One translation project is the reason a language survived
- William Morgan’s Welsh Bible, 1588
- Standardised Welsh when it had no official status
- A book in every parish
- Population around three and a half thousand
How St Asaph grew
A very small city, and a book that saved a language.
The Welsh Bible is published
William Morgan, later Bishop of St Asaph, translated the whole Bible into Welsh. It is widely credited with saving the language: it standardised Welsh at a moment when it had no official status, gave every parish a book in it, and meant Welsh remained a written language people encountered weekly.
The Bible that kept a language alive
St Asaph is one of the smallest cities in Britain, with a population around three and a half thousand. Its significance is entirely out of proportion to its size, because of William Morgan.
Morgan, later Bishop of St Asaph, translated the whole Bible into Welsh, published in 1588. It is widely credited with saving the language: it standardised Welsh at a moment when it had no official status, gave every parish a book in it, and meant Welsh remained a written language people encountered weekly.
A single translation project, done properly, is the reason a language survived. It is a decent argument for taking the words seriously.
What that means if you trade in St Asaph
With a few thousand residents, no business here lives on the city. The market is the north Wales coast and the Vale of Clwyd — Rhyl, Denbigh, Abergele, St Asaph’s business park.
It is a practical, value-conscious area where being genuinely local is the main differentiator against firms travelling from Chester or Wrexham.
What St Asaph businesses ask us for
The region is the market
Name the coast and the vale. The city alone is far too small.
Welsh language
In Denbighshire it is a real consideration. Decide, and do it properly or not at all.
Local against travelling firms
Proximity is your argument. Make the address obvious.
One of Britain’s smallest cities
St Asaph has a population of around three and a half thousand, which makes almost every commercial assumption about cities wrong here. The resident market is tiny; the surrounding Denbighshire and coastal catchment is what actually sustains local business.
There is a genuine business park and light industrial base on the edge of the city, and the north Wales coast — Rhyl, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay — is close enough to be part of the same trading area. Most businesses here serve a radius, not a city.
Welsh matters. In this part of Wales a bilingual presence is a signal about who you are, not a compliance exercise.
How St Asaph businesses sell
By covering ground. In a city this small, the page has to sell the catchment rather than the address.
Trades and home services
Name the towns across Denbighshire and the coast. Your radius is the offer.
Business park and B2B
A real light-industrial base here. Say what you make or handle and who you supply.
Shops, cafés and hospitality
Passing trade and cathedral visitors. Publish honest hours — a small place notices.
Tourism and accommodation
The coast and the Clwydian hills are close. Be specific about distances.
Why FastSites works here
Morgan’s achievement was doing one job properly and letting everything else follow from it. A single page done properly is the same bet at a smaller scale.
Live in days, published price, built mobile-first. Tell us whether you need Welsh, English or both, and how far you travel.
How well do you know St Asaph?
Five quick questions. Get all five right and you win a 10% off discount code for your website. Every answer is somewhere on this page, so have a read if you get stuck.
St Asaph quiz · 1 of 5
Who translated the whole Bible into Welsh?
Common questions
The simplest one-page site starts at £15 a month, with the website build included and nothing to pay up front. Every plan and its price is published on the pricing page before you speak to anyone.
Sign-up takes about 3 minutes and the build questionnaire about 5. Most sites are then designed and built within 21 hours, and live within days of the brief being answered.
No setup fee and no hidden extras. Your monthly plan covers the website build and hosting. Done-for-you plans have a 12-month minimum term, then you can cancel any time from your dashboard.
Yes — you can upgrade at any time as your business grows, with no need to start over.