43 AD

Romans invade Britain in South

In 60 or 61 AD the Romans invaded North Wales under the command of the governor, Suetonius Paullinus, with 12,000 men to attack Anglesey – the stronghold of the druids and centre of resistance to the Romans Read more

In 61 AD a Roman army is traditionally believed to have been ambushed at Nant Sepyr (the pass beneath Bryn Euryn), and its second in command (Sempronius) killed in the fighting. Read more.

260-355

Roman road along the North Wales coast built

6th century

St. Trillo establishes his “llan” Read More

6th century

Excavations have proved that this hilltop was the site of a Romano-British hil fort.  This was built in the 5th or 6th century by one of the local “kings” who sprang up after the Romans left, probably Cynlas the Red. Read more.

1170

Prince Madoc allegedly sailed for America

1194-1240

Reign of Llywelyn the Great. Seneschal Ednyfed Fychan of Llys Euryn, his Chief Counsellor Read more

1200 c.

There was a medieval fishing weir near Rhos point, some remains of which can still be detected at low tide.  It is thought that this was built by the  monks from the great Cistercian monastery of Aberconwy.  Read more

1210

King John invades North Wales

1284

Conquest of Wales by King Edward I. Conwy Castle built

1399

Richard II captured by Duke of Northumberland near the foot of Penmaenhead Read more

1409

Llys Euryn partially burnt by Owain Glyndwr

1575

Rhos Weir granted to Captain Morgan ap John ap David Read more

1680

First Pwllycrochan built (estimated) Read more

1687

Lawsuit against Pugh of Penrhyn for building a bridge over the Afon Ganol and so obstructing shipping

1720

Main North Wales road constructed: Abergele – Dolwen – Groes. Ogilby’s road-book shows the main North Wales road coming through Bettws – Abergele, Dolwen and Croesffordd.

1736

First Ship Inn built at Llandrillo Church gates by Robert Davies.

1764

First reference to a stagecoach travelling along the Old Highway

1771

Thomas Hughes, shoemaker, founds a small Calvinistic Methodist body at Mochdre

1784 /85

Mail coaches began running from Chester to Holyhead. London to Holyhead by coach takes 48 hours.

1785

Turnpike Road made through the district

1808

Crash of dance floor at Four Crosses

1811

Thomas Telford is consulted on main roads and highways along coast

1814

Llandrillo and Abergele Branch of the Bible Society formed

1815

Colwyn Bridge constructed

1815

Ebenezer Chapel erected Read more

1815 /16

Eirias Bridge constructed and the road to Mochdre made

1819

Thomas Telford completes his improvements to the Holyhead Road

1819

National School Built on Tan y Bryn Road

1821

Sir David Erskine marries Jane Silence Williams, heiress of Pwllycrochan Read more

1827

Chester and Bangor Stage Coach first going through. Mail coach leaves Holyhead 5 p.m. spending the night at Bangor, and arriving at the Feathers Inn, Chester at 4 p.m. (Travelling at 8 miles an hour). “Hark-Forward” coach running from

1828

Glan y Mor (Beach) road made

1830

Turnpike Road diverted over Penmaenhead

1830

About this date the Afon Ganol marsh was drained

1832

Bethesda (old) Chapel built Read more

1836

London to Holyhead by coach now took only 27 hours. By 1837 the coaches “Queen of Trumps” and “Lord Dinorben” run through Colwyn.

1837

Richard Butler Clough of Min y don lays the foundation stone of St. Catherine’s Church Read more

1837

Conway Poor Law Union (including Llandrillo) formed

1841

Whitehall Dod succeeds to Llannerch estate

1844

Parish of Colwyn created, mostly out of Llandrillo parish Read more

1846

Tithe Enquiry Map prepared

1847

Methodist Sunday School in Rhos-on-Sea at a small thatched cottage called “Aberhod Bach”

1848

Chester to Bangor railway opened for passengers. Construction had begun in 1845 Read more

1848

National School built

1848

178 lives lost in ship fire disaster, Abergele Bay

1849

First appearance of Colwyn Station in the October number of Bradshaw Read more

1850

A record catch of 35,000 herrings at Rhos Weir Read more

1856

Rhos-Bryn Euryn Railway recorded as working

1858

First sale of building land

1861

Hebron (old) Chapel erected Read more

1862

Calfaria (old) Chapel erected Read more

1864

Building of Rhos Abbey Hotel terrace adjacent to Rhos Fynach planned by Mr. George Fenton Read more

