In 2018 we visited Ironbridge, site of the eponymous iron structure. Unfortunately at that time the bridge was being refurbished and swathed in plastic. Last year on our way further south from Gladstone’s Library at Hawarden we returned. Lo and behold the bridge was revealed in all its splendour. A delightful sight.

The iron bridge at Ironbridge (Ironbridge War Memorial to right; see first link above):-

Closer view:-

Reverse view of bridge:-

River Severn from the iron bridge (looking east):-

(Looking west):-

Ironbridge village from the iron bridge:-

River Severn to west:-

River Severn looking to bridge from west:-

Sadly earlier this year the River Severn rose – not for the first time – and overwhelmed the temporary flood barriers that had been erected in an effort to prevent damage.

In 2009 I posted photos of Art Deco buildings in Chester.

Last September we took a trip into the city again from our stop at nearby Hawarden. Since we were approaching the city by a different route I found some more buildings to photograph.

A block of shops on Christleton Road. Some Art Deco style here, roofline, rule of three in main building windows:-

I only noticed the above because I had stopped to photograph Tanner’s Wines. Note horizontals, verticals, glazing, rule of three in frontage, clock.

Frontage:-

Other side view:-

“Sunburst” doors. Deco par excellence:-

In the city centre were a few more buildings I’d missed the previous time.

Body Shop, minor Deco touches, (flat) roof line, rule of three in centre windows:-

Deichman. On the cusp of Deco:-

I managed to get Marks and Spencer this time:-

Detail. Note “sunburst” balcony:-

On the way to Prestatyn and Rhyl we took the North Wales Expressway, aka the A 55. By contrast on the way back to Hawarden, we travelled by the coast road and as a consequence passed through the town of Flint where I spotted this Art Deco style house:-

Seen from right:-

Rule of three in windows to left, canopy, decorative roofline. Windows have been messed about with, though:-

From this angle the flat roof is obvious. The house is rendered in cream rather than the more usual Art Deco white:-

Rear of house:-

We made a trip from Hawarden to the nearby town of Wrexham as we’d never visited there before.

On the way in from the west we passed Glyndwr University (some Art Deco styling) and the Racecourse Ground but I didn’t stop to photograph those till we were on the way back.

In the town centre I found more Art Deco.

Wrexham’s Burton’s has that company’s classic Art Deco style.

Upper part:-

Lower portion:-

Side view:-

Wrexham Victoria Centre, 13 Hill Street, is minor deco; mainly in the pediment:-

McDonald’s occupies a strongly Art Deco building. Strong horizontals and verticals, flat roof, corner window.

Hawarden had an RAF Station established on 1/9/1939. (A friend of ours did part of his National Service there.) I assume that is why there are so many Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves.

These are again CWGC type headstones but with domed top.

Sergeant E A Reakes, RAF, 8/1/1953 aged 28 and Sergeant E F Wheeler, RAF, 8/1/1953, aged 18.

These stones are dated 1955 as I recall, all RAF servicemen. A plane crash?

Jan Machalek, CET Sergeant, Royal Air Force, 3/8/1921 – 26/10/1942:-

These were in Hawarden cemetery No 2.

J Arcimowicz, Polish Forces, 3/1/1945, aged 19 and S Y J Przybylowic, Polish Forces 6/5/1943.

F Wares, Polish Forces, 19/5/1944, age 26 with, behind, S Sowinski, 1/2/1945, age 27 and W W Jaros, 3/11/1943, age 25.

L A Zozoniuk, Polish Forces, 14/10/1942, age 36, E Novakowski, Polish Forces, 11/8/1946, age 43. In background, to left, R Susalski, Polish Forces, 24/1/1942 age 24. (the above named S Sowinski is behind to right):-

Private J Evans, Highland Light Infantry, 11/6/1917, aged 23:-

Private J McDonough, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 14/7/1916:-

Proof, if it were needed, that we did not stand alone from mid-1940 onward.

These graves were in Hawarden Cemetery no 2, across Crosstree Lane from the previous graves in Hawarden I have featured.

Kingdom of the Netherlands. H W Pronk, 2nd Lieutenant GED RAF, 14/11/1917-2/11/1941:-

Kingdom of the Netherlands. P J Van Boxtel, Sergt, VLG.ML.GED. RAF, 26/1/1921-28/10/1941:-

Towards the bottom of the hill going down from St Deiniol’s Churchyard and bordering on Crosstree Lane are two collections of Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstones. All commemorate World War 2, as I recall.

The first is a stitch of two photos to show the layout:-

The second lies beyond the lychgate seen in the first:-