Sychdyn
Sychdyn, or Soughton, is a village in the community of Northop, in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated on the A5119 road, and is just over 1000 yards (1 km) north of the county town of Mold. Soughton (from Old English sog tun, "bog settlement") is the traditional name for the village in English, is still occasionally used and appears on road signs. However the cymricised form Sychdyn, recorded in c.1700 in Edward Lhuyd's Parochialia, has been the name used by Flintshire County Council since 1954, Northop Community Council, as well as by the BBC, local media (depending on publication usage is mixed), Ordnance Survey and the Welsh Language Commissioner. The spelling "Sychtyn" was also used earlier in the 20th century. In 1086, the village was listed in Domesday Book as a small settlement situated within the hundred of Ati's Cross and the county of Cheshire. However, it was back under Welsh control by the following century, and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd is on record as having visited in the late thirteenth century. Sychdyn, which is surrounded by farmland and undisturbed woodland, is today a commuter village with residents working in nearby Chester, Wrexham, Liverpool or Manchester. The village contains the 'Cross Keys Pub' public house, a convenience store, Bryn Seion Chapel (now sold and no longer a Chapel), horse riding school, and a primary school, Sychdyn County Primary. Soughton Hall is a large country mansion-turned-hotel situated on the northern outskirts of the village. Notable guests that have stayed here include Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson, King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Richard Burton. The 2022 film The Eternal Daughter, starring Tilda Swinton and directed by Joanna Hogg, was filmed entirely in and around Soughton Hall in October and November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower Soughton Hall is situated about 1 mile (1.5 km) to the north of Soughton Hall, and is currently owned by the footballer Michael Owen. Sychdyn Memorial Hall is the home to many different societies including the Youth Club and Red Dragon Lans. The hall can be hired out for special occasions. Sychdyn also has a bowling green, football pitch and all-weather pitch, which can be booked for games and matches. The bowling green is entered via a War Memorial Arch, which was erected to those who died serving in the First World War. Sychdyn Carnival takes place each year to raise funds to maintain and upkeep the village playground, this is held on the main playing field, where the Rose Queen is crowned after the carnival procession's annual parade through the village. Sychdyn has a football team which currently plays in the Clwyd League East Championship Division, playing their home games at The Rec in Mold. Former professional footballer Harry Beadles died at Sychdyn in retirement in 1958.
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Soughton
| |
|---|---|
 Sychdyn War Memorial | |
  Soughton Location within Flintshire | |
| OS grid reference | SJ240664 |
| Community | |
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MOLD |
| Postcode district | CH7 |
| Dialling code | 01352 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Sychdyn, or Soughton, is a village in the community of Northop, in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated on the A5119 road, and is just over 1000 yards (1 km) north of the county town of Mold.
Soughton (from Old English sog tun, "bog settlement")[2] is the traditional name for the village in English, is still occasionally used and appears on road signs. However the cymricised form Sychdyn, recorded in c.1700 in Edward Lhuyd's Parochialia,[2] has been the name used by Flintshire County Council[3] since 1954,[2] Northop Community Council,[4] as well as by the BBC,[5] local media (depending on publication usage is mixed),[6][7][8] Ordnance Survey[9] and the Welsh Language Commissioner.[10] The spelling "Sychtyn" was also used earlier in the 20th century.[11]
In 1086, the village was listed in Domesday Book as a small settlement situated within the hundred of Ati's Cross and the county of Cheshire.[12] However, it was back under Welsh control by the following century,[citation needed] and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd is on record as having visited in the late thirteenth century.
Sychdyn, which is surrounded by farmland and undisturbed woodland, is today a commuter village with residents working in nearby Chester, Wrexham, Liverpool or Manchester. The village contains the 'Cross Keys Pub' public house, a convenience store, Bryn Seion Chapel (now sold and no longer a Chapel), horse riding school, and a primary school, Sychdyn County Primary.
Soughton Hall is a large country mansion-turned-hotel situated on the northern outskirts of the village. Notable guests that have stayed here include Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson, King Juan Carlos I of Spain[13] and Richard Burton.[14] The 2022 film The Eternal Daughter, starring Tilda Swinton and directed by Joanna Hogg, was filmed entirely in and around Soughton Hall in October and November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower Soughton Hall is situated about 1 mile (1.5 km) to the north of Soughton Hall, and is currently owned by the footballer Michael Owen.
Sychdyn Memorial Hall is the home to many different societies including the Youth Club and Red Dragon Lans. The hall can be hired out for special occasions. Sychdyn also has a bowling green, football pitch and all-weather pitch, which can be booked for games and matches. The bowling green is entered via a War Memorial Arch, which was erected to those who died serving in the First World War.
Sychdyn Carnival takes place each year to raise funds to maintain and upkeep the village playground, this is held on the main playing field, where the Rose Queen is crowned after the carnival procession's annual parade through the village.
Sychdyn has a football team which currently plays in the Clwyd League East Championship Division, playing their home games at The Rec in Mold.
Former professional footballer Harry Beadles died at Sychdyn in retirement in 1958.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Location of Clwyd East". streetguide.co.uk. 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Wyn Owen, Hywel; Lloyd Gruffydd, Ken (1 July 2017). Place-Names of Flintshire. University of Wales Press. p. 181. ISBN 9781786831125.
- ^ "SYCHDYN - SETTLEMENT SERVICE AUDIT" (PDF). flintshire.gov.uk. Flintshire County Council. December 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Northop Community Council". www.northopcc.org.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Sychdyn News - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Memorial hall to run temporary post office for Sychdyn". The Leader. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Owen (17 November 2021). "Owners of Downton Abbey style Welsh mansion transform coach house and stables". North Wales Live. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Taste Test: Soughton Hall, Sychdyn". The Leader. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Sychdyn". data.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/. Ordnance Survey.
- ^ "Other resources: List of Standardised Welsh Place-names". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ Bennett, Sychtyn/Sychdyn/Soughton, Mold Civic Society
- ^ Soughton in the Domesday Book
- ^ Bevan, Nathan (4 November 2019). "The historic country house that's just been named the best wedding venue in Wales". Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ "History of Downton Abbey-style Soughton Hall revealed". Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ "George Harold Beadles". Penmon. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Sychdyn at Wikimedia Commons- Soughton War Memorial at FlintshireWarMemorials.com