1865

Erskines sell Pwllycrochan estate and migrate to Scotland Read more

1865

Ivy House built. Read more

1866

Pwllycrochan opened as a hotel Read more

1866

Legality of Mr. Parry Evans’ title to Rhos Weir established at Conway Read more

1867

British School built

1868

33 people killed in Irish Mail railway accident at Abergele

1869

Rev. W. Venables Williams appointed to the living of Llandrillo Read more 

1870

Station Hotel (later Central Hotel) built Read more 

1870

Pioneer villas Erskine House and Penrhos Lodge (later Odeon Cinema and Rhos Lan) built

1871

First Presbyterian services held in a carpenter’s workshop in Ivy Street Read more 

1871

Band of agitators throw the Toll Gates and posts into the sea near Colwyn Bay Hotel (in process of building)

1872

Great reception of Sir Thomas Pender at Colwyn Bay

1872

Mission room (chapel) built (precursor of St. Paul’s Church) Read more

1872

Colwyn Bay Hotel completed Read more

1873

Presbyterian chapel opened on Conwy Road on land donated by John Pender of Pwllycrochan Estate Read more 

1873 / 74

Original Ship Inn demolished and rebuilt across the road from its original position near the Church, by Whitehall Dod

1875

Establishment of the Colwyn Bay and Pwllycrochan Estate Company Read more

1876

Shiloh Chapel, Greenfield Road, built by the Welsh Wesleyan Methodists Read more

1876

Llandrillo and Eirias (UD) School Board formed

1878

Congregationalists’ iron church built (Union Church site) Read more 

1879

Engedi chapel opened on Woodland Road West by the Welsh Presbyterians Read more

1879

Colwyn Cemetery – first burial

1880

Penrhos College for Girls established (private Methodist school for girls) Read more

1880

First English Methodist service in Colwyn Bay held in Shiloh Welsh Chapel, Greenfield Road Read more

1884

Colwyn Bay English Baptist Church congregation formed Read more

1884

Old Colwyn railway station opened  in 1884. Read more.

1885

Rydal School for boys founded by Methodist educationalist T. G. Osborn Read more

1885

Work began on the theatre (Theatr Colwyn) by the newly formed Public Hall Company Read more

1885

Salem Chapel opened on Abergele Road Read more 

1885

Congregational Church (Union Church) opened Read more

1885

Congregational Church (Union Church) opened Read more

1886

Bethesda Church, Old Colwyn built Read More

1887

1887-1888 building of St. Paul’s Church begins – the nave, aisles and transepts Read more 

1887

April 13th Colwyn and Colwyn Bay Local Board formed – a Local Board of 12 members – constituted, by Order of Local Government Board, No. 21442, dated April 13th.

1887

Station Road laid out. Designed by Booth, Chadwick and Porter, principal architects to the Pwllycrochan Estate Company. Row of nine shops in red brick built by Edward Foulkes, father of the architect, Sidney Colwyn Foulkes. Read more 

1888

St. John’s Methodist Church opens. Read more 

1888

Tabernacl Chapel built for Welsh and English Baptist congregations. Read more 

1889

County Council formed

1891

Conway and Colwyn Bay Joint Water Supply Board formed

1891

English Presbyterian Church, Hawarden Road, opens. Read more

1892

Municipal Building, Station Road, completed. Read more 

1892

August 17th Subway and approaches to the beach completed and formally opened by Rev. W. Venables-Williams (Vicar)

1893

Colwyn Bay became a separate parish, previously part of the parish Llandrillo-yn-Rhos Read more

1893

English Baptist Church moved to a corrugated building on Abergele Road, where Stermat now stands. Read more

1894

Groes Bridge rebuilt and widened

1895

January Under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1894, the Local Government District became the Urban District of Colwyn Bay and Colwyn

1895

April Rhos Pier opened

1896

Calfaria Chapel built Read more

1897

Bethlehem Methodist Chapel, Lawson Road built as a branch of Engedi.Read more

1897

June 22nd Promenade on seafront – Colwyn Bay to Marine Path – formally opened. Read more

