Buckley (Welsh – Bwcle) is a large town in Flintshire, North East Wales and situated on The A459 road, two miles from the county town of Mold.
The first documented evidence of Buckley dates back to the year, 1294. The town was then described as, ‘The Pastorage Of the Manor of Ewloe’
Some historians suggest that the name, Buckley may derive from the Old English language name of Bok Lee – which means, meadow or field.
In 1420, King Henry V presented Ewloe and the pastorage of Buckley to his wife, Catherine of Valois as a wedding gift to her. This was worth the sum of £26 per annum.
Between the 17th and 19th Centuries, Buckley became an industrial heartland for both pottery and coal mining. The first pottery opened in 1737 and by the early 19th Century there were fourteen potteries in the town.
Buckley eventually became a brick working centre, bricks were transported across the United Kingdom and as far away as The United States of America.
Many people (particularly from Ireland and Liverpool) came to Buckley to seek work in the mining and brick industries. This influx of people gave the town a distinctive accent.
The oldest parish church in Buckley is called St. Matthews and dates back to 1822. The first ever Primitive Methodist Church in the whole of Wales is situated on the outskirts of Buckley in the village of Alltami.
The more than 200 year old Buckley Jubilee is held in the town every summer, usually on the 2nd Tuesday of July
The year of 1932 saw the first of an annual pantomime to be held in Buckley. One year later, a gentleman by the name of Dennis Griffiths produced a version of Dick Whittington. This particular production ran for the next 27 years.
During the 2nd World War, a German Luftwaffe Aeroplane was shot down in the surrounding areas of Buckley. Some reports suggest that the plane may well have been on it’s way to Liverpool. The engine of the plane was found in a local lake, named The Trap.
Buckley is home to a famous Brass Band, namely The Royal Buckley Brass Band. This band is one of only two brass bands in the United Kingdom to receive sanction from a British Monarch to use ‘Royal’ in their name.
Whilst on the subject of music – the Tivoli Nightclub in Buckley as played host to a wide range of top musical acts over the years. Some of which are – Black Sabbath, Led Zeplin, Oasis and Radiohead.
Buckley is home to Etna Park which is only a short walk away from the centre of town and is part of the heritage trail in the area.
There Is a community Radio Project in Buckley as well as a two storey library, the second floor of the library doubles as the town’s museum.
Buckley also has it’s own railway station which is on the borderlands line.
There is a lovely area within the town which is home to the war memorial, situated at Hawkesbury Bowling Club. Next to this is the Hawkesbury Little Theatre.
War Memorial Shown Above
Hawkesbury Bowling Club Shown Above
Hawkesbury Little Theatre Shown Above
Three miles away from Buckley sits Ewloe Castle, which is a popular local landmark. The castle was one of the last fortifications to be built by The Sovereign Prince of Wales. It was built around 1257 and it is now a Grade I listed building and cared for by ‘CADW’ the national heritage agency for Wales.
Pictures of Ewloe Castle are shown as follows:
Notable People
The following people all have not only a connection to Buckley but also to Football.
Danny Collins – Currently plays for Grimsby Town, born in Buckley and counts Sunderland as one of his former clubs who he played for whilst they were a premier league club a few years ago. Collins as also won 12 senior caps for Wales.
Pictured below is a shirt given to Buckley Town FC, signed by Danny Collins whilst he was at Sunderland:
John Lyons – Professional Footballer, born in Buckley and played for – Wrexham, Millwall, Cambridge United and Colchester United.
Ryan Shawcross – Lived in Buckley as a youngster and played junior football in Buckley. Shawcross currently plays for Stoke City and has made more than 300 appearances for the club, winning one senior international cap for England.
Mickey Thomas – The former Wrexham, Manchester United and Welsh international played reserve team football for Buckley.
James Williams – Born in the 1880’s in Buckley, Williams was a fantastic goalscorer as a junior footballer and went onto play for Bury, Accrington Stanley (two spells) Crystal Palace and Millwall. He also won two senior international caps for Wales. James Williams enlisted in the 17th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (known as the footballers battalion) and served during the First World War. Tragically, he was reported as missing, presumed Dad in 1916 and he is commemorated at the Arras Memorial in France.
