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St Margaret’s Church
and
the community of Garden Village
An Overview
2013 is a year in which the residents of Garden Village celebrate the centenary of
Garden Village itself. It is also a year which Bishop Gregory of St Asaph has
proclaimed as a Year of Pilgrimage in the diocese , adding that “ the diocesan motto
reminds us that a pilgrimage is about more than a trip to see a special place. It is the
outward expression of an inward desire to travel with Jesus as his disciples. All
pilgrimages are journeys of faith, by which we seek to bring ourselves more closely
into configuration with Our Lord Jesus Christ. We make a physical journey to seek
out the God who reveals himself to us in our hearts.”
This brief history is an attempt to tell something of the story of the people of
Garden Village and especially the connections that the worshipping community of St
Margarets’ Church have made and continue to make with the wider community today.
It is fair to say that in one way or another members of the church have always been
involved with the community of Garden Village.
A short history of St Margaret’s church
The foundation stone for St Margaret’s church was laid in 1928, but the story must
begin in Rhosddu . As the population of Wrexham expanded in the nineteenth
century a new church building was provided in Rhosddu, and St James’s church
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was constructed . The Wrexham historian A H Dodd 1 comments- “ in 1886 the
northern part of the town and districts beyond it ( where a growing coal mining
population had settled) became the main portion of a new ecclesiastical parishRhosddu, which embraces Rhosnessney, Acton, and the Garden Village ( all now
within the extended borough of Wrexham) in addition to fringe areas just beyond the
confines of the town. The new church was dedicated to St James, and in course of
time the Vicar was given charge of the outlying churches of St Peter’s( Rhosrobin),
St Margaret’s ( Garden Village) and Rhosnessney”.
The Wrexham parish website 2draws on a short history of St Margaret’s published
by Paul Whitaker . Paul belongs to the much malaigned but essential profession, the
Law; he is a former organist and choirmaster at St Margaret’s and who is a member
of the Crown Prosecution Service. He led the popular St Margaret’s Singers for many
years after 1979.
Paul’s short history of St Margaret’s was updated by Jean Morris in 2008 as the
church community celebrated its 80th anniversary . Jean , a nurse, has worshipped
in our church for many years and copies of conveyances of her home in Chester Road
confirm part of the history of the village as set out below.
The Wrexham parish website explains the factual position of Garden Village at the
turn of the twentieth century- “ the traveller passing from Wrexham to Gresford left
the Municipal Borough just beyond the junction of Price’s lane and Rhosnesni Lane,
continuing through open country until the outskirts of Gresford were reached. The
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2
A History of Wrexham 1957, page 157
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enclosed fields of Croes Eneurys and Ty Gwyn farms lay to the left and once leafy
Acton rise had been gained a clear view of mountains to the west and north-west was
revealed.
Stone walls to the right, erected at the end of the 18th Century surrounded Acton Park
enclosing Acton Hall, seat of the Cunliffe family. Formerly home to the
Jeffreys family, it was the birthplace in 1647 of the unfortunately notorious Judge
Jeffreys who at the height of his career became Lord Chief Justice of England. The
house was demolished in 1956 leaving only the impressive entrance, surmounted by
four greyhounds (from the Cunliffe family crest) and three lodges still standing.
Nearby there stood a milkbar, Sam’s which is recalled by many locals , including
church members, as a place of refreshment where many friendships blossomed until
the closure of the Bar which was unable to comply with the modern planning regime.
At the end of the 19th century , Wrexham was a rapidly developing industrial town
experiencing acute housing problems. Much development had already occurred to the
west of the town resulting in closely packed terraced rows of colliers’ houses. This
was viewed, by some, as far from satisfactory and contrasted sharply with the Garden
Suburb developments already completed at Hampstead, Bournville and Port Sunlight.
