North Wales

North Wales is a beautiful region in the northern part of Wales. It is bordered by mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is very mountainous and rural, featuring Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, which are famous for their mountains, waterfalls, and walking trails.

People in North Wales often call themselves "Gogs," while people from South Wales are sometimes called "Hwntws." The region includes places like Wrexham, Deeside, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Flint, Bangor, Llandudno, and Holyhead. Wrexham is the largest city, and Bangor is Wales's oldest city. North Wales is known for its strong Welsh language, especially in the western and rural areas.

History

See also: Kingdom of Gwynedd and Kingdom of Powys

North Wales has a rich history. For much of the past, the area was called "Gwynedd", named after one of the last independent Welsh kingdoms, the Kingdom of Gwynedd. This helped create a strong sense of Welsh identity and more Welsh-language speakers, especially in North West Wales, compared to other parts of Wales.

The region played an important role in Welsh medieval history. From the 5th to the 13th centuries, it was ruled by the powerful Welsh kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys. These kingdoms called their rulers the "King(s) of the Britons". The rugged mountains of Snowdonia were very important and were the last place where Wales remained independent — until English forces under Edward I took control in 1283. Even today, this area is a strong center for the Welsh language and culture.

World Heritage & Biosphere Sites

North Wales is home to three of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales. These include the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, and the Edwardian castles and town walls of the region found at Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Conwy, and Harlech. The area also shares the only UNESCO Biosphere reserve in Wales, called Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere, with nearby areas.

Definition

North Wales is a region in the northern part of Wales. Its borders are not always agreed upon, but it usually includes six main areas: Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, and Wrexham. These areas have a total population of around 698,400 people.

North Wales shares borders with Ceredigion, Powys, and other parts of Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. Sometimes, the area called Montgomeryshire, which is now part of Powys, is also included in North Wales.

Geography

North Wales is a mostly quiet, rural place with lots of mountains and valleys. Because of its beautiful coastline along the Irish Sea, many people visit here for holidays, making tourism very important. Farming used to be the main job here, but it is less important now. The people here have the lowest average income in the UK.

The eastern part of North Wales has the most people, with over 300,000 living around Wrexham and Deeside. Wrexham, with 65,692 people in 2011, is the largest city in North Wales. The whole area of North Wales has a population of 696,300 (as of 2017). Many towns are found along the coast, such as popular holiday spots like Rhyl, Llandudno, Pwllheli, Prestatyn, and Tywyn. There are two cities with cathedrals: Bangor and St Asaph, along with several old castles like Criccieth, Dolbadarn, Dolwyddelan, Harlech, Caernarfon Castle, Beaumaris, and Conwy. North Wales covers about 6,172 square kilometres.

The highest mountain in Wales is Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), located in northwest Wales.

Transport

Roads

See also: Trunk roads in Wales

North Wales does not have any motorways, with the only motorways in Wales being present in South Wales, and nearest motorways (M53 and M56) being on the other side of the Wales-England border. There have been proposals to upgrade the A55 into a motorway or have more motorway-like features. Trunk roads in the region are maintained by the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent (NMWTRA).

The main roads spanning across North Wales, mostly span east to west, especially along the North Wales coast. This is mainly due to the mountainous terrain in the middle of Wales, leading most north-south connections to be slower, leading to diversions onto north-south roads in England. The emphasis on east-west roadways has led to North Wales having closer connections with North West England (centred on Liverpool and Manchester) rather than with South Wales.

The busiest road in North Wales is the A55, the "North Wales Expressway", a dual carriageway primary road connecting Chester to Holyhead, along the North Wales coast and passing Deeside, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, and Bangor. It is described as the economic lifeline for North Wales, and the second most important road in all of Wales, only to the M4 in South Wales. The road connects all the way to the Port of Holyhead following an extension in 2001, which provides ferry connections to the Republic of Ireland. The majority of the road is part of the E-road network as E22 (until Ewloe, where it goes along the A494 into England), and is a dual carriageway, grade-separated, for its entire 88-mile length.

A historically important road in the region is the A5, a major road that was the primary link between the region and London (as the "London-Holyhead Trunk Road"). The road crosses the Menai Suspension Bridge and is regarded as a more scenic route, with its historical importance as a connection between London and the Port of Holyhead, superseded by the A55. Other roads transiting North Wales, from east to west include the A458 from Halesowen to Mallwyd, and the A494 from Dolgellau to Saughall (originally to Birkenhead).

