Chirk Part 1 of 2 - PDF format 2.8Mb - Wrexham County Borough ...

The landscaping elements are very important tothe character of the Conservation Area. There is asignificant amount of limes, some poplars andhorse chestnuts. Tree avenues are very distinctiveto Chirk and soften the linear street pattern, addingdiversity to the streetscape.The public realm could be enhanced. Numerousand substantial highway signage is a particularproblem, particularly at road junctions, due to thenecessity of bilingual signage and highwaystandards. Poor quality paving undertaken by theprevious local authority has failed to take account ofbuildings or the wider streetscape, and the scale ofstreet lighting does not sit comfortably within thestreet. The latter is a legacy from the A5, before theby-pass was built in the mid 1980's. The trees inChurch Street are horse chestnuts which are notindigenous to the area, and their impact has beencompromised by poor tree management in the past.However, since local government re-organisation in1996, Wrexham County Borough Council hasendeavoured to enhance the public realm inConservation Areas when funds have becomeavailable. In 2001, due to funding under the WDA'sSmall Towns and Villages Initiative (STVI), ChurchStreet will be enhanced by using more appropriatepaving materials and creating a better treescape.Despite the wealth of mining and quarrying that hastaken place in Chirk and the Ceiriog Valley, it doesnot have the historic, neglected and sometimesgrimy industrial character that has occurred in otherareas of Wrexham Borough. It is also quite distinctfrom the flat plains of the Maelor in relation totopography, farming practices and ancient manorialsystems. The essence of the character is principallyof a Welsh, rural estate town, important as a bordertown to Wales from England and from the ruralWelsh hinterland to urban Wrexham.The Royal Oak,planted by KingGeorge VIin 193714Little new development has taken place in theConservation Area, but inappropriate materialshave weakened design where it has occurred.Horse Chestnuts at Church Street, 1905