History of Wrexham in Timeline

Wrexham is a city located in north-east Wales, near the English border. Historically part of Denbighshire, it became the administrative center of Wrexham County Borough in 1996. As of the 2021 census, the city's built-up area had a population of approximately 44,785, while the broader county borough encompassed 135,117 residents. Wrexham officially gained city status in 2022.

1902: Completion of Poyser Street drill hall

The Poyser Street drill hall was completed in 1902.

1904: Talbot Hotel built

The half-timbered Talbot Hotel building was built in 1904.

1912: National Eisteddfod of Wales

In 1912, T.H. Parry-Williams won both the Chair and the Crown at the National Eisteddfod of Wales held in Wrexham.

1912: Wrexham General Rebuilt

Wrexham General was rebuilt in 1912.

1913: Coalfield production in 1913

By 1913, the North East Wales coal field was producing up to 3 million tonnes a year.

1931: Formation of the North Wales Rugby Union

In 1931, nine northern Welsh clubs met at Wrexham to form the North Wales Rugby Union, with Wrexham RFC as one of the founding members.

1933: National Eisteddfod held

Wrexham hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1933.

1934: Gresford Colliery Disaster

In 1934, one of the worst mining disasters in British history occurred at Gresford Colliery, costing the lives of 266 men.

1935: Borough Enlargement

In 1935, the borough was enlarged to take in parts of several neighbouring parishes.

February 1940: Demolition of Wrexham Town Hall

In February 1940, Wrexham Town Hall was demolished to improve traffic flows.

1946: Collieries operating in 1946

In 1946, there were seven large-scale collieries operating in the Wrexham area.

1950: Establishment of Yale College

In 1950, Yale College was founded as a state school on a site at Crispin Lane.

1958: Construction of Darland High School and Ysgol Bryn Alyn

In 1958, Darland High School and Ysgol Bryn Alyn, two large secondary schools in Wrexham, were built.

1960: Demolition of St. Mark's Church

In 1960, St. Mark's Church in Wrexham was demolished after being declared unsafe. A multi-storey car park named St. Mark's was erected on the site.

1968: Functional collieries in 1968

By 1968, only two functional collieries remained in the Wrexham area.

March 1970: First Twinning Established

On March 17, 1970, the first twinning was established between the former Kreis Iserlohn and Wrexham Rural District.

1970: Canonization of Saint Richard Gwyn

In 1970, Richard Gwyn, Wrexham's patron saint, who was a Roman Catholic martyr in the 16th century, was canonized by Pope Paul VI.

1971: Wrexham Methodist Church Built

In 1971, the main Methodist church in Wrexham, Wrexham Methodist church, was built on the site of the former Brynyfynnon Chapel on Regent Street.

1973: Police station location from 1973

From 1973, the local police was housed in the high-rise Wrexham Police Station.

1973: Yale Sixth Form College Renamed and Relocation

In 1973, Yale College was renamed Yale Sixth Form College as part of the conversion of local schools to the comprehensive system. The pupils were relocated to other schools, and the Crispin Lane site was incorporated into NEWI.

1974: Wrexham becomes part of Clwyd

In 1974, Wrexham, historically in Denbighshire, became part of the new county of Clwyd.

1974: Abolishment of the borough

In 1974, the borough of Wrexham was abolished, becoming part of the larger Wrexham Maelor district of Clwyd.

1977: National Eisteddfod held

Wrexham hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1977.

1982: Motörhead

In 2016 the Racecourse Ground re-introduced live music to its summer schedule, the Welsh band Stereophonics were the first musicians to play a live show since the festival with Motörhead in 1982.

1985: Community Subdivisions

In 1985, the area of the pre-1974 borough became a community, but was subdivided into smaller communities.

1986: Closure of Bersham Colliery

The last pit to close in the Borough was Bersham Colliery in 1986.

1987: Roman Catholic Province of Wales Reconstructed

In 1987, the Roman Catholic province of Wales was reconstructed, since which time the Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows in Wrexham became home to the Bishop of Wrexham.

1991: FAW Headquarters Relocation

In 1991, the Football Association of Wales relocated its headquarters from Wrexham to Cardiff, having been based in Wrexham since its formation in 1876.

1996: Wrexham becomes administrative centre

In 1996, Wrexham became the principal settlement and administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough.

1996: Local government reorganisation

In 1996, local government was reorganised again, creating the modern county borough of Wrexham.

1996: Twinning Taken Over by Wrexham County Borough Council

In 1996, the twinning arrangement between Märkischer Kreis and Wrexham Maelor Borough Council was taken over by Wrexham County Borough Council.