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The Welsh Town Planning and Housing Trust
The poor state of housing in Wales had been observed by the MP David Davies (later
Lord Davies of Llandinam) who was instrumental in establishing the Welsh Town
Planning and Housing Trust Limited to develop building estates in Wales according to
the enlightened ideas of the Garden Suburbs.
In 1905 3 a new company, the United Westminster and Wrexham Colliery was
incorporated to mine coal as the North Wales coalfield expanded. The setting for this
new operation was Acton Grange .Sinking of the shafts was completed by 1911.
In 1913 the Wrexham Tenants Ltd. Was established and Edward Hubbard4 explains
that this was the first project taken over and sponsored by the Welsh Town Planning
and Housing Trust . The Trust
purchased 160 acres of land close to Acton Park from Sir Foster Cunliffe. This was
long before the advent of the modern town and country planning system after World
War II.5
”.The Architect G L Sutcliffe, experienced in several such schemes, was brought in to
plan the overall lay-out of the new Garden Village , which was to include tree-lined
avenues, open spaces, shops, churches, a school and an institute.
3
Gresford Anatomy of a Disaster, Stanely Williamson page 22
The Buildings of Wales Clwyd ( Denbighshire& Flintshire) page 312
5
Town and Country Planning Act 1947.
4
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Work commenced almost immediately with 44 properties completed within the first
year. The first houses, villas at numbers 63-69 Acton Gate, others in Chester Road
(numbers 149-167 and originally called Bryn Acton) and Cunliffe Walk were
designed by Sutcliffe himself, with the remaining 205 being designed by T
AlwynLloyd, Architect to the Trust
.
The houses are of simple style; some being of rustic brick, others rendered. They vary
in character and accommodation to provide for a variety of needs and distinctly
resemble other similar developments. Hubbard adds6 that the earliest buildings are
in” the simple and informal vernacular style which characterizes so much of the best
housing of the first half of theC20 “.
Every effort was made to keep rents within reach of the people then described as the
working classes but without compromising the false economy of using poor materials
and faulty construction. The houses were fitted with excellent baths, gas cookers and
coppers, wood block floors and electric light to reflect the rise in the standard of
comfort required, and rents ranged from 5 to 8 shillings per week.
Great emphasis was placed upon the provision of quality, well-equipped housing in a
pleasant environment giving good gardens and open spaces. Grass margins were
provided to roads and there was extensive planting of trees.
6
The Buildings of Wales Clwyd ( Denbighshire& Flintshire) page 312
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The houses were to be let to tenants who were also investors in the Company thus
ensuring control of future development. This was a pioneering approach prior to the
days of Council housing.
At the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 many houses were occupied by the
Denbighshire Yeomanry, in training at Acton Hall. Sadly, no further development was
undertaken by Wrexham Tenants Limited following the war; so the shops, churches,
an institute and school were never built as planned. Plots were later sold off for
development along similar lines though the quality of the original work was never
again achieved.
In 1955, Wrexham Tenants Limited was wound up; tenants being invited to purchase
their properties at greatly reduced valuations. The smaller houses were sold for £250
and the larger ones for £450. This led to many houses being altered or extended thus
reducing further the impact of the original scheme.
The Village Amenities
Crucial to the plan for the Garden Village was the provision of open spaces; for
recreation, gardening, sports facilities (bowling green, tennis and cricket clubs), a
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children’s playground, shops to be built in the centre of the Estate, an institute and
churches to be built on the open ground facing Wats Dyke Way named in
commemoration of the ancient and nearby Wats’s Dyke.
A Village Council, elected annually, cared for the social and educational interests of
the villagers with the Institute, comprising a lecture hall, billiard room, reading room
and ladies’ club room forming the centre of the intellectual and social life of the
village during the winter months.
Although all have now been provided, the Institute in Kenyon Avenue was only
intended as a temporary structure and the Roman Catholic Church was never built.
Today only the bowling green remains of the original recreational facilities. The last
game of tennis was played in July 1990 and houses now occupy the sites of the
allotments and tennis courts. One member of the congregation Jim Upton was a
particularly and enthusiastic active member of the Tennis Club.
