Saturday 30 January 2010

CLWYD STREET SCHOOL # 1

The picture above (TOP) is from the collection of Rhyl Library. It shows Clwyd Street National School which was Rhyl’s first school. It opened in 1842 having been built at a cost of £200 – a not inconsiderable sum at the time. The school was the brainchild of the Vicar of Rhuddlan Rev. Thomas Wynne Edwards. The name National School denotes a school run by Anglican Protestant church.

Clwyd Street National School was built close to the chapel Holy Trinity which had been consecrated in 1836 and was destined to become the first parish church of Rhyl. (St. Thomas’ was still in the future.) The school after enlargement in 1872 was in three parts: mixed infants, boys’ primary and girls’ primary; eventually the primary part became mixed too.

The colour photograph was taken a few days ago by Yours Truly showing the school site, a corner of Clwyd Street and Paradise Street, as it is today: Trinity Court, a block of flats owned by Wales & West Housing Association.

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