Dyfed

I

Introduction

Dyfed, former county, south-western Wales, bordered on the north by Gwynedd, on the east by Powys, on the south-east by West Glamorgan, on the south by the Bristol Channel, and on the west by Cardigan Bay and St George's Channel. Dyfed was created under the local government reforms of 1974 by the merger of the historic counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire. It ceased to exist on April 1, 1996, reverting back to the pre-1974 counties and borders. This was a result of administrative changes implemented under the Local Government Act 1994, which provided for the replacement of the two-tier system of county and district councils introduced in 1974 by a single-tier system of unitary authorities. Dyfed was the largest county in Wales, with a land area of 5,768 sq km (2,227 sq mi). Carmarthen was the administrative centre of the county.

II

Land and People

The Cambrian Mountains dominated the sparsely populated north-east and east; Plynlimon Fawr (752 m/2,568 ft) in the extreme north-east was the county's highest peak. In the south-east the Brecon Beacons National Park extended into the county, while in the south-west and west the softer country of the Preseli Hills gave way to a broad coastal lowland. The Teifi, Taff, and Ystwyth were the main rivers, reaching the sea at Cardigan Bay, Carmarthen Bay, and Aberystwyth respectively. In the south-west was the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Dyfed’s population was scattered in small, agriculturally based communities. Aberystwyth (1991, 11,154), Carmarthen (1991, 13,524), Llanelli (1991, 44,953), Milford Haven (1991, 13,194), and Pembroke (1991, 6,773) were the main towns. Nearly half the county's population were Welsh speakers. The exception was the Pembroke area, with a strongly English community—the legacy of 12th-century politics. In addition to the county council based in Carmarthen, Dyfed had six district councils: Carmarthen, Ceredigion, Dinefwr, Llanelli, Preseli-Pembrokeshire, and South Pembrokeshire.

III

Economy

Oil refining at Milford Haven was a mainstay of the county's economy. Agriculture was also important, with sheep and hardy cattle in the mountains and valleys of the east and north-east; arable farming along the drier coastal areas; and dairy farming in the central region. Tourism and forestry were significant sectors. Anthracite and hard coal were mined on the extension of the south Wales coalfield in the south-east. Llanelli was the focus of the county's light industry.

IV

History

Dyfed had many prehistoric remains, including Stone Age burial chambers. The Romans built a fortress at Carmarthen but did not establish any permanent settlements or government in the area. Christianity arrived during the Roman era. St David (Welsh, Dewi), patron saint of Wales, founded St David's, now the smallest city in the United Kingdom, in the early 6th century ad. The area was conquered by the Normans in the early 1100s. The counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire evolved during the Norman period. They gained legal status by the 1536 and 1543 Acts of Union between England and Wales, and remained largely unchanged until 1974.