The busiest north-south road travelling through the region is the A483 from Chester (originally from Manchester) through Wrexham and into England near Oswestry, before re-entering Montgomeryshire and passing Welshpool and Newtown, before continuing onto Swansea. Other major north-south roads include the single-carriageways of the A470 from Llandudno to Cardiff via the Conwy valley, and the A487 from Bangor to Haverfordwest via Caernarfon and Snowdonia.

Sea

Main article: Port of Holyhead

The Port of Holyhead, on the isle of Anglesey, is the main commercial and ferry port in North Wales. The port had the third-largest volume of freight traffic, in Wales, in 2018 (5.2 million tonnes), after Milford Haven and Port Talbot, and it is the main port for freight and sea passenger transport with the Republic of Ireland, handling more than 2 million passengers each year. 81% of freight traffic going through Welsh ports to the Republic of Ireland, and 75.5% of sea passenger traffic between Wales and the Republic of Ireland went through Holyhead in 2018. Historically, there were two routes between Holyhead and the Irish ports of Dublin and Dun Laoghaire. The route to Dun Laoghaire was the most popular in 1998 with over 1.7 million passengers ferried, however following a consistent decline in passenger traffic, it was removed in 2015. The other route to Dublin saw an overall increase in passenger numbers from just over 1 million in 1998 to just over 1.9 million in 2018, an increase of 82%.

A Mostyn-Dublin ferry service once existed, on the now Liverpool-Dublin route, attracting a peak of 48,000 passengers in 2003, before being discontinued in 2004.

Rail

The public rail network of the region is largely split into two sections. These sections are centred around the two main west-east railway lines transversing the region, as there are currently no north-south railway lines wholly in the region. This is largely due to the mountainous regions of Snowdonia resting between the two lines, and low passenger numbers of north-south lines leading to their closure. The public rail network is managed and maintained by Network Rail. Historically, the region had a more extensive rail network with more interconnectivity of the current lines and more connections to the south. However, due to falling passenger numbers, the emergence of automobiles and other factors, the region's railways came under review, resulting in the Beeching cuts to the network. Many former rail corridors of the once more extensive network were superseded by road infrastructure. The numerous heritage railways scattered across the region serve as a reminder of the former railways across the region.

The majority of lines operated in Wales are part of the Wales & Borders franchise, the current operator is Transport for Wales Rail, a Welsh-Government owned company, although some services (from Holyhead and Wrexham) are operated by the West Coast Partnership operator, Avanti West Coast on services using the West Coast Main Line to London Euston.

According to StatsWales, the number of rail journeys across the 6 principal areas of North Wales, made in 2017-18 was 1.4 million, an increase of 20,525 from 2007-8. The largest share of these rail journeys, at 38.4%, was within the boundaries of Gwynedd. Conwy was the principal area which saw the greatest increase in rail journeys as a percentage of journeys over the ten-year period, at 22.5%. The least amount of rail journeys in 2018-19 was in Anglesey.

As of 2025, there as 66 rail stations within the boundaries of the 6 northern principal areas, of which 2 are among the 20 busiest stations in Wales, Rhyl, and Bangor. 41 of the rail stations are stations of the North Wales lines, whereas the remaining 25 are stations of the Mid Wales lines, specifically the Cambrian Line. There is a total of 5 rail routes in North Wales: the North Wales Coast Line, the Shrewsbury—Chester Line, the Conwy Valley Line, the Borderlands Line (all part of the North Wales lines) and the Cambrian Line. All 5 routes together in 2023-24 had approximately 5,657,746 entries and exits through the 66 stations.

The North Wales Coast Line, the main rail line serving the north Wales coast, and connecting with Irish Ferries and Stena Line ferry services to Dublin Port in the Republic of Ireland. The Conwy Valley Line branches off at Llandudno Junction, heading north to Llandudno and south to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The Shrewsbury—Chester line, connects Chester and Shrewsbury via Wrexham, providing the main north Wales and south Wales connection. A former open-access operator Wrexham & Shropshire, used to provide a Wrexham General—London Marylebone service until 2011. The Borderlands Line, intersects the Shrewsbury—Chester line at Wrexham General, branching south to Wrexham Central (where it terminates), and north to Bidston (Birkenhead), and the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton. Bidston connects to the Wirral line, providing Merseyrail services, west to West Kirby, and east to Liverpool Central. The Cambrian Line forms the other west-east line in the region (as the Mid-Wales line), it connects Shrewsbury, westwards with Mid Wales and towns along Cardigan Bay. The line is commonly split into two sections, the section from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth is sometimes referred to as the Cambrian Main Line, with the Cambrian Coast Line, splitting off from this line at Dovey Junction, heading northwest to Pwllheli. The Welsh Marches Line connects Crewe to Newport, via Shrewsbury, with services from Holyhead usually continuing to Cardiff Central. It forms part of the North Wales South Wales service, along with the Shrewsbury—Chester, North Wales Coast Line, and South Wales Main Line. These lines form the main rail connection between North Wales and South Wales.

