Rhyl sits on the North Wales coast at the mouth of the River Clwyd, roughly 12 miles from Denbigh, and grew from almost nothing into one of Wales's great Victorian seaside resorts. The town developed rapidly in the 1830s and 1840s as sea-bathing tourism took off, helped enormously by its closeness to Liverpool and Manchester; the arrival of the railway in 1848 opened it up to visitors from further afield, including London.
As the resort grew it acquired all the trappings a seaside destination needed: a pier stretching over 2,100 feet out to sea, an artificial boating lake, pleasure rides and a miniature railway. That railway, which has run rides around the Marine Lake since 1911, is reckoned to be the oldest miniature railway in Britain still in operation. The Marine Lake itself was transformed into a Victorian funfair with waterslides in 1895 and remains the only saltwater lake in Wales.
Today Rhyl's two miles of sandy beach, promenade attractions and family rides sit alongside Rhyl Library, Museum and Arts Centre, where an imaginary stroll down an Edwardian pier tells the story of the resort's heyday — from Roman-era bathers to the pioneers of early cinema who once performed here.
Rhyl developed rapidly from the mid-19th century as one of North Wales's principal seaside resorts, its growth driven directly by the arrival of the railway in 1848, which brought day-trippers and holidaymakers from the industrial towns of Lancashire and Cheshire in ever-growing numbers. At its Victorian and Edwardian peak, the town boasted a pier, promenade gardens, and a wealth of guesthouses catering to the booming British seaside holiday trade.
Like many traditional British seaside resorts, Rhyl has reinvented itself over recent decades, and today its long sandy beach, seafront attractions and events still draw day visitors from across North Wales and the North West of England. Its position on the coast, a short drive or train ride from Denbigh, makes it a popular add-on to a Vale of Clwyd visit for anyone wanting a beach afternoon.