Актон (Уэльс): История и современность пригорода Врексама.

Community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales

Acton (Gwaunyterfyn) is a suburb and community in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It spans the north eastern part of Wrexham. The area is largely residential and at its centre, lies Acton Park (Parc Gwaunyterfyn / Parc Acton), the location of the former Acton Hall.

The name 'Acton' is thought to have been a corruption of 'Oak Town'. The English name is at odds with the field names making up the demesne land of the former Acton Park estate which were overwhelmingly Welsh in origin e. g. 'Cae Clomendu' (pigeon house field). The area is known in Welsh as 'Gwaunyterfyn' (boundary meadow or moor). Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor granted land in this area to the monks of Valle Crucis Abbey in 1202 and the charters of Valle Crucis for 1200 and 1222 mention abbey lands at 'Actun'. Under the civil administration, the civil parish of Acton, based on the old township's boundaries, was part of the Wrexham Rural District, but was abolished in 1935 and parts were transferred to the civil parishes of Bieston and Wrexham Regis. All the latter structures were abolished under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972. In 1985, a Boundary Commission review led to the creation of four new community areas within Wrexham itself, Acton, Rhosddu, Offa, and Caia Park, each of which would have their own community council. The community of Acton covers approximately and comprises the electoral divisions (wards) of Acton (Acton Central & Acton Park), Borras Park, Little Acton, Maesydre and Rhosnesni. The southernmost tip of the community area is on the corner of Chester Street and Charles Street in the city centre, and is bounded by Chester Road to the west, Holt Road to the south east and the Llanypwll link road (A5156) to the north east. At the 2001 census, it was the most populous community in the county borough with 12,960 people in 5,412 households. The area neighbours the communities of Rhosddu to the west, Caia Park to the south, Holt to the east and Gresford to the north.

At the geographical centre of Acton lies Acton Park, the location of the former Acton Hall. The central feature of the park is the lake. It was originally constructed using puddled clay in the 18th century but during the 1970s, the pond was drained and butyl lined. Fishing is popular on the lake with platforms provided for anglers. (The lake is closed for fishing during the Wildfowl nesting period). A wetland area exists and supports a diverse range of wildlife. A designated area managed to benefit wildlife as one of the Wrexham Bio diversity Action Plan 'Urban Green Space' areas. Native wild meadow flowers have been planted within the existing grassed areas to assist in providing habitats for insects and other fauna, increasing the bio diversity of the parkland. In 2008, Wrexham County Borough Council secured Heritage Lottery Funding to allow them to prepare design proposals for the refurbishment of the park, the ideas that have been drawn up so far are in the early stages but they include a Discovery Centre, Lakeside Pavilion and extending the bowling greens. A nearly 500 year old sweet chestnut tree in the park was voted UK's Tree of the Year in 2023.

From 30 July 1920 until 1970, about half of the park was developed as an area for housing. The remaining of the original estate forms the majority of the present day park. The site of the original hall had been in use for several years as a waste disposal site for local residents, but in 2005 a residential development was built in the style of the original hall consisting mainly of flats with a small number of houses within the original boundaries of Acton Hall.

The community is divided into five electoral wards – Acton, Borras, Little Acton, Maesydre and Rhosnesni – which each elect a councillor to Wrexham County Borough Council. There is also an elected community council with 16 community councillors representing six community wards (the Acton county ward being subdivided into Acton Central and Acton Park).