Ruabon

Ruabon
The Vaults public house and the roundhouse, Ruabon
Ruabon
Location within Wrexham
Population4,274 (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSJ303438
Community
  • Ruabon
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWREXHAM
Postcode districtLL14
Dialling code01978
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

Ruabon (Welsh: Rhiwabon; pronounced [r̥ɪʊˈɑːbɔn]) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The name comes from Rhiw Fabon, rhiw being the Welsh word for "slope" or "hillside" and Fabon being a mutation from St Mabon, the original church name, of earlier, Celtic origin. An older English spelling, Rhuabon, can sometimes be seen.

From the mid-19th century, Ruabon became famous across the UK, for its red bricks and terracotta. This earnt the village the nickname "Terracottapolis". The local discovery of high-quality Etruria marl clay led to the rise of the Dennis Ruabon Tile Factory, whose durable and richly coloured products were used nationwide. The tiles were used in landmark projects such as Cardiff's Pier Head and Liverpool University's Victoria Building.

In 2001, more than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales, with 13.6% having some ability in Welsh.