Glamorgan
From Includipedia, the inclusionist encyclopedia
| Image:WalesGlamorganTrad.png | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Area: (1891) | 516,959 (2,092 km²) |
| Rank: | Ranked 2nd |
| Administration | |
| County town: | Cardiff |
| Chapman code: | GLA |
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Template:Lang-cy) is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship[1]. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved counties of West Glamorgan (containing Swansea), Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan (containing Cardiff). The name also survives in that of the county borough of the Vale of Glamorgan.
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[edit] Geography
The county of Glamorgan falls into several distinct regions: the industrial valleys, the agricultural Vale of Glamorgan, and the scenic Gower Peninsula.
The county is bounded to the north by Brecknockshire, east by Monmouthshire, south by the Bristol Channel, and west by Carmarthenshire and Carmarthen Bay. Its total area is 2,100 km²[2], and the total population of the three preserved counties of Glamorgan in 1991 was 1,288,309[3]. In 2001 it was around 1.4 million and in 2007 it is about 1.6-1.7 million. Glamorgan is one of the fastest growing areas in the UK in population[citation needed]. Its highest point is at Craig y Llyn (600 m).
Glamorgan is the most populous[1] and industrialised county in Wales. The northern part of the county is a mountainous area, dissected by deep narrow valleys, with urbanisation typified by ribbon development. At one time the coal industry was dominant, but now there are only two deep mines remaining, Tower Colliery at Hirwaun and the much smaller Aberpergwm Colliery at Glynneath. A third pit, Unity Mine, formerly Pentreclwydau Colliery, is currently being reopened.
The Vale of Glamorgan, a lowland area mainly comprising farmland and small villages stretches across most of the south of the county from Porthcawl to Cardiff. Further west, beyond Swansea, lies the Gower Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty[4].
The major rivers of Glamorgan include the River Taff, the Ely, the Ogmore, the Neath, Dulais, the Tawe, the Rhymney (which forms the border with Monmouthshire), and the Loughor (which forms the border with Carmarthenshire). The main towns include Aberdare, Barry, Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Cowbridge, Maesteg, Merthyr Tydfil, Mountain Ash, Neath, Penarth, Pontypridd, Porthcawl, Port Talbot, and Swansea.
Despite the decline in the coal industry, the area remains heavily populated with a wide and diverse economic base including public administration, agriculture, light industry, manufacturing, service sector, and tourism.[5].
[edit] Places of interest
Places of special interest include:
- Aberdulais Falls
- Barry Island pleasure beach
- Caerphilly Castle
- Cardiff Castle
- Castell Coch, Tongwynlais
- Dare Valley Country Park,
- Dunraven Park, Southerndown
- Ewenny Priory
- Gower Peninsula
- Llandaff Cathedral
- Llantwit Major
- Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagans
- National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
- National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
- Neath Abbey
- Old Beaupre Castle
- Ogmore Castle
- Oxwich Castle
- Margam Country Park,
- Penscynor Wildlife Park, Cilfrew
- Tinkinswood burial chamber
- Vale of Glamorgan Railway
- Weobley Castle, Gower Peninsula
- Windmill Farm, Llansannor
[edit] History
Initially it was founded as an independent petty kingdom named Glywysing. In the 10th century, it became known as Morgannwg after its greatest monarch, Morgan Hen. It was at times united with the neighbouring kingdoms of Gwent and Ergyng[6]. By virtue of its location and geography, Morgannwg was the second part of Wales, after Gwent, to be overrun by the Normans and was frequently the scene of fighting between the Marcher Lords and Welsh princes[7].
[edit] Administration
After the fall of the Welsh Kingdom of Morgannwg to Robert FitzHamon in 1091, the region became the English Lordship of Glamorgan, sometimes called the Lordship of Glamorgan and Morgan because it was divided into the Norman settled Plain or Vale of Glamorgan and the Welsh upland area called Morgannwg, anglicized to Morgan. Both areas were under the control of the Norman Lords of Glamorgan (often the Earls of Gloucester).[7]
In 1535, the first Act of Union attached the Lordship of Gower and Kilvey to Glamorgan and created the historic county of Glamorgan.[8]. An administrative county of Glamorgan was created under the Local Government Act 1888, excluding Swansea and Cardiff, which were independent county boroughs. They were soon joined by Merthyr Tydfil.[9] The county's coat of arms, granted in 1950, is 'Or, three chevronels gules between three Tudor roses gules and argent', and is adapted from those of the De Clare Marcher Lords. The county motto is: A Ddioddefws A Orfu (He who suffered has conquered)[10].
Under the Local Government Act 1972, the administrative county of Glamorgan was abolished on April 1, 1974, with three new counties being established, each containing a former county borough - West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan. It has now been further subdivided into several unitary authorities. The South Wales Police force covers an area that is similar to Glamorgan.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ↑ a b BBC Wales: South East: Glamorgan
- ^ 999 Glamorgan: About Glamorgan
- ^ Office of National Statistics: 1991 Census County Monitor (Wales)
- ^ City and County of Swansea: Gower - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica Online: Glamorgan
- ^ Wendy Davies. (1982). Wales in the Early Middle Ages. London: Leicester University Press
- ↑ a b William Rees. (1951). An Historical Atlas of Wales. Cardiff: University College
- ^ Laws in Wales Act 1535
- ^ A Vision of Britain through Time: Relationships/Unit History of Merthyr Tudful
- ^ International Civic Heraldry: Glamorgan
- ^ Your Police: Our Plan 2007-2008
[edit] External links
cy:Sir Forgannwgde:Glamorgan fr:Glamorgan it:Glamorgan no:Glamorgan simple:Glamorgan uk:Ґламорґан
