RHUDDLAN

community and district (borough), Clwyd county, northeastern Wales. The settlement, located at the head of the fertile Vale of Clwyd, grew up around a castle dating back to 1073. The castle now standing in Rhuddlan was completed by Edward I of England in 1282, at which time the task of diverting and canalizing the River Clwyd was also completed. In 1282 Edward I's queen, Eleanor of Castile, gave birth to a daughter in Rhuddlan castle, and in 1284 Edward I issued, from Rhuddlan, the Statute of Rhuddlan providing for the government of the conquered principality of Wales. In 1399 Richard II was held in the castle on his way to Flint, where he formally surrendered his crown to Henry Bolingbroke. During the English Civil War, the castle fell in 1646 to General Mytton, a well-known Parliamentary leader and commander. The district of Rhuddlan was created in 1974 and comprises part of the North Wales coast, including the mouth of the River Clwyd and part of the Vale of Clwyd. Covering an area of 42 square miles (109 square km), it borders the districts of Colwyn to the west, Glyndwr to the south, and Delyn to the east. The district is noted for the seaside resorts of Prestatyn and Rhyl. The administrative seat of the district and one of the most popular resorts in northern Wales, Rhyl has a promenade that extends for 3 miles (5 km) along its sandy beaches; a major indoor entertainment complex, the Suncentre (opened in 1980); the Botanical Gardens; and the Royal Floral Hall. The Royal Lido at Prestatyn has a ballroom, restaurant, swimming pool, and children's centre, with a varied program of summer entertainment. Sheep raising and dairy farming are the dominant economic activities further inland. The seaside resorts have excellent rail and road links with Merseyside, Lancashire, and the English Midlands. Pop. (1981) community, 3,560; (1986 est.) district, 55,200.