Free Church services had been held in a house in Ffordd Estyn (and later in the
Institute) prior to the building in 1927 of Bethel Chapel. It was built on land
originally intended for a quadrangle of houses similar to Cunliffe Walk, to be called
Foster Walk. The Institute was used for Sunday school classes in the 1930s.
Saint Margaret’s Church
In 1920 the Church in Wales was disestablished and disendowed by Acts of
Parliament .Not surprisingly perhaps the story of the newly formed church at that
time has been described as one of timidity and caution. 7Nonetheless the diocese of St
Asaph recognised the economic development in the area and the need to minister to
the newly growing and expanding population to the east of the borough and, as a
result , Mrs F W Morris laid the foundation stone at St Margaret’s Church on the 14th
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A History of the Church in Wales in the Twentieth Century Rev D T W Price page 18
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March 1928. The church was built on land originally proposed as open space. It was
completed in nine months ready for dedication by the Archbishop of Wales on
Monday 17th December 1928 at a cost of £5,000.
The connection between Garden Village and Gresford is an important part of our
history. One of the oldest members of the church congregation , Peggy Roberts ,
recalls the sound of clogs as miners walked home along Chester Road after a night
shift. The Gresford mining disaster of 1934, when 256 men lost their lives, is
well known, of course, and one of the few memorial plaques in St Margaret’s
church records the death of ( include the details) .. in that disaster. Recently a plaque
was installed in St James’ Rhosddu in memory of Arthur Reginald Williams aged 28 ,
a chorister in that church who was also killed in the Gresford disaster.8
The histories of individual members of any church community are crucial to a true
understanding of the mission of the church and that is certainly the case in relation to
St Margaret’s Church.
Many members of the current congregation of St Margaret;’s have provided
information for this update. As a result, many photographs and other material have
been made available, including a personal history of Flying Officer Fred Keeler DFC
whose family lived in Garden Village and who continue to worship in St Margaret’s.
The DFC citation was published in the London Gazette on 20 April 1945. In 2001
Mark Challenor of the Wrexham Leader published a portrait of Fred, whom he
described as “ a PC with a remarkable family history “ , a history which. like many
in the area is intertwined with coal-mining but was truly exceptional in terms of his
outstandingly brave military serve, his service as a police officer in London, and
after 1960 as Area Welfare Officer.
8
Initally this plaque had been erected in .....
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In the 1960s the church had an active Mother’s Union with branches meeting
regularly in St Margaret’s and St James’s with close ties to St John’s in Rhosnessni
and St Peter’s in Rhosrobin. In addition a current member of the church
congregations , Mrs Pam Upton, recalls the setting up of a Mothers and Toddlers
Group involving members of the church.
In the 1980s a holiday club was organised with members of the Bethel Presbyterian
church. Gerald Griffiths was active at that time as superintendant. Later he was
ordained and served in the Wrexham Parish, particularly St Marks in Queen’s Park
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where one of his outstanding achievements was setting up a Credit Union to help
local residents.
The church has always prided itself on caring for children and helping them to
develop. The Sunday Club meets regularly and in the year 2000 they prepared a
Millenium Cross which details many features of the surrounding area.
The Church itself
T Alwyn Lloyd designed the Church for the Welsh Town Planning and Housing Trust
Limited in keeping with rest of the Garden Village development.
The Church is constructed of rustic brick, roofed with Cumberland slate and plastered
inside to keep the simple look of an early Christian church from the Mediterranean. It
is however incomplete, only the chancel and the transepts being to the original design.
Further work was done in 1976-1978 , at a cost of £15,000, by the addition of a
lounge or narthex separated from the church by opening screens.
9
Later styled Caia Parc
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This year the church has had further significant work done to complete the entrance
hall and to provide disabled access.
