Gresford

The village of Gresford in Wrexham, Wales lies near the border with England; a location that has put it under the rule of both Wales and England at times in its history and many battles have been fought here for dominance. In the late 12^th century, Gresford and the surrounding area were resettled by Welsh aligned to Owain Gwynedd; although it is thought that the area has been settled since Roman times. A Roman alter was discovered in the church in 1908 along with a Roman coin hoard nearby.  Sadly is is the tragic deaths of 266 miners at the former Gresford Colliery that Gresford is most often remembered for. The Gresford disaster, one of Britain's worst coal mining disasters, was the result of an underground explosion on 22^nd September 1934. The bodies of the miners were never recovered though their lives are honoured still; the headgear wheel forms part of the Gresford Disaster Memorial, along with a plaque.

Gresford offers some amenities and is within easy reach of other towns and villages with additional choices for shopping, dining and leisure. Many visitors come to Gresford when visiting the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’, as the bells of the vast All Saints' Church here are listed as one of the seven wonders. The church bells are noted not only for the peal of the bells but also for the purity of their tone. The church itself is also an outstanding piece of architecture, with superb interior church monuments and a wonderful churchyard with yew trees; some of which date back to as early as 500. Built in 1492, All Saints’ is constructed in the distinctive stone that is typical of the Wrexham area; a sandy brown Millstone Grit, locally referred to as "Cefn" stone.