1899

Rhos on Sea Golf Club founded

1899

Building of the Quaker Meeting House in Erskine Road. Read more

1899

Victoria Jubilee Cottage Hospital built. Read more

1900

St. Joseph’s Church opened. Read more

1900

December 26th Monsieur Jules Riviere died and was buried in Llandrillo-yn-Rhos churchyard. Read more

1900

Victoria Pier and Pavilion opened on 1st June 1900 Read More

1901

Urban District Council’s offices in the Municipal Building, Station Road. Read more

1901

January 1st Electricity Works started for General Supply

1902

Woodhill Baptist Church built by Welsh Calvanistic Methodists as an outreach of Engedi Chapel. Read more

1902

The Colwyn Bay and Colwyn Urban District Act authorised the construction of a Promenade and new Sewage Works. Read more

1902

January 1st Gas undertaking acquired

1902

November 2nd, Horeb Chapel, Rhiw Road, opened. Read more 

1903

Methodist chapel Hermon built (now site of Capel y Rhos). Read More

1903

Eglwys Dewi Sant (St. David’s Church) completed. Read more

1903

January 12th Higher Grade School formally opened

1903

St. John’s Church, Old Colwyn consecrated on August 13th. Read more

1904

Town Hall opened (corner of Coed Pella Road and Conwy Road), fire station next door. Read more

1904

Hebron Chapel built Read more

1904

Bron y Nant Cemetery completed and opened

1905

1905-1907 Police Station and Magistrates Court on Rhiw Road built. Read more

1905

Convent near St. Joseph’s RC Church opened. Read more

1905

Nant-y-Glyn Methodist Church built. Read more

1905

English Baptist Chapel opened. Read more

1905

April 25th. Coronation Free Library opened. Read more

1905

April 25th Isolation Sanatorium opened

1905

August 18th. Promenade ARC lighting inaugurated. Rhos section June 21st

1905

October 31st Pwllycrochan Woods purchased

1906

August 1st. Fairy Glen, Old Colwyn, opened to the public. Read more

1906

October 9th Upper Colwyn Bay Water Supply Works inaugurated

1907

Trams running from Llandudno to Colwyn Bay. Read more

1907

June 14th Formal opening of new Sewerage Works

1907

October 19th. Light Railway opened for public traffic. Read more

1908

The Rhos Neigr sinks off Rhos on Sea

1908

Foundation stone for St. Andrew’s Church laid. Read more

1909

English Methodist Church, Old Colwyn, built. Read more

1909

The Public Hall (Theatr Colwyn) converted into Colwyn Bay’s first “picture house”. Read more

1909

March 31st

Water turned on to the District from new trunk main laid between Dolgarrog and Sarnmynach

1910

August First aircraft landed in Wales, on the sea shore at Rhos-on-Sea. Robert Loraine in a Farman biplane

1910

August 2nd Order of Privy Council for holding of County Court at Colwyn Bay

1910

September 13th-17th Royal National Eisteddfod held

1911

Glan-y-Don Hall built. Read more

1911

March Electric Light Cable extended to Old Colwyn

1911

July 15th Drill Hall (Princes Drive) opened

1912

Sale of the Cayley Estate

1912

April 14th. Local man Harold Lowe was the fifth officer on the Titanic when it sank.

1913

English Baptist Church on Hawarden Road opened. Intention was to build a church and a church hall, only the hall was built at that time. Read more

1914

Princess Picture Theatre built. Read more

1914

January 28th Cayley Promenade embankment acquired

1914

December 30th H. M. Troops quartered in Colwyn Bay

1915

March 26th. Light Railway extended to the Queen’s Hotel, Old Colwyn. Read more

1915

March 2nd Visit of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George

1915

June. Colwyn Public Gardens acquired by gift from Lieut.-Col. Williams Wynne. Read more

1916

First Methodist services in Rhos-on-Sea held in the Playhouse, then a theatre and cinema (now Co-op Store)

1919

April 7th First Lady Member (Miss E M. Hovey) elected on the Council

1920

Read more

1920

Prime Minister, David Lloyd George visits Tabernacl Chapel. Read more

1920

September Higher Grade School converted to County Secondary School

1920

November 30th Erection of Workmen’s Dwellings at Rhos, public ceremony

1920

January 12th. Presentation of First World War Tank Read more

1921

May Llandudno-Colwyn Bay through road opened for traffic

1921

April 12th. Acquisition of Eirias Park. Read more

1922

Y.M.C.A. buildings built

1922

August 14th Foundation stone of Rhos-on-Sea Methodist Church laid

1922

November 11th. War Memorial unveiled outside the town hall. Memorial tablets and memorial windows unveiled at St. Paul’s Church. Read more