Unusually, the Altar is placed at the west end, high-lighted by a reredos curtain
bearing the cross within an oak surround. The wide chancel and low choir serve to
present the Altar as a dominant feature. Much oak is used in the furnishings; that of
the Altar, Pulpit and Choir originally being limed.
The transept arches reflect the Moorish influence in Early Christian architecture and
serve to uphold the timbers of the Columbian Pine roof. Four massive rafters support
the main roof reaching upwards and culminating in a spired flêche.
The church is most probably named after St Margaret of Scotland whose life is
celebrated on the 16th November. St Margaret was born and educated in Hungary in
the 11th Century and married to Malcolm III of Scotland. She was renowned for her
spirituality and care of the poor and was responsible for the building of many
churches, often at her own expense, and excercised a powerful influence on the
reform of religion from the Celtic to the Gregorian. She died in 1093 at the age of 43.
St Margaret’s Chapel stands on the highest point of Edinburgh Castle and is the home
of the Mothers’ Union of Scotland
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An anonymous donor provided the side Chapel to the south of the Church. It was
dedicated on Wednesday the 2nd November 1960 by Dr Bartlett, Bishop of St Asaph.
In style, it echoes the appearance of the High Altar.
A harmonium placed behind the choir sufficed until the present organ was installed at
the rear of the north transept in 1949. It was built in 1910 by Hopkins of York. By
1980 major renovations were necessary and the opportunity was taken to make
significant tonal improvements and move the instrument to its present position. This
work was completed in 1982 by Hawkins Organ Builders of Lichfield at a cost of
£15,500.
The crucifix above the pulpit was erected in memory of Mr Martin who was for many
years the Sunday School Superintendent.
Also situated about the Church are a number of memorials to former Parishioners.
These include various items of furniture, an Aumbrey and a Book of Remembrance.
It was The Rev G R Davies who did much to organise the building of St Margaret’s
Church for the parishioners of Garden Village who formerly had to attend the Parish
Church of St James in Rhosddu.
For many years after, it was in the care of a succession of Curates in Charge who
lived at 11 Kenyon Avenue. Best loved of these was Trevor Jones who remained for
the unusually long period of 9 years until 1952. Canon Lort, previous Vicar of Bagillt,
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became Vicar during the war years before becoming Vicar of Gresford until his
retirement.
It was, however, the Rev Monroe Williams who made the most dynamic changes; in
1969, following the sale of the large Victorian Vicarage in Rhosddu, he moved to the
present house in Acton Gate and St Margaret’s became the Parish Church. His son
Gareth has taught as a Sunday Club teacher for many years.
Further changes were in the air and by 1971, the old Parish of Rhosddu , formed in
1886, was amalgamated within the Rectorial Benefice of Wrexham. In 2002 the
Benefice became the Deanery of Wrexham and now comprises St Giles, All Saints, St
Margaret’s, St James’, St John’s, St Mark’s with St Mary’s Bersham and since 2006
Holy Trinity, Esclusham.
Music has always played an important part in worship; there being a fine robed choir
from early days. In 1958 the choir became affiliated to the Royal School of Church
Music.
Those traditions still continue today.
Music also played a part in the social life of the Church; during the 1950s Mrs Wynn
ran a Ladies Choir and in 1979 the St Margaret Singers was formed by Mr Paul
Whittaker, a former organist. It continues to flourish under the direction of the present
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organist Mr David Evans with the help of accompanist Miss Jane Belton. In addition
to concerts of Sacred Music the St Margaret Singers have presented several stage
productions of Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. More recently an Italian Evening and an
evening of Songs from the Shows were performed with enthusiastic audience
participation.