1997: Wrexham General Rebuilt Again

Wrexham General was rebuilt again in 1997.

1998: Yale College Occupies Two Sites in Wrexham

In 1998, Yale College established operations at two sites across Wrexham: the faculty of engineering and construction on Bersham Road, and a multi-purpose site at a redeveloped Grove Park campus.

1998: Wrexham Central Station Relocation

Until the 1998 construction of the Island Green retail park, Wrexham Central station was located 50 metres further along the track.

1999: Central Station opened

Central Station opened in 1999.

June 2000: Bellevue Park Reopening

In June 2000, Bellevue Park reopened after a major restoration project to return it to its original state after a period of neglect in the 1970s.

2000: Unsuccessful bid for city status

Wrexham unsuccessfully bid for city status in 2000.

2001: Märkischer Kreis Entered Twinning Arrangement with Racibórz

In 2001, Märkischer Kreis entered a twinning arrangement with Racibórz, a county in Poland.

September 2002: Racibórz Delegation Visited Wrexham

In September 2002, a delegation from Racibórz (Ratibor) visited Wrexham and began discussions about possible cooperation.

2002: Unsuccessful bid for city status

Wrexham unsuccessfully bid for city status in 2002.

2003: Secondary Schools Merged

In 2003, three of Wrexham's largest secondary schools, St David's School, Ysgol Bryn Offa and The Groves High School, were merged to create two larger "super schools", Rhosnesni High School, and Ysgol Clywedog.

March 2004: Twinning of Wrexham and Racibórz

In March 2004, Articles of Twinning were signed between Wrexham and Racibórz.

2004: Wrexham Symphony Orchestra residence

The Wrexham Symphony Orchestra has been the orchestra in residence at William Aston Hall since 2004.

2005: Welsh Children in Need Concert at Llwyn Isaf

In 2005, Llwyn Isaf hosted the Welsh Children in Need concert, featuring performances by Bryan Adams and Katherine Jenkins.

2007: Business start-up success

In 2007, Wrexham was ranked fifth in the UK for business start-up success.

March 2008: BBC Cymru Wales studio at Glyndŵr University & Calon FM Base

In March 2008, BBC Cymru Wales established a studio and newsroom for radio, television, and online services at Glyndŵr University. Additionally, Calon FM, a community radio station, began broadcasting from the university at this time.

April 2008: Wrexham & Shropshire Services Started

In April 2008, Wrexham & Shropshire began running passenger train services from Wrexham via Shropshire to London Marylebone.

2008: National Trust land development protests

In 2008, a motion at the National Trust's AGM to block the development of National Trust land at Erddig for over 250 homes gained much support but was overturned by proxy votes.

2008: North East Wales Institute Granted University Status

In 2008, the North East Wales Institute (NEWI) was granted full university status and became Wrexham University.

2010: FOCUS Wales Festival Began

FOCUS Wales is a festival that began in 2010.

January 2011: Wrexham & Shropshire Services Ended

In January 2011, Wrexham & Shropshire ended its passenger train services, having decided they could not make the business profitable.

2011: Census data on Welsh speakers

According to the 2011 census, the average percentage of Welsh speakers (aged 3+) in Wrexham County Borough was 12.9%.

2011: Wrexham built-up area in 2011

For the 2011 census, the ONS identified a wider Wrexham built-up area with a population of 65,692, which comprised three built up area subdivisions called Wrexham (population 61,603), Rhostyllen (2,766) and Bradley (1,323).

2011: Creation of North Wales Crusaders

In 2011, North Wales Crusaders were created following the folding of the Super League club Crusaders RL.

2011: National Eisteddfod held

The National Eisteddfod returned to the area in 2011, held on the land of Lower Berse Farm between 30 July and 6 August.

2012: Wrexham.com Launch

In 2012, Wrexham.com, an online news website covering the Wrexham area, began operating from offices in Regent Street in the city centre.

2012: Unsuccessful bid for city status

Wrexham unsuccessfully bid for city status in 2012.

August 2013: Coleg Cambria Formation

In August 2013, Yale College merged with Deeside College, Northop College, and Llysfasi College to form a new college named Coleg Cambria.

January 2015: Portuguese migrants in Wrexham

In January 2015, it was estimated more than 2,000 Portuguese migrants live and work in Wrexham.

2015: Bellevue Park Centenary Field Dedication

In 2015, Belle Vue Park was dedicated as a Fields in Trust Centenary Field due to its connection with veterans of two world wars.

