Prehistory There is evidence that the current town location has been occupied since
prehistoric times. Prehistoric tools found in the caves of
Graig Fawr, in the nearby village of
Meliden, have revealed the existence of early human habitation in the area.
Roman Among a housing estate in the north of the town, there is a
Roman bathhouse which may have been part of a
fort on the
road from
Chester to
Caernarfon. It was probably built by the
Twentieth Legion around 120, and expanded around 150, as shown by stamped tiles with either the legion's name, or its boar insignia. Its cold plunge-bath was fed by a wooden
aqueduct channel, while, nearby, the traces of timber buildings, as well as three bronze-smiths' workshops, have been found. The bathhouse was found in 1934, and when the housing estate was built in 1984, it was excavated and preserved. However, much of the rest of Roman Prestatyn has been destroyed as houses have been built over unexcavated land, so that the "Prestatyn Roman Bathhouse" is the only visible remnant of it.
Medieval Prestatyn was included in the
Domesday Book since it was at that time under English control. An earth mound, visible in fields to the east of the railway station, beyond Nant Hall, marks the site of an early wooden
Prestatyn castle, probably built by the
Norman Robert de Banastre about 1157, which was destroyed by the Welsh under
Owain Gwynedd in 1167. The Banastre family then moved to
Bank Hall in
Lancashire. The town appears to have been primarily a fishing village for hundreds of years. The beginning and end of High Street today mark the location of two 'maenolau' (or
manor houses) called Pendre (translated as "end of" or "top of town") and Penisadre ("lower end of town").
19th century to present The town's population remained at less than 1,000 until the arrival of the
railways and the holidaymakers in the 19th and 20th centuries. "Sunny Prestatyn" became famous for its beach, clean seas and promenade entertainers, and visiting for a bathe was considered very healthy by city-dwelling
Victorians. During the
Second World War the
holiday camps were used as billets for British soldiers, many of whom were also sent to live with locals. Prestatyn was the home of the first UK
Kwik Save supermarket in 1965, as well as the firm's business headquarters. The Kwik Save store was renamed
Somerfield following a takeover in 2007, and was finally demolished in 2008 when surrounding land was bought by
Tesco. The
North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm was opened in 2003. Situated in
Liverpool Bay, 5 miles (8 km) off the coast of Prestatyn, it was the UK's first major offshore wind farm. It has 30
wind turbines with a combined maximum capacity of 60
megawatts – enough to power 40,000 homes. ==Facilities and attractions==