The Alyn, Rossett

The Alyn, Station Road, Rossett

It’s thought that the oldest part of this building – the section fronting onto Chester Road – may originally have been a house. The building became the Alyn Hotel in Victorian times, possibly in response to the increase in local trade after Rossett railway station opened in 1846.

The hotel was named after the river which flows past the property. It was a venue for inquests and auctions.

From 1878 the Alyn Hotel was licensed to Edward Babb, a local councillor and member of the Wrexham Board of Guardians (which ran the local workhouse for poor people). In 1894 he was one of four publicans in the area charged with serving alcohol to two policemen who were technically on duty, because police at that time were never officially off duty. Magistrates thought the law was too harsh, and fined the landlords a token one shilling each.

Mr Babb was found dead, aged 68, on the road one night in July 1910. No crime was suspected.  Earlier that evening he had travelled to Chester in a car, and then started walking back to Rossett.

About the river name:

The river was recorded as Aluni c.1191, Alun in 1337 and Alyn in 1478-79. Many other rivers in Britain have similar names, such as the Aln in Northumberland and Allan in Scotland. In this instance, the al- element may denote meandering. The river is relatively short, rising north of Llangollen and joining the Dee near Holt, but its name is familiar to many because of the Alyn and Deeside Parliamentary constituency.

With thanks to Prof Hywel Wyn Owen, of the Welsh Place-Name Society


Postcode: LL12 0HE     View Location Map

Website of The Alyn