Organists
1928 Mr E J Stephens
1932 Mr Harold Williams
1933 Mr Albert Jones
1943 Mr J J Smith assisted by his son Mr N Smith
1950 Mr Maurice Wynn
1955 Mr Noel Smith
1957 Mr Harry Macklin
1960 Mr Eric Kilhan
1977 Mr Paul Whittaker assisted by Mr S Martin
1999 Mr David Evans assisted by Mrs Maureen Dodd
The Church Hall
In 1956 the spacious hall was built to a full specification including stage lighting and
dressing rooms. A substantial part of the cost of £13,000 was met by a bequest from
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the Estate of Mrs F W Morris who had laid the foundation stone of St Margaret’s
Church in March 1928
In April 2006 the hall reopened after extensive refurbishment funded by a grant of
£140,000 from the Welsh Assembly.
Further grants from WREN and the Welsh Assembly have enabled the purchase of
new curtains including stage curtains, banquet tables and chairs and a refurbished and
equipped kitchen.
Shortly after the building of the hall in 1956, it was used for a number of theatrical
productions. The hall was also used by the drama group established by Mr Alan
Thompson in the 1970s: a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
being a particularly remembered feature of their activities.
For theatrical performances to be enjoyed once again new stage lighting must
installed.
The Farmer’s Market10
Figures collated by the Anglican Church show a decline in collective worship during
the C20th and in many villages this has coincided with the ebbing of community
spirit in many villages. Unsurprisingly the Chairman of the Countryside Alliance11
10
Thiis section is based on an article which appeared in the diocesan magazine Teulu Asaph in December 2012
and thanks are extended to Phil Topham for permission to reproduce both the contents and photographs.
11
Daily Telegraph December 27,2012
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has suggested that churches could be given a new lease of life by being used
imaginatively by local communities.
One wonders whether his role model is St Margaret’s Garden Village because French
classes, modern jive, street dance and now a Farmers’ Market in St Margaret’s
Church Hall is turning into a thriving business as local community groups rent it for
their meetings and events. With a sprung dance floor and a stage along with a kitchen
& toilet facilities, it’s a shining example of what can be achieved in our Churches and
Church Halls to provide a worthwhile community facility.
John Page is the man in charge of St Margaret’s Church Hall and manages the
bookings to make sure everything runs smoothly. One of his biggest events takes
place on the first Saturday of the month when the Hall is transformed into the vibrant
Garden Village Farmers’ Market.
It started with just six stalls in May 2011 but now there can be as many as twenty
selling fresh local produce, artisan breads and art & crafts.
“It’s been extremely well attended,” reflects John. “Normally we get 100 – 150
people and a lot of people now are ordering from one month to the other from the
meat stall so there is a lot of through-trade with it. Members of the committee will
organise refreshments so some will come and sit with refreshments and have a chitchat so it’s quite a social event.
“Apart from getting the community in, I think Church has grown a little bit and there
are some who possible come because they’ve been to the Farmers’ Market. For the
Community it means they realise the Church is there and it’s not just a building that
they passed in the past.”
The Church Hall is certainly bustling with activity on market day with dozens of
people visiting stalls up and down the room. Andy Williams is the local Councillor
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for Garden Village and he initially approached St Margaret’s about hosting the
Farmers’ Market.
He says it’s been a huge success.
“The meat comes from Overton, the bread is local, the veg comes from Summerhill so
everything is just picked or just baked,” Andy comments.
“I can see this growing into other areas and other villages having them eventually
because everyone loves food and healthy food and knowing where their food’s come
from. The less food miles your food has the better it is for you.”
Andy has a policy that only one type of stall can attend each Farmer’s Market so there
is no competition between two meat stalls or two veg stalls.
“We make sure all the food producers have food hygiene certificates,” he explains. “I
won’t have anyone here who’s just making something in their kitchen if they don’t
have a food hygiene certificate and insurance. Once I know they have all that and that
they’re high quality products that will sell, then they can come.
“It’s word of mouth – the stall holders will go to other markets and they will tell them
about this so I don’t have to do any chasing anymore – they all come to me now.”
The stall holders themselves seem to really like this arrangement too. Looking around
the room it’s clear that it works for them because their stocks quickly start to deplete.
Michelle is from Moira’s Market Garden and says the St Margaret’s Farmers’ Market
will always have a special place in her heart.
