Summerhill, Wrexham

Summerhill (Welsh "Bryn Hyfryd") is an urban village in the suburbs of Wrexham, Wales and forms part of the Wrexham Urban Area (pop 63,000).

The village borders with Gwersyllt, Moss, Little Mountain, Highfield and Sydallt. Traditionally, the area was devoted to farming, however much has been lost in recent years due to housing estate developments such as Pendine Park, Glascoed Park & Stansty Park but, nevertheless, the area remains open and rural. The traditional area of Summerhill resides at the top of the Summerhill Road, between Sydallt and Little Mountain. However, its boundaries could now be considered to include parts of Pendine Park and Glascoed Park, which are not in the "traditional" Summerhill. The area is signified by its "hundreds of years old" Summerhill Road, which is a major route into the village. The road, just over two miles long, cuts through farmland and wooded areas of Highfield & Stansty before passing Pendine Park and up through Little Mountain, and Higher Gwersyllt before reaching Summerhill.

Industry and History

In the 19th and early 20th century, the residents of Summerhill mainly worked in either the farming or coalmining industries, however there was also nearby Brymbo Steelworks and Bersham Ironworks for those who could travel to these places. The nearest colliery was Westminster Colliery, located within the Moss Valley. Most of the area's coalmining industry was defunct by the mid 20th century.

Remnants of the area's former history includes railway features, including trackbeds, bridges and tunnels), and large, open spaces such as the Moss Valley.

Housing Estates

Since the 1970s, a number of housing developments have been undertaken in the area. Those at Pendine Park, Stansty Park & Glascoed Park are in Gwersyllt, and separated from the 'traditional' Summerhill by an approx. ½ mile (around 'Wheatsheaf Lane'), although they are generally referred to as part of Summerhill since they are accessed via the Summerhill Road, see below:

Pendine Park

Pendine Park consists of nine post code areas, and was the earliest build, which started in the mid-1970s. It was built as a joint-venture between two local builders, one of which was Borvis, a company which also build Stansty Park. Pendine gets its name from the now demolished Pendine House, a large home situated where the present-day Pendine Nursing Home stands, near Highfield. It currently consists of primarily private housing, but also council housing, bungalows, flats and sheltered accommodation for pensioners and those with disabilities. There is a lot of open-space area around the development, one of which is informally known to residents as "The Pendine Field", although it is merely common ground. Major bus routes running to Summerhill, Mold, and less frequently, Llay, run through the estate. Informally, both Glascoed Park and Stansty Park are incorrectly described as "Pendine Park", as it is the oldest and largest of the three that are together.

tansty Park

Stansty Park was the second of the three estates to be developed, and was constructed by local builder, Borvis, which also was involved in a joint-venture to build neighbouring Pendine Park. It was constructed in the mid-1980s, and complete by 1985. Both local shop, Pendine Stores and hairdresser are within Stansty Park, despite the use of "Pendine" in the name. Officially the estate is within Gwersyllt, however some now consider the area to be Summerhill or Stansty. Bus routes that run through Pendine also run through Stansty Park.

Glascoed Park

Glascoed Park consists of six post-code areas, and was the last build of the "Pendine" trio. Construction began in 1986, and was completed by 1992 in two phases, by Parry's Homes (which have since merged to form Castlemead Homes) Unlike Pendine and Stansty, the houses are a composite of red and yellow brick, and all must be fitted with brown windows only. It is arguable that Glascoed could be considered within the village of Highfield. One bus route to Summerhill runs through the area.

White Lion Close

Built on the site of the former 'White Lion' public house, White Lion Close is a small housing development based on a single road, of the same name, situated in the "traditional" Summerhill, and it is particularly noted for a high retaining wall along the Summerhill Road, built to support the houses above.

ummerhill Park

Built right on the edge of traditional Summerhill, these five houses are the most expensive built to date, with houses reaching over £500,000 in value.

Westminster Rise

Building began 2004 and was completed by winter 2005.

ervices

There are few service in Summerhill, most needs are catered by nearby Gwersyllt. Those services in Summerhill include local post office, newsagents and pubs and regular buses into Wrexham.

ee also

*Gwersyllt

External links

* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3537033&page=1 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Summerhill and surrounding area]