Rhosesmor


Rhosesmor is a small village near Mold, Flintshire, in north-east Wales. The village lies near the parishes of Halkyn and Rhes-y-cae. The hamlet of Wern-y-Gaer is encompassed by the boundaries of the village.
The hill fort site affords views across the Clwydian Hills to the west and the whole sweep of Wirral to the Sefton coastline and Liverpool and further east.

History

The new parish of Caerfallwch was created on 23 October 1876, from part of the township of Caerfallwch, which until that time had been in the parish of Northop.
The London Gazette of the 27 October 1876 defined the boundaries of the new parish:
The Handy Guide to Mold and the Neighbourhood; Tweddel, 1890 records:
A significant part of the village is now included in the designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. The village is rich with flora, fauna and ancient hedgerows. Sheep roam freely on the mountain and often decide to sit in the middle of the road.
The village has a lead mining history and several of the buildings, particularly in the Wern-y-Gaer area of the modern village are more than three hundred years old. The Celtic hill fort of Moel-y-Gaer, which dates to pre-Roman times, is above the village.

Geography

There are extensive natural and man-made tunnels, caves and caverns under the village. This is because it has been a mining centre from pre-Roman times, as well as having an interesting subterranean structure. These features are documented in various books by Cris Ebbs and have been explored by the Grosvenor Caving Club. There is also an underground lake under Rhosesmor, accessed through the Milwr tunnel, which passes beneath the area.

Community

Local facilities include a church, a children's playground / park, a primary school and a village hall.