2015: Discovery of King James Bible at St. Giles

In 2015, a first edition (1611) of the King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, was discovered in a cabinet by the Vicar of the parish at St. Giles church.

February 2016: Prison named HM Prison Berwyn

In February 2016, the new prison being built on the former Firestone Site was named HM Prison Berwyn.

2016: Return of live music

In 2016 the Racecourse Ground re-introduced live music to its summer schedule, the Welsh band Stereophonics were the first musicians to play a live show since the festival with Motörhead in 1982.

2016: North Wales Crusaders Depart the Racecourse

Until the end of 2016, the Racecourse stadium was home to the North Wales Crusaders, who currently play in League 1.

March 2017: HM Prison Berwyn opened

HM Prison Berwyn, a 2,100 capacity Category C male prison, opened in March 2017.

2017: Live music from UB 40 and Olly Murs

After the success of Stereophonics with special guests Catfish and the Bottlemen came 2017 with live music from UB 40 and Olly Murs.

2017: Plans for New Railway Stations

In 2017, there were plans for two new railway stations to be named after but located outside of Wrexham: Wrexham North and Wrexham South.

2017: Tŷ Pawb name selected

The name Tŷ Pawb was selected by public vote in 2017.

June 2018: Stereophonics returned to the Racecourse Ground

In June 2018 the Stereophonics returned to the Racecourse Ground alongside special guest Jake Bugg.

2018: Banking license acquisition

Chetwood Financial, a fintech lender, acquired a full banking licence in 2018.

February 2019: Central Station Closure

Central Station, rebranded as Live Rooms Wrexham, closed on 9 February 2019.

2019: Wrexham Police Station closing

In 2019, the local police was housed in the high-rise Wrexham Police Station until this year.

2019: Police station location until 2019

The police were formerly based at the Wrexham Police Station until 2019.

2019: Venice Biennale

Tŷ Pawb was the lead organisation for Wales in the Venice Biennale 2019.

November 2020: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney take over Wrexham A.F.C.

In November 2020, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, through the RR McReynolds Company LLC, were confirmed to be taking over Wrexham A.F.C. after receiving the backing of the Wrexham Supporters Trust.

2020: Coleg Cambria Redevelopment

In 2020, one of Coleg Cambria's Yale Grove Park Campus in Wrexham city centre began undergoing redevelopment with a cost of £20 million; the new Hafod building is described as a "commercial village".

2020: Demolition of Wrexham Police Station

The building of Wrexham Police Station was demolished in 2020.

January 2021: Calon FM Broadcasting Change

In January 2021, Calon FM, a community radio station, ceased broadcasting from Glyndŵr University and relocated to the Wrexham Enterprise Hub.

2021: UK City of Culture bid

In 2021, Wrexham County Borough's bid made it to the final four bids of twenty for the title of UK City of Culture in 2025.

2021: North Wales Crusaders Move to Colwyn Bay

In 2021, the North Wales Crusaders moved to Colwyn Bay after previously moving to the Queensway Stadium in Caia Park.

2021: Wrexham area population in 2021

In 2021, the built-up area of Wrexham had a population of 44,785, and the wider county borough had a population of 135,117.

2021: Wrexham built up area census

The Wrexham built up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the 2021 census had a population of 44,785.

May 2022: UK City of Culture bid lost

In May 2022, Wrexham lost its bid to Bradford for the title of UK City of Culture in 2025.

September 2022: City status confirmed in September 2022

Wrexham's city status was confirmed by letters patent dated 1 September 2022.

2022: Venue Re-opening

Central Station venue re-opened in 2022 as The Rockin' Chair.

2022: Wrexham awarded city status in 2022

Wrexham was awarded city status in 2022.

May 2023: Kings of Leon headlined shows

In May 2023, Kings of Leon headlined shows at the Racecourse Ground.

October 2023: Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Park Announced

On 23 October 2023, the creation of a Ryan Rodney Reynolds memorial park was officially announced. It is expected to consist of play facilities, tables and chairs, artworks, street food and a community cinema.

2024: Coleg Cambria Health and Wellbeing Complex Expected

A health and wellbeing complex at Coleg Cambria is expected to be built by summer 2024 at a cost of £14 million.

2024: Wrexham University EEOC Construction Expected

Wrexham University's Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) funding is now in place with Wynne Construction expected to start on the Plas Coch campus in 2024.

2025: UK City of Culture 2025

In 2021, Wrexham County Borough's bid made it to the final four bids of twenty for the title of UK City of Culture in 2025. It later lost to Bradford in May 2022.