Religion

St Giles’ Church, Wrexham, the steeple being one of the 7 wonders of Wales

In addition to its medieval stone crosses, sacred wells and local saints, the region boasts of two Cistercian abbeys at Basingwerk and Valle Crucis which played an important role in local life until their dissolution by Henry VIII.  Despite the Bishops of St. Asaph playing a leading role in moves to translate the bible into Welsh as part of the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic faith remained stubbornly embedded in the region for some time, as evidenced by the martyrdoms of William Davies (d.1593) and Richard Gwyn (d.1584).

As well as the cathedral at St. Asaph, the region plays host to the characteristic double-naved churches of the Vale of Clwyd and the so-called "Stanley Churches" at places including Gresford, Mold and Wrexham.  The hundreds of chapels – often four or five in a single village and at times catering for huge congregations – attest to the immense strength of Non-conformity in the region from the 18th to the 20th century, promoted by ministers such as Thomas Jones of Denbigh (1756-1820).