1923

April 1st Amalgamation of the Parish of Llysfaen with the Urban District by virtue of the Counties of Caernarvon and Denbigh (Llysfaen) Order 1922; and increase of members of the council from 24 to 28

1923

Colwyn Bay Cricket Club founded

1923

November 2nd Royal Visit to North Wales. Visit of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales to Colwyn Bay

1923

November 2nd Electricity Supply – consent to alteration of system to A.C. (Alternating Current). November 30th Inauguration of New Electricity Supply, and ceremonial opening of new Distribution Station in Ivy Street by Lord Colwyn.

1925

C.1925. Royal Bank of Scotland building reconstructed to a design by architect Sidney Colwyn Foulkes for Williams Deacon’s Bank. Read more

1925

Wynn Gardens declared open. Read more

1928

July 18th. Opening of Min-y-Don Park and recreation grounds. Read more

1933

1933-1937 Colwyn House, Station Road, built for W. S. Wood department store. Read more

1933

St. Joseph’s Primary School opened on land near the Church. Read more

1934

Charter of Incorporation granted. Read more

1935

Easter. Pat Collins’ Amusement Park opened. Read more

1936

Viaduct over Penmaenhead opened

1939

Town’s first Air Raid Warning

1941

Literary Eisteddfod held. Read more

1942

Mines sighted off Rhos Pier, LLlanddulas and Llysfaen jettys.

1943

Spitfire “Borough of Colwyn Bay” crashed before having seen active service. Given its name to mark the townspeople’s war effort through National Savings investment

1946

July 5th. Sale by public auction of the estate of the Rt. Hon. Lord Colwyn (deceased) – Queen’s Lodge, Pen-yr-Orsedd Farm, Bodlondeb Farm. Read more

1947

Colwyn Bay host to National Eisteddfod. Read more

1948

37 Princes Drive opened as a Synagogue. Read more

1952

December 1st. Old Colwyn railway station closed. Read more

1955

Cosy Cinema (above Matthews Hardware) closed. Read more

1956

March 24th. Last tram travelled from Llandudno to Colwyn Bay. Read more

1958

1961

Tram company sold carriage licence to Crosville Motor Services Ltd. Read more

1961

It became legal to serve alcoholic drinks on Sundays

1963

Opening of the Welsh Mountain Zoo

1966

Pioneering photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn dies

1967

Town’s first Traffic Wardens

1971

Daniel Allen’s store, Station Road closed. Read more

1973

Opening of the North Wales Police Headquarters

1974

Borough of Colwyn and county of Clwyd created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The Borough of Colwyn incorporated the former Borough of Colwyn Bay, the Urban District Council of Abergele and the Rural District Councils of Aled and

1980

December. Amusement Park (formerly Pat Collins’) closed. Read more

1981

Leisure Centre opened by H.R.H. Princess Margaret. Read more

1984

Visit of Her Majesty the Queen

1984

Llanddulas landfill site opened by the Secretary of State for Wales

1985

Opening of the Colwyn Bay section of the A55 Expressway

1985

Visit to Colwyn of their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales

1987

Bay View Shopping Centre opened. Colwyn Bay Town Centre – new shopping precinct and pedestrian way opened. Read more

1988

English Baptist Church sanctuary opened to accommodate expanding membership. Church name changed to Princes Drive Baptist Church. Read more

1989

Andrew Fraser Memorial Clock presented to the town. Read more

1996    Conwy County Borough Council formed:  The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996 by merging the districts of Aberconwy and Colwyn  when it was originally named Aberconwy and Colwyn.  However, its council renamed the district a day

1988

Final season of the miniature railway along the promenade. Read more

2016

Christmas. The demolition of the government buildings on the corner of Conwy Road and Coed Pella Road is nearing completion. Read more

In 1898 the Council erected 24 lamps to illuminate the East Promenade, powered by a generating plant built in Ivy Street.  Electricity supply by the Council to private consumers commenced on 1 January 1900, and proved so successful that the