Henblas Street

Looking down Henblas Square along the street from Queen Street
Native name	Stryt Henblas (Welsh)
Part of	Wrexham city centre
Location	Wrexham, Wales

Henblas Street is a street in Wrexham city centre, North Wales, with Henblas Square, a pedestrianised square at its centre. Located alongside the square is Tŷ Henblas (Welsh for 'Henblas House'), a 20th century retail development, on the site of Wrexham's former Vegetable Market. The street continues towards Chester Street, passing the General Market and Butchers' Market.

Henblas Square is a shopping complex and pedestrian area in Wrexham city centre. The main unit of the complex is Tŷ Henblas (Welsh for 'Henblas House').

Before construction in the 1990s, the site was home to old markets until they were demolished. This formed a "large hole" in the centre of Wrexham, and locally became known as "the bomb site".^[1]

The shopping complex was constructed in October 1999, and opened by Tim Vincent.^[1] It is two storeys containing two large retail units, six smaller retail units, two kiosks and office space.^[2]

By 2015, the development had become a "ghost avenue", with many vacant units.^[3] The first major loss being T. J. Hughes in 2011, as the company went into administration.^[4] Another major occupant, British Home Stores (BHS) also went into administration, closing their Henblas Street unit in 2016.^[5]

In 2017, the complex was bought by MCR Property.^[6]

In 2018, the council approved the development of flats on the upper floors of the empty retail units.^[7] However the council later withdrew permission in April 2019 when the developer asked their affordable housing obligations be reduced. The developer appealed the withdrawal of permission and later won.^[8] The developer also reduced rents in 2018 to entice new occupants^[4] and announced an investment of £4 million. They also called for the reduction of government-set business rates to encourage occupancy, threatening to "board up" the site if no action was taken.^[9][10]

In 2019, Sports Direct moved into the former BHS unit.^[11]

In 2021, the retail parts of the Henblas Street development were put on sale.^[12]

In 2022, funding was announced for the adjacent General Market and Butchers' Market, with it hoped the old Hippodrome site and the two markets can form a "market quarter" in Wrexham.^[13]

The Hippodrome was a former theatre and cinema on Henblas Street, Wrexham, North Wales.

The site was first home to Birmingham Square, later known as Union Square. The site was occupied by Birmingham traders to serve as a marketplace to sell their hardware goods^[14][15] during Wrexham's annual March Fairs. The market was composed of a gallery containing shops surrounding a middle open space. The market was roofed in 1873, forming a new building, and given the name Union Hall at around the same time. By then it contained 52 shops. It was later referred to as the Public Hall, especially following the building's purchase by the Wrexham Public Hall and Corn Exchange Company in 1878. The company converted the building into a hall for the intended purpose of serving as a corn exchange, however, it instead served as an assembly room for public meetings and a theatrical and entertainment space.^[16][17]

The Public Hall formed the central part of a commercial block, which also included a sweet factory, printing works, a warehouse, a bonded store, an old Masonic Hall, an Exchange Club, and multiple small offices. The buildings contained many passages to the point it was described as a "veritable warren".^[17][16] The Public Hall was destroyed in a fire in 1906/07.^[17][16]

A new building called the New Opera House & Public Hall was opened on 1 July 1909, to the designs of Chester architects Messrs Davies & Sons.^[17][18] Its two-storey exterior was a plain brick front, while its auditorium contained a curved balcony with frontal Baroque style ornamentation. However, the stage itself was "quite small" and in the shape of a triangle.^[18]

In 1911, it was renamed the Wrexham Hippodrome or the Hippodrome Theatre. It was renamed again in 1920 as the Hippodrome Cinema, re-opening on 9 September 1920. The theatre closed in November 1959.^[17][18] It was described as the last of Wrexham's five music halls, alongside the Majestic (now Elihu Yale pub) and the Empire (now part of Saith Seren).^[19] On 13 June 1961, it re-opened as the Cine Variety House following years of alterations and renovations. Later in the 20th century, live theatre was no longer hosted in the building, instead it was converted into a cinema in 1988. In 1998, the cinema closed.^[17][18]

It then stood empty and up for sale, until in 2004, the Hippodrome was bought by a property developer, however its future was uncertain. There were local campaigns to save the building from re-development giving it listed building status and have it re-opened, including support from comedian Ken Dodd. Wrexham council however commenced plans for a new purpose-built theatre for Wrexham instead.^[17][18][19] By 2006, planning consent was granted to demolish the building and construct commercial units on the 719-square-metre (7,740 sq ft) site.^[20]

On 16 June 2008, a major fire caused extensive damage to the building.^[17][21] In March/April 2009 the building was demolished.^[18][22]

After being put on sale multiple times,^[20][19] in 2022, the council purchased the site.^[23] In 2022, funding was announced for the adjacent General Market and Butchers' Market, with it hoped the old Hippodrome site and the two markets can form a "market quarter" along the street in Wrexham.^[13] In October 2023, Rob McElhenney, submitted proposals for the development of a new park on the old Hippodrome site. McElhenney dedicated it as a "gift" for Ryan Reynolds, of which the pair co-own Wrexham A.F.C.^[24]

The Ryan Rodney Reynolds Memorial Park is a proposed park on the street located on the old Hippodrome site.

