Talk:Moss Valley, Wrexham

I will upload some pictures soon when I manage to get my Bluetooth adaptor for my phone. Ive got some of the boating lake, the car park, playground and boat house. There aren't many online refs, but I'll find some more in the coming weeks Marbles333 17:46, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

My Nana & Taid (Peter & Elizabeth Hughes) lived in the moss,they owned the garage and the local shop attached to their house,I wonder if anyone out there remembers them or us,we were the grandchildren,and children (Martin,Alyn,& Barbara) of Irene Hughes (married to Glyn Parry from Tan-y-fron) in december 1944? I can be contacted on alynparry@hotmail.com

Ellesmere Canal link

I remember reading once that the lakes here were the intended feeding system for the originally planned Ellesmere Canal (from Pontcysyllte to Chester via Wrexham). Can anyone verify this? Born Acorn 18:05, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

That's the information I have, both from various websites, and Thomas Telford's autobiography. I don't know if it's the same lake as exists today, but will endeavour to find out. Hmallett (talk) 11:07, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

If its of any relevance, the two current lakes were created in the 1970's following the closure of the mining collieries in the valley in 1925, and the area was re-generated towards recreation. As far as I knew, the lakes did not exist before 1973, although the stream definitely ran through the length of the valley. Both the North and South lakes are dammed at the bottom end by concrete constructions and sluice gates. The north lake has most of the oldest features, with stone pillars on each side of the stream, presumed for crossing, at every 50m interval or so.

A website I know does state the following:

" 1796 - A lake was constructed in Moss Valley by Thomas Telford as a feeder reservoir for the Ffrwd Canal which had begun construction, and which was intended to be a continuation of the intended branch of the Canal network from Trevor.

1798 - The Ellesmere Canal proprietors gave orders to discontinue work on the Ffrwd Canal. The section being worked at that time was a basin from Summerhill to the 'Yord' in Ffrwd, and was completed at a cost of £9,135:1:4d. (A section of this canal can still be seen today.) [1]

Indeed this points toward the Moss Valley, which is practically within Summerhill. It is well known locally that a canal once ran through Gwersyllt (next to Summerhill) that was discontinued, and there is a road named Heol Camlas (Welsh:Canal Way) in the village. As far as old maps are concerned, its hard to discern whether a lake was present, although it does look fairly certain in a couple. Whether it vanished off the map whilst mining was underway, I don't know. If anybody wants to research on maps, the grid ref SJ311527 should help. /Marbles (talk) 16:19, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

I have a copy of an old map entitled "Plan of the DEVIATION LINE of the ELLESMERE CANAL from near PONT CYSYLLTE to SALTNEY SIDE near CHESTER with the Acrefair Frood and Holt Braches" dated 1796. The canal's "Frood" branch was not to go up the Moss Valley. It was to branch off the 'mainline' (from near Plas Kynaston House (Acrefair) to Chester) at Dods Ho(use?) near Stansty and run around the hillside at Summerhill then up the valley through the Ffrwd and ffrith to a reservoir which wouls run from the north end of Llanfynydd to Coed Talon. The section actually built ran from SJ 312 545 between Summerhill and Sydallt contouring around the hillside to the North to reach approx SJ 302 547 to the south of Fffrwd. Part of the route at the Ffrwd end was later built over by one of the many railways in the area. A public footpath follows the route of the canal from Sydallt area westwards. The route shows up quite clearly on the 1869 6 inch OS map at www.old-maps.co.uk. (Ian Jolly - Mold) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.174.170.48 (talk) 17:20, 26 June 2008 (UTC) Your information is very interesting, so bearing this in mind, was the website true then by saying there was a reservoir built in the Moss Valley? It seems the reservoir you mentioned still seems to be there, if I'm looking at the right one? /Marbles (talk) 18:24, 27 June 2008 (UTC)