“This was our very first farmers’ market here so it’s quite sentimental to us and it’s
absolutely fantastic, the people here are wonderful,” she says.
“In the summertime when we’re outside it’s much, much busier because it pulls
people in off the street but we always get the locals and regulars coming in when it’s
indoors and they are very supportive. We now go to farmers’ markets in Chester, St
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Asaph and Upton so there is quite a lot going on because of this – this one was our
inspiration.”
But it’s not just businesses starting out on the farmers’ market circuit that enjoy
visiting St Margaret’s. Robert Didier is from Orchard Pigs bakery in Wrexham and
he takes his products to similar markets and festivals up and down the UK.
So how does St Margaret’s Church Hall compare to those?
“It’s fantastic, there are lots of local producers here to showcase and although it’s a
small market it’s very busy,” he enthuses.
“We do lots of farmers markets and food festivals up and down the country and as a
local market this is very good – it’s right on our doorstep so it’s a nice easy one with
lots of people that we know and the shoppers are very keen on knowing the origin of
the food.”
Obviously the food and crafts on sale at the market are seasonal. With the countdown
on to Christmas, a number of the stalls are selling Christmas crafts and products. In
November there was a special charity crocheted poppy on sale for Remembrance
Sunday.
Melissa from Made by Melissa was selling it with £1.50 from every sale going to the
poppy appeal.
“I’m on about my 100th now which is great but it’s a bit time consuming and the
demand has been quite difficult but I am still enjoying making them,” she says.
“I know I have raised £80 via Ebay and I have more in cash which is building nicely
for when I send a cheque off to the Royal British Legion. I haven’t told them how
much I have raised so far but I have told them I am making them and they have been
quite enthusiastic and encouraging.”
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So what benefit can St Margaret’s Church take from this bustling Church Hall? Well,
John Page says the profits from the Hall directly benefit the Church – they’ve just
made a donation to St Margaret’s re-ordering project. Once that work is completed,
John knows the Hall will be able to host even more events.
“When we have done the reorganising of the Church, we can switch some of the
meetings to the Church because the facilities will be better there than they are here,”
he says.
“For example Tracey White from the Diocese uses us quite a lot for Training
Together seminars but the facilities in the Church once it’s done will be far superior
than here so we will move things like that into the Church and that opens a space for
us to put on other things in the Hall.”
The vicar of St Margaret’s, the Revd Richard Hainsworth has only got positive things
to say about the work in the Hall – particularly the Farmers’ Market.
“We are delighted to host the Garden Village Farmers' Market and to support local
small businesses,” he says. “It is great to see the community come together every
month in the church grounds and hall and we have been very pleased by the
enthusiasm with which the market has been received by local people.
“It has raised our profile in the community and helped us to grow both the church and
the use of the hall throughout the week. We used to be known as 'the church opposite
the pub' but now people say ‘St Margaret's? Oh that's where the Farmers' Market is’.”
The schools in the village and links with the Church – to be completed
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Croes Eneurys
Placed in the stone wall circling Acton Park and alongside Chester Road, just south of
the Church and facing the entrance to Acton Gate is a large stone bearing the
engraving of a cross. This stone originally formed part of the base of an early
medieval cross which stood in fields now occupied by the Council developments of
Acton Park.
When it was decided to enclose the parkland in the 18th Century, the existing route of
Chester Road was diverted prior to the building of the present wall. At that time, the
base of that medieval cross and the only portion still remaining was moved to its
present position and placed in the wall. As it had formerly stood in land at one time in
the ownership of the Monks of Valle Crucis, the owner of the Estate at that time
caused a cross to be engraved upon it to indicate its former origins.
Prior to the building of the present houses nearby, it was customary for the Rogation
Sunday Service to be held in the field around a large oak tree situated alongside that
particular stone.
Photography in the slideshows on the website site and reproduced in this work were
kindly provided by Nick Roe (C) 2009..
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