It was announced in October 2023, by Rob McElhenney, stating that he planned to submit proposals for the park. McElhenney dedicated it as a birthday "gift" for Ryan Reynolds, of which the pair co-own Wrexham A.F.C. McElhenney announced the news on social media, stating that "This park will be beautiful. We'll have open green spaces, pop-up restaurants, we'll have movie screenings, there will be actual green lanterns, benches for old guys to swing on and a statue which may or may not look like Ryan." The accompanying social media video included an appearance of American actor Chris Pratt.^[24] The project is coined as the "Unofficial Department of Parks & Wrex",^[25][26] a spin on the Parks and Recreation TV series in which Pratt stars.

In March 2024, a public consultation was held at Tŷ Pawb for local residents to express their views on the proposal.^[26]

Xplore! is a science discovery centre located on Henblas Square. A relocation of the then called Techniquest Glyndŵr centre located at the Glyndwr University Plas Coch campus since 2003,^[27] it opened its relocated site on Henblas Square on 3 October 2020,^[28]

Proposals for the move date to December 2014, when Techniquest Glyndŵr was reported to be potentially looking for a then stated second location in Wrexham city centre, with the former 31,000 sq ft (2,900 m²) T. J. Hughes building on Henblas Street, vacant since 2011,^[29] rumoured as a potentially second location for the centre.^[27]

In February 2018, Techniquest Glyndŵr signed a 12-month agreement with the owners, MCR Property Group, of the former TJ Hughes store in Henblas Square, as well as Wrexham council and Wrexham University, to potentially occupy the building.^[30][31][32] On 23–25 August 2018, Techniquest Glyndŵr hosted a pop-up science event at the former TJ Hughes building on Henblas Street, collaborating with the Royal Air Force to celebrate its 100th anniversary.^[33]

In May 2019, plans for the Henblas Square site were revealed, including hopes to turn the area into an "interactive science park", as well as re-instating a "public right of way" between Henblas Street and Chester Street. The centre had hosted various pop-up events in the Henblas Street building on a short-term basis, maintaining its university site, but in May 2019 it applied to Wrexham County Borough Council stating it planned to make the relocation permanent.^[34][35][36]

On 20 June 2019, Techniquest Glyndŵr formally announced its plans to fully relocate to and buy the freehold of the Henblas Street site in Wrexham city centre. The plan was approved by Wrexham Council on 29 June^[37] after the centre secured £2.5 million in funding for the project from the Inspiring Science Fund, Welsh Government and Wrexham council.^[36][38][39] Techniquest Glyndŵr's site at Wrexham Glyndŵr University's campus would now be replaced under the proposals.^[36][40]

The centre contains 100 new exhibits, totalling 111 exhibits,^[41][42] a 45-seat^[43] cafe and gift shop at opening on Henblas Street. Funding for the £2.8 million was supported by UK Research and Innovation, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Wellcome Trust's Inspiring Science Fund (£1.75 million), Wrexham Glyndŵr University, and a local partnership, the Targeted Regeneration Investment programme, between Wrexham County Borough Council and the Welsh Government (£750,000).^[44][45][46]

The Butchers' Market has an entrance on the street, alongside its High Street entrance. The Henblas Street entrance was constructed in 1880, and at the same time, the market was expanded. Adjacent, on the left, to this entrance is 40 Henblas Street which was built at the same time.^[47]

Located opposite the Butchers' Market, is the main entrance to the General Market and buildings adjacent to it (including the public conveniences) that were constructed in the same style as the General Market. They were constructed in 1879.^[47]

These include 21 to 29a Henblas Street and the Public Conveniences, which were built as part of the market's development. The General Market's glass roof can be seen above the shop fronts of 21 to 29a and from the ground floor of the public conveniences. The shopfront façades are made of Ruabon Red Brick with terracotta dressings, as well as containing another entrance to the General Market. The Public Conveniences is also built of the same material but contains a decorative glass fanlight above the door with the term "Ladies Cloakroom".^[47]

No. 40 is a Grade II listed building on Henblas Street. It was built in 1848 and designed by Thomas Penson. Its rear was extended in c. 1880. It is next to the rear entrance of the Butchers' Market.^[48]