both raw ingredient chemicals and mixed gases. Staffing facilities underground were minimal, except an air raid shelter. The whole facility was provided with an air supply via an over ground ventilation shaft on top of the hill
*Pyro buildings P1 through P6. P6 was used as the location for much of the early British work on the atomic bomb, later transferred to Robert Oppenheimer’s atomic research team, the Manhattan Project.
*Runcol buildings R1 thru R3
*Danger Zone - where explosives were mixed
*Staff buildings including: welfare centre, emergency treatment centre. It is also considering saving some underground tunnels and chambers, an underground air raid shelter and ventilation shaft as ancient monuments. They would be kept in perpetuity as national treasures.

Post WW2

After being shut in 1945, the site remained top secret and off of the local Ordnance Survey map. In October 1985, the Property Services Agency commissioned the Laboratory of the Government Chemist to carry out a comprehensive survey of the site, and identify any chemical contamination present. The report, the subject of a question in parliament to Under Secretary to the Department of the Environment Christopher Chope and reported in Hansard in 1987, reported that any remaining contamination is minimal and the risks involved are no higher than for any site which has been used for industrial purposes. [citeweb|url=http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1987/nov/27/mustard-gas-rhydymwyn|title=Mustard Gas (Rhydymwyn)|publisher=Hansard|date=1987-11-27|accessdate=2008-09-19] As a result of the report, in the 1990s the European Union stored emergency food stocks in the tunnels. [citeweb|url=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/r/rhydymwyn/|title=Visit to The Valley Works, Rhydymwyn|publisher=Subterranea Britannica|date=2001-03-22|accessdate=2008-09-18]

Nature reserve

Still permanently guarded today by owner DEFRA appointed private security guards, in 2003 under a ten year agreement the site was leased to North East Wales Wildlife. Made safe for access by local volunteers, the site is now a registered nature reserve and open to the public. The Welsh heritage NGO Cadw have proposed listing the remaining structures as a Grade Two listed building.citeweb|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2007/10/12/deadly-north-wales-gas-factory-a-national-treasure-55578-19937957/|title=Deadly North Wales gas factory a national treasure|publisher=North Wales Daily Post|date=2007-10-12|accessdate=2008-09-18]

References

External links

*gbmapping|SJ2066
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/sites/flintshire/pages/rhydymwyn.shtml Rhydymwyn memories @ BBC Wales]
* [http://www.rvsweb.org.uk Rhydymwyn Valley Work Nature Reserve]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/places/ne/rhydymwyn_valley.shtml Rhydymwyn Valley @ BBC Wales]