Welsh village to be formally recognised with council name change

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter 

For the first time in 131 years a Welsh village will be formally recognised as a council changes its name.

Flintshire County Council voted to change the name of after Northop Community Council itself submitted the request.

The council will now be known as Northop and Sychdyn Community Council – officially recognising the village of Sychdyn.

Sychdyn Cllr Marian Bateman supported the request.

“Northop Community Council is made up of two wonderful villages – and I would say that wouldn’t I,” she said.

“Of Northop and Sychdyn, Sychdyn is the larger of the two in both population and size.

“It has never really been officially recognised in the name of the community council – although has always been recognised by its community councillors.

“I hope I can get some consensus here to change all that please.”

Despite never being the named authority for the area, Sychdyn has been recognised historically. Mentioned in the William the Conqueror’s Domesday Book, it was visited in the 13th century by King of Gwynedd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.

More recently Soughton Hall in the village has played host to a number of celebrity visitors including tenor Luciano Pavarotti, actor Richard Burton and King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Northop meawhile has used its current name since 828 AD, after the surrender of Chester to Egbert of Wessex when Flintshire came under Saxon rule.

Later it was the birthplace of William Parry, who was executed following a plot to kill Elizabeth I and is the home of Northop Silver Band, which originated in Sychdyn.

Councillors voted unanimously to support the change. Northop and Sychdyn Community Council will now be required to advertise the change and meet all associated costs.