Prestatyn, United Kingdom
Prestatyn is a town of 19,085 people in Wales, United Kingdom.
Why visit Prestatyn
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 60 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Dyserth Waterfall, Scala Cinema, Prestatyn Castle and Big Pool Wood.
Weather in Prestatyn
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Prestatyn
Prestatyn (; ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085.
From the Wikipedia article Prestatyn (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Prestatyn on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do4
Dyserth Waterfall
Waterfall · 2.5 mi
Waterfall in Denbighshire, Wales
Museums and landmarks18
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Restaurants and cafes60
48 more on the map.
History
There is evidence that the current town location has been occupied since prehistoric times. Prehistoric tools found in the caves of Graig Fawr, in the nearby village of Meliden, have revealed the existence of early human habitation in the area.
Among a housing estate in the north of the town, there is a Roman bathhouse which may have been part of a fort on the road from Chester to Caernarfon. It was probably built by the Twentieth Legion around 120, and expanded around 150, as shown by stamped tiles with either the legion's name, or its boar insignia. Its cold plunge-bath was fed by a wooden aqueduct channel, while, nearby, the traces of timber buildings, as well as three bronze-smiths' workshops, have been found. The bathhouse was found in 1934, and when the housing estate was built in 1984, it was excavated and preserved. However, much of the rest of Roman Prestatyn has been destroyed as houses have been built over unexcavated land, so that the "Prestatyn Roman Bathhouse" is the only visible remnant of it.
Read more of the history
Prestatyn was included in the Domesday Book since it was at that time under English control. An earth mound, visible in fields to the east of the railway station, beyond Nant Hall, marks the site of an early wooden Prestatyn castle, probably built by the Norman Robert de Banastre about 1157, which was destroyed by the Welsh under Owain Gwynedd in 1167. The Banastre family then moved to Bank Hall in Lancashire.
The town appears to have been primarily a fishing village for hundreds of years. The beginning and end of High Street today mark the location of two 'maenolau' (or manor houses) called Pendre (translated as "end of" or "top of town") and Penisadre ("lower end of town").
The town's population remained at less than 1,000 until the arrival of the railways and the holidaymakers in the 19th and 20th centuries. "Sunny Prestatyn" became famous for its beach, clean seas and promenade entertainers, and visiting for a bathe was considered very healthy by city-dwelling Victorians. During the Second World War the holiday camps were used as billets for British soldiers, many of whom were also sent to live with locals.
Prestatyn was the home of the first UK Kwik Save supermarket in 1965, as well as the firm's business headquarters. The Kwik Save store was renamed Somerfield following a takeover in 2007, and was finally demolished in 2008 when surrounding land was bought by Tesco.
The North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm was opened in 2003. Situated in Liverpool Bay, 5 miles (8 km) off the coast of Prestatyn, it was the UK's first major offshore wind farm. It has 30 wind turbines with a combined maximum capacity of 60 megawatts – enough to power 40,000 homes.
From the History section of Prestatyn on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Prestatyn
Peggy CumminsIrish actress (1925-2017)Photo: Columbia Pictures . Photographer not credited, Public domain
Harold Bird-WilsonRoyal Air Force air marshals (1919-2000)Photo: Cuthbert Orde, for Air Ministry of..., Public domain- John PrescottBritish politician (1938–2024)
- Barry FlanaganBritish sculptor (1941–2009)
- Neil AspinallRoad manager, personal assistant, producer, executive (1941–2008)
- John GreavesBritish musician and composer
- Mike PetersWelsh musician and lead singer of The Alarm (1959–2025)
- Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of MostynWelsh politician (1941-2003)
- Danny CoyneWelsh footballer and manager (born 1973)
- Karl WallingerWelsh pop and rock musician, songwriter and producer (1957–2024)
- Gordon Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald of GwaenysgorBritish politician (1888-1966)
- Ruth DunningWelsh actress (1911-1983)
Born in Prestatyn, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship15
Festival Church Prestatyn
Church · Pentecostal · 0.6 mi
200 Victoria Road, Prestatyn
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare6
Map of Prestatyn
145 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hawarden Airport (CEG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 miles away.
- Rhyl 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Heswall 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Moreton 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Wallasey 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Prenton 15 mi east, about 24 min by car
- Neston 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Bebington 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Birkenhead 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Liverpool 18 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Bootle 18 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Prestatyn
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Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Views from Bryn Llwyn (230m) 1km East of Prestatyn, Wales - Bryniau Clwyd a Dyffryn Dyfrdwy AONB 03 (cropped), Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rhaeadr Dyserth Waterfall, Sir Ddinbych, Wales - Bryniau Clwyd AONB 13, Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PXL 20210527 094304826, Ttamhew, CC BY-SA 4.0
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