Bagillt

Bagillt has a population of around 4,200 and is located south-east of Holywell, overlooking the Dee Estuary.

The town was originally part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd in the early medieval period. In the 1st century, Owain Gwynedd and his forces retreated to Bryn Dychwelwch, the "Hill of Retreat", above the village town while being pursued by superior numbers of Henry II. Castell Hen Blas, a motte and bailey castle, lies within the boundaries of Bagillt and was the birthplace in the 13th century of Dafydd ap Llywelyn, Prince of Wales.

Mostyn Hall, the seat of one of the oldest Welsh families, lies close to Bagillt. Parts of the building date from the time of Henry VI in the 15th century. The future Henry VII is said to have been concealed in the hall during the reign of Richard III by the Lord of Mostyn, Richard ap Howel.

By the late 18th century, Bagillt had become a centre of raw-mineral extraction and manufacture with 11 collieries surrounding the town; there were also works that produced and refined zinc, lead and iron. Bagillt already had several quays on the banks of the River Dee where fishing boats had moored for centuries. But by the early 19th century, these has grown into docks where cargo destined for the factories and foundries of England were loaded.