
Glamorganshire - Main Page
Historic County of Wales
Welsh: Morgannwg or Sir Forgannwg
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Glamorganshire
Known in Welsh as Morgannwg.
A maritime County bounded N. by Brecknockshire, E. by Monmouthshire, S. by the Bristol Channel, and W. by Carmarthenshire and Carmarthen Bay.
Area 518,865 acres (2,099.77 Sq.km) (1911).
Population 1,120,910 (1911)
Admin. Headquarters Cardiff
Motto: A Ddioddefws a Orfu - He who suffered, conquered
Chapman code GLA
County Flower Yellow Whitlowgrass - Draba aizoides
History
- Succeeded by West Glamorgan
- Mid Glamorgan
- South Glamorgan
The highest point is at Craig-y-llyn (1,969 ft). Glamorgan is the most populous 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 devlopment. Although the coal industry, which shaped these valleys and their communities, has now all but disappeared, this area remains heavily populated with light industry and the service sector now providing the economic base. The Vale of Glamorgan, a lowland area mainly comprising farmland and small villages stretches across most of the S. of the County from Porthcawl to Cardiff. Further W., beyond Swansea, lies the Gower penisula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The major rivers of Glamorgan include the Taff, the Ely, the Ogmore, the Dulais, the Rhymney (which forms the border with Monmouthshire) and the Lougher (which forms the border with Carmarthenshire). The County has a wide and diverse economic base including: public administration, agriculture, light industry, manufacturing, service sector, tourism.
Places of special interest:
- Aberdulais Falls (SS7799);
- Barry Island pleasure beach (ST1066);
- Caerphilly Castle (ST1587);
- Cardiff Castle (ST1876);
- Castell Coch, Tongwynlais (ST1382);
- Ewenny Priory (SS9177);
- Llandaff Cathedral (ST1578);
- Dare Valley Country Park (SN9802);
- Dunraven Park, Southerndown (SS8872);
- Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagans (ST1177);
- National Museum of Wales, Cardiff (ST1776);
- Old Beaupre Castle (ST0072);
- Ogmore Castle (SS8876); Oxwich Castle (SS4986);
- Margam Country Park (SS8086);
- Penscynor Wildlife Park, Cilfrew (SS7699);
- Swansea Maritime and Industrial Museum (SS6592);
- Tinkinswood burial chamber (ST0973); Weobley Castle (SS4792).
The main towns include
- Aberdare,
- Barry,
- Bridgend,
- Cardiff,
- Caerphilly,
- Cowbridge,
- Maesteg,
- Merthyr Tydfil,
- Mountain Ash,
- Neath,
- Penarth,
- Pontypridd,
- Porthcawl,
- Port Talbot,
- Swansea
See Table of Welsh Place names (Table listing where places are in Current [Post 1974/1996] Welsh Counties/Historic Counties
Parish Map
from The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers 1984.
For full size image see South Wales - Phillimore - open the full view and use the magnify tool.