RHYL

For those who enjoy watching archive footage there is an extensive clip on the British Pathe website of a piece called 'Rhyl Holiday Story' made in 1947.  The reporter is shown mingling with the crowds strolling along the Promenade attempting to collar members of the public without much success.  The film has all the traditional trappings of the British seaside holiday: Punch and Judy, a fortune teller, people boarding a pleasure steamer.  By the time of the making of this film, Rhyl had been a popular resort for over 100 years.  Already in the 1830s it was a fashionable watering place frequented by the titled classes.  The arrival of the railway a few years later provided a further boost.  Sadly, the resort had gone into a decline by the 1990s, but there is a regeneration project which is attempting to reverse this. 

Nowadays Rhyl is marketed as the more vibrant half of the Rhyl and Prestatyn duo of resorts.  The attractions on offer are very much with the family in mind, including the SeaQuarium with its sharks, rays and conger eels, the Sun Centre indoor tropical water park and the Drift Park with a variety of activities.  The Rhyl Miniature Railway, with vintage steam engines hauling passengers around the Marine Lake, celebrated its 100th birthday in 2011.  The Pavilion Theatre hosts shows with some big names such as Nigel Kennedy and Chris Packham.  The resort used to have a funfair called the Ocean Beach Funfair, but his has now gone and is being replaced by the Ocean Plaza development with shopping, restaurants and accommodation.

For a list of events in Rhyl and Prestatyn, follow this link.

Map of the area. 

The sea front at Rhyl - geograph.org.uk - 1571576. Photo by Eirian Evans, via Wikimedia Commons.

PRESTATYN

Prestatyn is the first proper 'resort' moving along the North Wales coast from the border.  Prestatyn's origins stretch back to prehistoric times, and the Romans also set up home here.  Prestatyn lay on a route linking Chester and Caernarfon, and a fort is believed to have been built here, although the only trace of this now are the ruins of a Roman bathhouse on the outskirts of the town.  The town became popular as a resort after the arrival of the railway, and by the end of the 1930s a holiday camp had been established there.  This was commandeered during the war for use as a billet for servicemen, who also stayed in the houses of many of the locals. 

Prestatyn's popularity has no doubt been helped along by the extensive trio of sandy beaches with their dunes on either side of the town: Ffrith Beach, Central Beach and Barkby Beach.  Barkby Beach is home to the Prestatyn Sailing Club, so swimmers need to be aware of the boats using the slipway.  Ffrith Beach offers family fun at the Ffrith Beach Festival Gardens.  The 4-mile promenade joining the three beaches has been incorporated into the National Cycle Network.  Views from the promenade take in an impressive vista from Snowdonia in the west to the Wirral in the east, and on clear days the Isle of Man and the mountains of Cumbria can be made out on the horizon.  Prestatyn is the northern terminus of the magnificent Offa's Dyke Path, a long-distance trail which roughly follows the border between England and Wales, finishing up in Chepstow.  The recently completed Wales Coast Path also passes through here, so walkers are spoilt for choice.  Other popular activities include pitch and putt at Barkby Beach, while for more serious golfers there is the Prestatyn Championship Golf Course.  The Nova Centre offers swimming, and there is 10-pin bowling and indoor bowls, and the Prestatyn Circuit for car racing enthusiasts.

The big event of the year is the Prestatyn Carnival, held in July. For a list of other events in Prestatyn and neighbouring Rhyl follow this link.

Map of the area.

On the Offa's Dyke Path near Prestatyn Hillside - geograph.org.uk - 541328. Photo by Mike Harris, via Wikimedia Commons.