Chester provides the main travel connections for the North Wales Coast, as a major transport hub. As part of the North Wales Metro, from Chester (and Wrexham General at limited times), via the Halton Curve, direct trains run to Liverpool Lime Street, linking to the Merseyrail. Services to Manchester Piccadilly from Chester, via the Chester—Manchester line for Transport for Wales services, and the Mid—Cheshire line for Northern services, in addition to the Northern service to Leeds, provide North Wales's connections to Northern England. Shrewsbury provides the main travel connections for passengers from the Cambrian Line (and those commuting south from other North Wales stations), providing services, in addition to those to South Wales, through England to Crewe, Birmingham International, and Birmingham New Street, and via the Heart of Wales line, services to Llanelli.

Heritage and narrow gauge railway lines

There are numerous heritage railways in the region. Most of them are narrow-gauge. Several run on sections of historically longer lines. Heritage railways employ more than 300 people and generate over £50 million per year for the North Wales economy.

The heritage railways in the region are:

Several of these lines connect to the Cambrian Line. Stations where the heritage railway uses the same station as Network Rail. At Fairbourne, the Fairbourne Railway connects to Barmouth Ferry and the Ffestiniog Railway connects at Minffordd. The Talyllyn Railway's Tywyn Wharf station is a short walk from Tywyn station on the Cambrian Line, while Welshpool on the Cambrian Line is across town from Raven Square on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway.

Future developments

Many rail and bus lines of the region are part of an improvement project called the North Wales Metro or North East Wales Metro, which proposes improvements to the existing lines (specifically the Borderlands lines), improved connectivity between rail and other modes of transport, and more connections to North West England.

For the Gobowen to Oswestry line, Cambrian Heritage Railways, the line's operator, is working on reopening the line (multiple sections of line), and the Anglesey Central Railway is also proposed to be restored.

Tramways

In Llandudno, the Great Orme Tramway links to the Great Orme. It is the only remaining cable-operated street tramway in Great Britain, and one of only a few surviving in the world.

Geology

See also: Geology of Wales and Geology of Snowdonia National Park

North Wales has many different types of rocks and minerals. Near the Menai Strait, there are very old rocks called schists that formed before any continents existed. In the area behind Harlech and much of western Snowdonia, there is a big dome of rocks from the Cambrian time. During the Ordovician period, volcanoes helped create many minerals and rocks in the northwest of Gwynedd. To the east of the River Conwy, you can find rolling hills made from Silurian mudstones and grits, which cover the Denbigh and Migneint Moors. Around Llangollen, Halkyn Mountain, the Great Orme, and eastern Anglesey, there are layers of limestone. People have mined metals from these areas since long before the Romans arrived. Places like Parys Mountain and unusual minerals such as Jasper and Mona Marble make this area very interesting for geologists.

Demographics

People from North Wales may be called North Welsh, North Walian, or informally "Gogs" from the Welsh word for North, "Gogledd". Many people see themselves simply as Welsh, and some also identify as British. Communities near the border with England and along the northern coast might also call themselves English because many people there have English ancestry.

In 2018, North Wales had about 698,400 people. The area has an even spread of people across its six main local areas. Flintshire was the most crowded place, with around 155,600 people, while the Isle of Anglesey had the fewest, with about 70,000 people. The whole region has become a bit more crowded over time, growing by 2.3% between 2008 and 2018. There are also fewer young people and more older people compared to before.

The largest town in North Wales is Wrexham, with over 65,000 people living there. North Wales does not have any very big cities with more than 100,000 people, which makes it different from other parts of Wales.

North Wales has its own special way of speaking Welsh, different from other areas. For example, they say llefrith for "milk" instead of llaeth. Schools where students learn in Welsh exist all over North Wales, from primary to secondary levels. According to a survey in 2011, about 204,406 people aged three and older could speak Welsh in North Wales. Gwynedd had the highest number of Welsh speakers, with 75.6% of people speaking the language, while Flintshire had the lowest at just 22.5%. Overall, North Wales has the most Welsh speakers among the four main areas of Wales.

