Conwy Scout Collection

Records of Conwy District scouting also including records of the various former scouting districts now part of the Conwy District such as Llandudno District and Colwyn Bay and Abergele District. The collection also contains records of individual scout groups within the district as well as records relating to Rowen camp site and scouting publications. The records are a mixture of administrative records and memorabilia including reminiscences, histories and photographs. The materials were gathered together by Brian Gregson, the Conwy Scout leader given a remit by the Scouting movement to gather materials and memories of the history of scouting in the area.

Scouting in the UK is divided into districts and within districts into individual scout groups. Each scout group may contain one or all of the following; a beaver scout colony, a cub pack, a scout troop and explorer scouts. These sections have not all been in existence since 1907 and have not always existed under the same names.

Scouting in the area that is now Conwy County Borough began in Colwyn Bay in 1908. Conwy County was at that time divided into Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire and by 1913 there were scouting districts of Llanfairfechan, Conwy, Llandudno and Conwy Valley within Caernarfonshire and scouting districts of Llanrwst, Colwyn Bay and Abergele within Denbighshire. In 1974 two new counties, Gwynedd and Clwyd were created and by that that time there were only three scout districts within the area, Aberconwy and Llandudno Districts in Gwynedd and Colwyn and Abergele District in Clwyd. The County Borough of Conwy came into existence in 1994 and by 1999 the previous scout districts had been reorganised into one district that matched the new County Borough boundaries.

This collection is open for research. Access to some documents may be restricted due to Data Protection legislation, Conwy Archives will advise where this is the case. For details and opening hours see http://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident/Libraries-Museums-and-Archives/Archives/Archives.aspx.

Deposited on loan by Brian Gregson in October and November 2010. Further deposits were made by Brian Gregson in November 2012 of material gifted to him by John Tucker and by Ray Castle in 2016.

Further scouting photographs deposited by Brian Gregson are in CP368, DVDs are in CPF15 and audiotapes in CXT7. Mr Gregson also deposited a collection of scouting uniforms and medals with the Archive but they will be transferred to the Conwy Museum Service. Some items relating to William McMurray, an early scout leader in the area are in CX362.