I.

Introduction

Vale of Glamorgan (Welsh, Bro Morgannwg), county borough and unitary authority, South Wales, bounded on the north-west by the county borough of Bridgend, on the north by the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, on the north-east by the county of Cardiff, and on the south by the Bristol Channel. The county borough came into existence on April 1, 1996, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1994, which changed the structure of local administration in Wales from a two-tier system of county and district councils to a single-tier system of unitary authorities. It comprises the district of Vale of Glamorgan in the south and centre of the former county of South Glamorgan, plus, in the north-west, some 20 sq km (7.7 sq mi) which were transferred from the Ogwr district of Mid Glamorgan. The remainder of Ogwr district forms the county borough of Bridgend. However, Bridgend unitary authority disputed the new boundaries and requested the return of the transferred Ogwr district territory. The Boundary Commission reviewed the situation in 1997 and ruled that there should be no further change to the boundary with Bridgend and that the disputed area should remain in the Vale of Glamorgan. Before 1974, when South and Mid Glamorgan were created under the local government reorganization implemented in that year, the territory covered by the Vale of Glamorgan county borough was part of the county of Glamorgan. The Vale of Glamorgan has an area of 337 sq km (130 sq mi).

II.

Land and Resources

The Vale of Glamorgan is not really a valley, but rather a fertile plateau area varying in height from 60 to 120 m (200 to 400 ft) and drained by several small rivers. The landscape, which is formed on rocks that are soft and easily eroded, comprises rolling farmland reminiscent of the English Midlands, both in the land formation and in the settlement pattern of villages centred around a church. The Vale of Glamorgan ends abruptly at the coast in cliffs 30 m (100 ft) high, which frequently break off into the sea. At Penarth Head, the layers of rock that make up the area can be seen. A 23-km (14-mi) stretch of the borough’s coastline (extending into the county borough of Bridgend) has been designated as the Glamorgan Heritage Coast by the Countryside Council for Wales.

The climate is moderate, with average temperatures of 4° C (38° F) in January and 20° C (68° F) in July. Average annual rainfall is in the region of 750 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in).

III.

Population and Administration

The population of the county borough is 119,293 (2001). Only about 6.5 per cent of the population speaks Welsh. The chief towns are the port of Barry (population, 1991, 49,887), which is also the administrative centre of the unitary authority, Cowbridge (1991, 3,682), Llantwit Major (1991, 12,909), and Penarth (1991, 23,434).

The police authority is the South Wales Constabulary, which has its headquarters in the town of Bridgend.

IV.

Places of Interest

Some 6 km (4 mi) north of Barry, and not far from the 20-hectare (50-acre) Dyffryn Gardens, is St Lythans, where there are two Neolithic burial sites, some 2,500 years old. Near Rhoose International Airport, a short distance west of Barry, is Porthkerry Country Park, a valley with wooded hills and cliffs. Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, near Penarth, is one of the borough’s most popular visitor attractions, with over 90 hectares (222 acres) of lakes, woodlands, and meadows. A medieval village was excavated in the park in the 1980s and the ancient community has been recreated as a living heritage project, with costumed villagers working the land and specially bred livestock and cattle of the Middle Ages occupying the paddocks and fields. At Llantwit Major a church with a 1,000-year-old font stands on the site of the monastery. From the headland of Nash Point, on the coast west of Llantwit Major, the Gower Peninsula can be seen across Swansea Bay, and the English counties of Somerset and Devon across the Bristol Channel.

V.

Economy

Agriculture has been the main economic activity of the Vale of Glamorgan for many generations, but manufacturing and service industries are growing rapidly. Barry, where the docks are being redeveloped, is also a centre for a number of chemical concerns. Penarth Dock has been converted into a marina. The county borough's business concerns include major vehicle engineering and alternator plants; a power station; cement works; Rhoose International Airport, which serves the city of Cardiff; and television studios. Tourism is of considerable importance, especially at Barry Island, Penarth, and Llantwit Major.

VI.

History

The Romans, who had conquered the area by about ad 75, built the Via Julia Maritima, a military road from Gloucester in England to St David's in Pembrokeshire, with a way-station within the Vale of Glamorgan county borough—possibly at Cowbridge. After the departure of the Romans in about ad 400, the area was the scene of feuds among local princes, of invasions by Anglo-Saxons, and of raids by Vikings. This part of South Wales was converted to Christianity at an early date, possibly in the 2nd century; during the first half of the 6th century a major monastery and university was founded by St Illryd at Llantwit Major. The university eventually vanished, following the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. The Normans arrived late in the 11th century. During the English Civil War, the area had strongly Royalist sympathies, but was quickly overcome by Parliamentary forces.