Holywell tourist information & travel guide
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Holywell tourist guide
If you're looking for a day out in a rather quintessential Welsh town, then Holywell could be the place to visit. This small and picturesque town takes its name from the well of St. Winefride which has been visited by pilgrims wanting to be cured by the holy water since as far back as the 7th Century. The ruins of Basingwerk Abbey are nearby. It's the ideal town to spend the day enjoying superb country walks and great local food.
It has always been a noted Welsh 'gateway', all the way back to Roman times, and is known not only for its religious heritage, but also for its position as a prime milling and mining centre back in the 18th Century.
There are several Iron Age hill forts near the town, in particular the ruins of Caer Estyn, Penycloddiau and Moel Arthur.
Historical Hawarden has not one, but two castles, whose past owners are as famous as they were diverse. One was built by King Edward 1, while the other was the home of four-times British Prime Minister, William Gladstone. St Deiniol's Library in the town, founded by Gladstone, is certainly well worth a visit, and is said to be possibly the finest residential library in the UK. Not far from Hawarden is the delightful town of Caerwys, claimed by many to be the smallest in the UK to have a Royal Charter.
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