Education

North Wales has two universities: Bangor University and Wrexham Glyndwr University. In 2018-19, there were 17,500 students taking higher education courses in North Wales, which is 13.2% of all students in Wales. Most of these students, about 58.3%, were at Bangor University.

Further education in Wales is offered by colleges, which can be sixth form colleges, further education colleges, or sixth forms within secondary schools. In North Wales, the main further education colleges are Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Coleg Cambria. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai serves students from the Isle of Anglesey, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, and Gwynedd. Coleg Cambria serves students from Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Wrexham County Borough. Not all secondary schools in North Wales have sixth forms, so some students attend further education colleges for their sixth form studies.

Grŵp Colegau NPTC Group of Colleges, formed from the merger of Neath Port Talbot College and Coleg Powys, is the main further education college for Powys and has a campus in Newtown.

Health

Healthcare service

Main article: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

All six counties in North Wales are served by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. This is the biggest health service group in Wales, looking after everyone’s health needs. It was created by joining several smaller health groups together.

North Wales has three big hospitals: Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, and Wrexham Maelor Hospital in Wrexham. These hospitals are the main places for health care in the west, middle, and east parts of North Wales. There are also many smaller hospitals and health centres. Sometimes, people need special treatments that are only available in big hospitals in England, like Countess of Chester, Royal Liverpool University, and Royal Shrewsbury.

Politics

Main article: United Kingdom general election results in North Wales

North Wales is made up of six main areas called principal council areas. These are Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham. Each of these areas is managed by its own local council, which handles most local government tasks. In February 2021, these six councils started working together as the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee to help with regional planning and transportation.

Economy

North Wales has a jobless rate of 3.9% for people aged 16 and over. About 75.9% of people aged 16 to 64 have jobs, while 17.9% are not working for other reasons besides being students.

North Wales Growth Deal

Main article: Ambition North Wales

See also: Regional economy in Wales § North Wales Growth Deal

In 2016, the UK Government asked North Wales to create a plan to grow its economy. This plan, called the Growth Deal, aimed to create many new jobs, improve roads and communication, focus on clean energy, and help tourism. Leaders from universities, colleges, and businesses worked together on this plan. In 2018, the UK Government agreed to give £120 million to support this plan. Later, the Welsh Government said they would match this money and add more if needed. In 2019, leaders from both governments signed an agreement to start the North Wales Growth Deal.

Local media

Local newspapers

North Wales has two daily newspapers. The "North Wales edition" of the Daily Post is delivered from Monday to Saturday. The Leader publishes two editions for Wrexham and Flintshire and is based in Mold.

There are also nine weekly newspapers that share local and community news.

Online

Several websites share local news online. BaeColwyn.com covers Colwyn Bay, and AbergelePost.com serves Abergele. Wrexham.com shares news for Wrexham, and Deeside.com began in 2013 to cover areas like Connah's Quay and Shotton. North.Wales started in March 2020.

Radio

BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru cover the area from Bangor and Wrexham. Commercial stations include Capital North West and Wales, Capital Cymru, and Heart North Wales. Community stations like Tudno FM and Môn FM also broadcast.

Television

BBC and ITV provide news for North Wales through programmes like Wales Today and ITV News Cymru Wales. BBC Cymru Wales has studios in Bangor, and S4C has an office in Caernarfon.

Sport

Football

Wrexham A.F.C. plays in the English football league system. After spending over 80 years in the Football League, they moved down to the Conference National in 2008 and now compete in the EFL Championship. Their home games are held at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. In November 2020, Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought the club.

Other teams like Connah's Quay Nomads F.C. and Bangor City F.C. have taken part in UEFA competitions, competing in the Cymru Premier and Cymru North leagues.

Because North Wales is close to the North West of England, many people there support English clubs such as Liverpool F.C., Everton F.C., and Manchester United F.C.

Rugby League

Wales had a team in the Super League called the Crusaders RL. They moved to Wrexham from South Wales in 2010 and played at the Racecourse Ground. The team stopped playing in 2011 and was replaced by North Wales Crusaders in League 1.

North Wales also has its own amateur league called the North Wales Championship, which is part of the British rugby league system.

Rugby Union

In September 2008, the Welsh Rugby Union announced plans to create a development team in North Wales. The goal was to help grow the sport in the area and give more players a chance to join the Welsh national team. The team was named RGC 1404.