While you may not have heard of Cilcain, located just outside Mold in Flintshire, it is one of those places where “houses come on the market only rarely and prices are always bullish”.
And for good reason, as The Times explains: “You get to put down roots in a village that’s surprisingly convenient for somewhere that feels so remote.”
You probably haven’t heard of these communities — and that’s part of their charm. Tim Palmer visits the friendliest and prettiest under-the-radar spots to move to. https://t.co/7IeMF0oFXc
— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) September 8, 2024
“The bright lights of Mold are a short drive away, Wrexham a little bit further and Chester within 40 minutes.
“There’s walking and fishing on the doorstep and plenty happening in the village too — with the volunteer-run community shop and café at the heart of it.
“There’s a pub, a school, and an oil syndicate that gets together to buy fuel at the cheapest possible rate.”
The small village, that has a population of under 2,000 people, even has its own annual show and Mountain Race.
Cilcain was named among the best ‘secret’ villages in the UK back in 2024 by The Times .
The renewed church in Cilcain that sat abandoned for 100 years
Cilcain also has its own church, which boasts quite an interesting history.
St Mary’s Church is thought to date back to the 13th century, with the first mention of it around 1291, according to Coflein.
The north aisle was damaged during a fire in 1532, the Cilcain Today website says, and as a result, the church stood without a roof for 210 years until the 18th century, when the vicar of the time paid for it to be refurbished.
RECOMMENDED READING:
But in 1888, it fell into disuse and was left abandoned for more than 100 years before being renewed recently.
St Mary’s Church (south aisle) is now open every day (north aisle only on special occasions).
It is used for social meetings and weekly communion on a Wednesday, while services are held on Sunday mornings.