Buckley, Flintshire

For more references to Buckley, see Buckley (disambiguation).

Buckley (Welsh: Bwcle) is a town in Flintshire, Wales, United Kingdom. It is the second largest town in Flintshire in terms of population and is 2 miles from Mold, the county town. It is located on the A549 road.

History

Buckley (the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon bok lee, meaning meadow, or field) was an Anglo-Saxon location, with some of its houses recorded in the Domesday Book of the 11th Century. However, the first documented evidence of its existence dates from 1294, when it was described as the pasturage of the Manor of Ewloe.

The town, near Mold, became an industrial heartland for pottery and coal between the 17th and 19th centuries. However, it only grew into any kind of prominence during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century, when coal and clay were extensively mined there, and the name Buckley became synonymous with the production of various fire-clay and pottery products.

Urban district council status was conferred on the town in 1898; at this time, the area comprised of two parishes, Buckley (1874) and Bistre (1844). Prior to then, it was divided between the parishes of Mold and Hawarden.

Mining and pottery

Buckley was a popular location for mining, as there were many faults in local rock formations that allowed seams of coal to be mined directly from the surface. Its heavy, clay soil also allowed for excellent pottery and bricks to be manufactured. Bricks from Buckley were transported all across the United Kingdom, as Buckley became a brickworking centre. A great deal of people moved into the area, particularly from Ireland and Liverpool to find work in the mining and brick industries, giving the town a distinctive accent (see Buckley#Buckley dialect).

Many pottery and earthenware products manufactured were taken on the backs of donkeys to either Chester market or exported via the river Dee, as early as the reign of Elizabeth I. The last pottery kiln was fired in 1946. However, a local cement works is still in operation.

Buckley dialect

Although very few locals speak with a true 'Buckley' accent nowadays, due to people moving in and out of the area, and with the proliferation of television and radio, a few of the town's older citizens still speak in a form of the strongly accented dialect, full of colloquialisms, and often unintelligible to outsiders. The last remaining pure 'Buckley' speaker was noted linguist Dennis Griffiths, a Buckley resident, who died in 1972, and whose book is the main repository and record of the dialect. A few examples (mainly phonetic) are noted below:

Wunst every blue moon - rarely occurring

Thou frys me to death - the limit of boredom

A lick and a promise - a quick wash

Fasen the fost un fost - fasten the first one first

The daddy on um aw - the best of the lot

Husht thee naise - be quiet

I conna meke thee out - I can't understand you

The 'Buckley Panto'

In 1932, a tradition started in Buckley of running an annual pantomime. Again, the erstwhile Dennis Griffiths was involved, first producing a version of Dick Whittington in 1933. Dennis Griffiths ran the pantomime for 27 years, and famously used the program to invite any and all complaints to arrive written "on the back of a 10 shilling note (non-returnable)".

Present day

The Castle Cement kiln under construction.

Today, Buckley has a population of around 17,000, and boasts numerous light industries. Those who cannot find work locally commute to Deeside, Cheshire, Wrexham and Merseyside.

The Castle Cement works at Padeswood is the only large scale industry remaining in the town. Its huge new 200 ft kiln is now the major landmark on the skyline, visible from many miles away. Despite many locals considering it an eyesore, it has reduced pollution produced by the cement works by up to 90%. [1]

Geography

Buckley has a large area of common land, known simply as 'The Common'. It has a large playground for children, as well as numerous duck ponds. A funfair visits here during the summer.

There is also a small lake, known as 'The Trap', which is stocked with trout. A German Messerschmitt bomber crashed into the Trap during World War II, shot down by anti-aircraft fire after going off course following a bombing run over Liverpool. The land is primarily heavy clay soil.

Buckley has a shopping precinct, as well as two supermarkets.

The Jubilee

File:Buckley-jubilee-1965.jpg

Buckley Jubilee in 1965

Buckley observes a regional celebration and march over 200 years old called the Buckley Jubilee, which is celebrated on the first Tuesday of July. Officially, however, the Jubilee is 149 years old (as of 2005); the 150th is to be celebrated 11 July 2006. The difference in dates stems from the 'official' date being set when the Buckley Temperance Society first sanctioned the march. The Jubilee is a ceremonial march that begins on "The Common", a large area of common ground owned by the people of the town used for lesuire and recreational purposes. The term 'jubilee' was first used in 1871.

File:Buckley-jubilee-2.jpg

The Royal Buckley Town Band at the Buckley Jubilee in 2005

On the Common starting at 3pm is a non-demominational Service led by the Minister of the Church/Chapel leading the Jubilee that year. In 2005, it was the Revd. Anthraparushra. The Sunday before the Jubilee, the leading church is presented with the Centenary Shield, which they hold for the year. A 15 minutes service takes place, with two hymns accompanied by the Royal Buckley Town Band. The march then leaves the common, and marches through the town, with representetives from the local Sunday Schools, Scout and guide troops, and many of the local schools.

Royal Buckley Town Band

Buckley has a famous brass band, the Royal Buckley Town Band. The band is one of only two in the entire United Kingdom to have received sanction from a monarch to use "Royal" in their name.

Schools

Buckley has 4 primary schools - Buckley C.P. (County Primary), Mountain Lane C.P., Southdown C.P. and Ewloe C.P..

Buckley has one secondary school, the Elfed High School. During the Second World War, it was built as a military hospital, and adapted for school use shortly after, in the early 1950s. The school includes a sports centre, and a newly-constructed swimming pool, both for use of both the students and the public. Many students from Buckley also attend Argoed High School, located in nearby Mynydd Isa.

Music / culture

Buckley has one nightclub, the Tivoli Nightclub (known locally as "The Tiv"), on Brunswick Road. Formerly both a cinema and a music hall, the Tivoli has seen many bands play there over the years, including Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin in the early 1970s, and many Britpop bands including Oasis (in August 1994), Ocean Colour Scene and the Super Furry Animals in the 1990s. It has been described as 'one of the finest quirky little venues of our time', and is featured in the DVD re-issue of Oasis' album, Definitely Maybe. [2] Since a renovation and rebranding in 2003, fewer large bands now play at the Tivoli, with more emphasis on smaller, local bands.

Buckley has a sizable two-storey library, with the second level being dedicated solely to history and reference pieces, mainly on the local area. The second floor also doubles as the local museum.

External Links

References

Dialect extracts taken from Dennis Griffiths' book Talk of My Town, Buckley Young People's Cultural Association, 1969. It can be borrowed from Buckley Library.