Ewloe

infobox UK place
country= Wales
welsh_name=
constituency_welsh_assembly=Alyn and Deeside, North Wales
latitude= 53.18966
longitude= -3.04441
official_name= Ewloe
population= 4,862 (2001 Census)citeweb|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5939428&c=ewloe&d=14&e=16&g=414505&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1212102483942&enc=1|title=2001 Census: Ewloe|work=Office for National Statistics|accessdate=29 May|accessyear=2008]
unitary_wales= Flintshire
lieutenancy_wales= Clwyd
constituency_westminster= Alyn and Deeside
post_town= DEESIDE
postcode_district= CH5
postcode_area= CH
dial_code= 01244
os_grid_reference= SJ303663
OldMapsYear=
OldMapsEasting=
OldMapsNorthing=
OldMapsCounty=

Ewloe (IPA2|ɛʊlɔɪ according to conventional Welsh phonology, but locally IPAEng|ˈjuːləʊ) is a small town in North Wales, contiguous with Hawarden and Buckley and near to Queensferry and Shotton. Situated close to the Flintshire/Cheshire border, Ewloe forms part of Deeside. The A55 Expressway passes through the town and its most notable landmark is Ewloe Castle. At the 2001 Census, the population was 4,862 (2,390 males, 2,472 females).

Professional footballer Michael Owen famously bought a small street of houses, Austen Close in Ewloe, for his extended family. He also grew up and owned a house nearby. [citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/3388685.stm|title=Star's old home for sale|work=BBC News|accessdate=3 April|accessyear=2008]

History

The name Ewloe is believed to date back 1200 years to the time when the Kingdom of Mercia extended almost to the River Clwyd near Rhyl.

In 1157 a great battle took place between 3,000 Welshmen led by Owain Gwynedd and the 30,000 troops of English monarch Henry II. During an ambush, King Henry was almost killed by Owain Gwynedd's sons. On January 26, 2008, a commemorating plaque was unveilled by Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant. [citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7210284.stm|title=Plaque marks Welsh king's triumph|work=BBC News|accessdate=27 January|accessyear=2008]

The Welsh Prince Llewellyn ap Gruffydd built Ewloe Castle in 1257. However in 1276 King Edward I began the greatest invasion of Wales ever undertaken and in December of that year the King's forces took Ewloe Castle and drove the Welsh out. The Castle was given back to Llewellyn in 1277 but the Welsh Prince broke the peace and was finally deprived of Ewloe Castle.

In the mid nineteenth century Ewloe became home to Castle Hill Brewery which supplied many of the local public houses. The water used for brewing was extracted from natural springs in Wepre Wood.

Economy

Ewloe grew rapidly during the late 1990s and early 2000s and is now the home of the internet based Moneysupermarket.com and construction company Redrow. HSBC Bank along with many other firms including Unilever can be found in Ewloe, who now occupy what used to be the old Alyn & Deeside District Council Office.

The De Vere chain of hotels hosts the 'St David's Hotel' just off the A55 road network in Ewloe. The St David's Park housing estate was built in the 1990s and is known as being a prestigious estate popular with young professionals and families respectively. Increasing numbers of new property and the resulted increase to population in Ewloe has led to the opening of a new Co-Op supermarket, despite the original Co-Op on the Highway in Hawarden (less than a mile away) still being open.

References

External links

* [http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=53.188743,-3.05907&spn=0.009373,0.024161&t=h&z=16 Ewloe aerial view]
* [http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=53.184349,-3.059075&spn=0.001172,0.00302&t=h&z=19 Austen Close aerial view] (The satellite views above have been updated recently however they are still missing a few recent constructions in the area)