We are approaching the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Mold to Denbigh railway line. In the months before closure a remarkable film was made of a journey from Mold to Denbigh which recorded life alongside the railway. The film was made by local rail enthusiast Brian Cowlishaw; it shows a railway that had worked without interruption since it opened in 1869.
The opening of the Mold to Denbigh line in that year was marked with celebrations in communities along the Wheeler Valley. In Afonwen a floral arch spanned the track and flags flew from the mill chimney; in fact Afonwen even changed its name to Caerwys Station to recognise the importance of the event. The speeches that followed the grand opening expressed the belief that the railway would bring both prosperity and opportunity to this corner of Wales. These celebrations were not in vain as the railway transformed Victorian Britain in much the same way as the internet is doing today.
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| Mold Station |
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| The soot is still visible on the Chester Street bridge. |
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From Mold the railway headed west towards Rhydymwyn. The railway served the important Ministry of Defence site close to the village.
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| The traffic waits for the train to pass in Rhydymwyn. | | | | |
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