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Vale of Glamorgan

For other uses, seeVale of Glamorgan (disambiguation).

TheVale of Glamorgan(Welsh:Bro Morgannwg[ˈbroːmɔrˈɡanʊɡ]), locally referred to asThe Vale,is acounty boroughin thesouth-eastofWales.It bordersBridgend County Boroughto the west,Cardiffto the east,Rhondda Cynon Tafto the north, and theBristol Channelto the south. With an economy based largely on agriculture and chemicals, it is the southernmostunitary authorityin Wales. Attractions includeBarry Island Pleasure Park,theBarry Tourist Railway,Medieval wall paintings inSt Cadoc's Church, Llancarfan,Porthkerry Park,St Donat's Castle,Cosmeston Lakes Country ParkandCosmeston Medieval Village.The largest town isBarry.Other towns includePenarth,Llantwit Major,andCowbridge.There are many villages in the county borough.

Vale of Glamorgan
Bwrdeistref Sirol Bro Morgannwg(Welsh)
County borough
Coat of arms of Vale of Glamorgan
Coat of arms
Vale of Glamorgan shown within Wales
Vale of Glamorgan shown withinWales
Coordinates:51°27′N03°25′W/ 51.450°N 3.417°W/51.450; -3.417
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryWales
Preserved countySouth Glamorgan
Incorporated1 April 1974
Unitary authority1 April 1996
AdministrativeHQBarry
Government
[1]
• TypePrincipal council
• BodyVale of Glamorgan Council
•ControlNo overall control
•MPs
2 MPs
•MSs
2 MSs
+4regional members
Area
[2]
• Total128 sq mi (331 km2)
• Rank15th
Population
(2022)[2]
• Total133,492
• Rank12th
• Density1,040/sq mi (403/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)UTC+1(BST)
Postcode areas
CF
Dialling codes01656
ISO 3166 codeGB-VGL
GSS codeW06000014
Websitevaleofglamorgan.gov.uk

History

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The area is the southernmost part of the county ofGlamorgan.Between the 11th century and 1536 the area was part of the Lordship of Glamorgan.

In medieval times, the village ofCosmeston,near what is todayPenarthin the south east of the county, grew up around afortified manor houseconstructed sometime around the 12th century by the De Costentin family.[3]The De Costentins, who originated on the Cotentin peninsula in northern France,[4]were among the firstNormaninvaders of Walesin the early 12th century followingWilliam the Conqueror's invasion of neighbouring England in 1066. The village would have consisted of a number of small stone round houses, or crofts, withthatchedroofs.[5]

Clemenstone,to the west, was the seat of several high sheriffs ofGlamorganshire,including John Curre who was known to have occupied the estate in 1712. William Curre, known to have lived in Clemenstone in 1766, was also an occupant ofItton CourtinMonmouthshire.[6]In the early 19th century, Lady Sale née Wynch, wife of SirRobert Sale,spent much of her early life on the Clemenstone Estate.[7]

In 1974, the Vale of Glamorgan Borough was created, with a population of 103,000.[8]The Vale of Glamorgan was a second tierdistrict,part of the new county ofSouth Glamorgan,[8]under theLocal Government Act 1972.It created several problems in local governance, between theSouth Glamorgan County Council,Cardiff City Counciland theVale of Glamorgan Borough Councilowing to their conflicting interests. It was a turbulent time for governance in the city of Cardiff, as for the first time in its history it had to share authority with the county council, which was larger and better resourced.[9]In April 1996, the Vale of Glamorgan became acounty borough(unitary authority) of Wales.[10]

Geography

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Southerndownbeach

Located immediately to the west of Cardiff between theM4 motorwayand theSevern Estuary,the county borough of Vale of Glamorgan covers 33,097 hectares (130 square miles) and has 53 km (33 mi) of coastline. Thephysiographical districtfrom which the modern administrative area derives its name is the slightly larger, generally low-lying area which extends from the River Kenfig in the west, eastwards as far as theRhymney.ThePennant Sandstonescarp forms its northern boundary.[11] The largest centre of population in the borough isBarry(51,502 inhabitants). Other towns includeCowbridge(6,180),Dinas Powys(7,799),Llantwit Major(10,621) andPenarth(22,083).[12]Much of the population inhabits villages, hamlets and individual farms. The area is low-lying, with a maximum height of 137.3 metres (450 ft) above sea level at Tair Onen to the east of Cowbridge.[13]

The borough bordersCardiffto the north east,Rhondda Cynon Tafto the north,Bridgendto the north west and theBristol Channelto the south.

