Editing Colwyn Bay (section)

== History ==
The western side of Colwyn Bay, [[Rhos-on-Sea]], includes a number of historic sites associated with [[Saint Trillo|St Trillo]] and [[Ednyfed Fychan]], the 13th century general and councillor to [[Llywelyn the Great]].

The name 'Colwyn' may be named after Collwyn ap Tangno, an 11th century nobleman who was Lord of Eifionnydd, Ardudwy and part of the Llŷn peninsula,<ref>{{Cite book |title=The history of the parishes of Whiteford, and Holywell |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/ecco/004874860.0001.000/1:14.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512175344/https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/ecco/004874860.0001.000/1:14.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext |archive-date=12 May 2018 |website=quod.lib.umich.edu |date = October 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> or after the River Colwyn in Old Colwyn. (In Welsh the word ''Colwyn'' means "puppy" (with the 'w' being a vowel), but ''Collwyn'' (with an alveolar lateral fricative) is a more plausible toponym, meaning "hazel grove" (''llwyn cyll'').)

[[Richard II of England|King Richard II]] (1367–1400) was ambushed in Old Colwyn in 1399 by supporters of [[Henry IV of England|Henry Bolingbroke]] as he returned to England from Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History Points - Penmaen Head, Old Colwyn|url=https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=penmaen-head-old-colwyn|access-date=2021-08-23|website=historypoints.org}}</ref>

[[File:(Pier and Pavillion, Colwyn Bay, Wales) (LOC) (3751644619).jpg|thumb|left|"Pier and Pavilion, Colwyn Bay, Wales", ca. 1890 - 1900.]]
[[Colwyn Bay railway station]] opened in 1849 on the [[Chester and Holyhead Railway]]. The station was initially just called Colwyn, but was renamed Colwyn Bay in 1876.<ref>{{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 |page=67 }}</ref> As with nearby [[Llandudno]] and [[Rhyl]], Colwyn Bay grew rapidly following the arrival of the railway, becoming a seaside holiday town, conveniently accessible for the large towns in north-west England. Much of the area around Colwyn Bay station was owned by the Pwllycrochan Estate. From 1875 onwards, the estate actively sought to develop its land, selling building plots for development whilst retaining some control over the nascent town.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://colwynbayheritage.org.uk/category/history/ |website=Colwyn Bay Heritage Group |access-date=13 March 2025}}</ref>

Britain's first [[milk bar]] branch of the National Milk Bar company of [[Robert William Griffiths]] was opened in Colwyn Bay in 1933<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sherlock |first1=Gemma |title=The cafe that is now the very last of its kind |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8pe5q5q5zo |website=BBC |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 May 2025}}</ref>.

During [[World War II]] the Colwyn Bay Hotel, Marine Road (now demolished) was the headquarters of the Ministry of Food. This also housed the Cocoa & Chocolate division and was the communications hub for the ministry. They continued to use the hotel until 1953.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History Points - Site of Colwyn Bay Hotel|url=https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=site-of-colwyn-bay-hotel|access-date=2021-08-23|website=historypoints.org}}</ref> Colwyn also supported the war effort by becoming a significant location for the diamond cutting and polishing industry, which was used to help fund the war effort.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History Points - Site of wartime diamond factory, Colwyn Bay|url=https://historypoints.org/index.php?page=site-of-wartime-diamond-factory-colwyn-bay|access-date=2021-08-23|website=historypoints.org}}</ref>