A View from Northop

10/04/2017

The Old Brewery Northop

A famous brewery of note in this area, founded in 1844 by John Fox was the Castle Hill Brewery of Ewloe. The brewery supplied a number of public houses in Northop too. You may not know that ‘The Maltings’ at Swndwr Farm was part of Castle Hill Brewery. The Maltings is situated just off the Connah’s Quay Road and is now a Grade II listed building now used as private residences.

This building formed part of the Soughton Hall Estate. In 1878 it is recorded that John Scott Bankes of Soughton Hall further leased the building for 21 years to the Castle Hill Brewery for £235.00 a year. The building then contained a malt-kiln with sectioned malt-houses and storage areas for use by the Castle Hill Brewery.

The Maltings seen in the image here is one of the largest buildings in Northop and dates to the later 18th century. It was enlarged and raised by one storey in 1824.

27/03/2017

Favourite Old Photo - The Boot in 1910

06/11/2016

Only a few more weeks and Northop Church will have its annual light show. It's a great sight with the lights on in the winter darkness - shame it's not lit up a bit more often.

09/01/2016

Well worth a visit to see this inside Northop Church - usually open most days to take a look around.

07/01/2016

...following on from yesterday.

Looking back at Northop's Old Grammar School from the Church Tower this time.

Note to the right just at the edge of the church roof is a well hidden chimney - part of the church structure. A relic of the Victorian age when solid fuel was used to warm the church.

06/01/2016

If you were lucky enough to be educated at Northop Free School (The Grammar School) the view you see here would have been the same for bored pupils sitting at their desk 400 years and more ago.

The intention to establish a ‘free school’ in Northop was expressed in the Last Will and Testament (written on 31st January 1606) of the Reverend George Smith who died on 4 March 1608. The Will was proven on 13 April 1608 and by May
1608 the site on which the Old Grammar School now stands was bought.

Rev’d Smith’s Will stated:

“I am determined by the permission and sufferance of Almighty God, as much as in me lyeth to erect and maintain a free school, to continue for ever, for the teaching and bringing up in learning of poor scholars, and to give some maintenance and relief unto some fatherless children.”

The Will sold off the Rev’d Smith’s estate and £600.00 (a lot in those days) was invested. From this investment £20 was to be used for paying a schoolmaster at Northop and £10 was allocated for the maintenance of five poor boys from the parishes of Northop, Flint, Whitford, Cwm and St. Asaph.

The selected scholars were to be orphans or fatherless, and to be between the ages of nine and fifteen. Each was to receive £2 for four years. The Bishop of St. Asaph was to have the right of nomination, appointment and dismissal of the schoolmaster, who was to be 'a discreet man, honest and sufficient, as well for his learning as his behaviour.’

The Old Grammar School in Northop is the oldest Grammar School in Wales and now lies unused and empty…what happened to Rev’d Smith’s wish that it be used ‘forever.’

05/01/2016

Northop Ford just behind The Boot...drove a Triumph Herald estate car through there in the 70's and came out in one piece...nowadays methinks that once in you'd never get out!

04/01/2016

Oh for those warm skies back!
Incidentally..to the left of the tree can be seen the top of Connah's Quay Power Station, just to the right on the horizon are the oil refinery chimneys on the Mersey and far right from Northop Church is Highfield Hall. Maes Celyn in the foreground.

01/01/2016

Our little abode in the snow a few years back. Hopefully not too many headaches out there this morning. :-)

31/12/2015

28/12/2015

We couldn't forget March 2013 could we!