The yellow-grey cliffs on theGlamorgan Heritage Coast(which stretches betweenGilestonandOgmore-by-Sea) are unique on theCeltic Seacoastline (i.e.Cornwall,Wales,Ireland andBrittany) as they are formed of a combination ofLiassiclimestone,shale andCarboniferous Limestone.The rocks were formed between 360 and 200 million years ago when the whole area lay underneath a warm, shallow sea at the start of theJurassicperiod. Thus today the cliffs contain traces of Jurassic sea creatures, such as ammonites. Thecalcium carbonate(limestone) in the soil allows crops to be grown which would be difficult elsewhere in Wales. The Liassic limestone and Carboniferous Limestone are also used in the Vale as building materials; in previous centuries it was taken bysloopsacross the Bristol Channel to North Cornish ports such as Bude,BoscastleandPort Isaacto fertilise Cornwall's poorslatesoils; the hard Devonian slate was brought back from Cornwall as a roofing material for houses in the Vale.

As the Glamorgan Heritage Coast faces westwards out to the Atlantic, it bears the brunt of onshore (westerly and south-westerly) winds: ideal for surfing, but a nuisance for ships sailing up theBristol ChanneltoCardiff.As in North Cornwall and South-West Ireland, the fierce Atlantic gales created ideal conditions fordeliberate shipwrecking,which until 100 years ago was very common along the coast.[citation needed]Nash Point,SoutherndownandOgmore-by-Seahave some of the highest shipwreck victims on the coast of Wales; as recently as 1962 an oil tanker, the BP Driver, crashed into Nash Point during a violent westerly storm, was torn to shreds by the reefs and eventually sank, although the crew were saved by various Bristol Channel lifeboats and helicopters.[14]

Economy

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The Vale of Glamorgan was determined to be the wealthiest area in Wales in a 2003 survey conducted byBarclays Bankthat measureddisposable income.[15]Chemical industries are located to the east of the port of Barry[16]while further inland the main activity is agriculture, especially beef and dairy cattle, with marketing facilities at Cowbridge.[17]

Government

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The Vale of GlamorganUK parliamentandSeneddconstituencies (which do not includePenarthandSullywhich are in the constituency ofCardiff South and Penarth) sway betweenLabourcontrol andConservative Partycontrol in both theSeneddand Westminster. The UK parliament constituency was created in 1983 and the Welsh Assembly (later Senedd) constituency in 1999. There is substantial Labour support in the east of the constituency and in the town ofBarry,and substantial Conservative support in the agricultural area in the west.

Since 1996 local government is led byVale of Glamorgan Council.The Labour Party had a large majority initially, though between 1999 and 2012 the Conservatives were the largest group.[18]Since 2017, there has been no overall political majority on council.

Communities

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All except one (Rhoose) of the Vale'scommunitieselects a community (or town) council,[19]the lowest tier of local government.

Villages and hamlets

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Landmarks

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See also:Listed buildings in the Vale of GlamorganandList of Scheduled Monuments in Vale of Glamorgan

Sport

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Jenner Park Stadium

The principal football club in the Vale isBarry Town United F.C.,of theCymru Premierwho play their home games atJenner Park Stadiumin Barry. The club was founded in 1912 and enjoyed success in the 1990s, when they won theLeague of Walesand theWelsh Cup.The club experienced declining fortunes in the following decade and were relegated toWelsh Football League Division Two,but were promoted toDivision Oneafter winning the league in the 2014–15 season. In 2014 it was announced that Jenner Park stadium would undergo a £350,000 plus development with the laying of a synthetic pitch.[20]There are several other smaller football clubs in the county such asLlantwit Major F.C.,established in 1962,[21]which competes in theCymru South,[22]and Penarth Town AFC in theVale of Glamorgan League.[23]

Rugbyhas a strong presence in the county, though none of its clubs compete in the higher leagues. As of the 2015–6 season,Penarth RFCcompetes in theWRU Division Three South East,Llantwit Major RFCinWRU Division Four South East,andOld Penarthians RFCandCowbridge RFCin theWRU Division Five South East.Several of the clubs are feeders forCardiff Blues.[24] There are cricket grounds inCowbridgeandSullyand several golf clubs, including theGlamorganshire,SoutherndownandWenvoe Castleclubs.

Transport

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Bmibabylaunched operations from Cardiff Airport in 2002 then closed in 2011

Road

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Owing to its close proximity to Cardiff, most of the major roads in the county boroughoriginatein the capital.

Running east–west, theA48runs through the centre portion of the Vale of Glamorgan betweenCardiffandBridgend,passing along the northern edge ofCowbridge.TheM4motorwayalso runs east–west along the northern edge of the Vale, linking the area to major cities such as London, Bristol,Newport,andSwansea.Junctions 33 (Cardiff West) and 34 (Llantrisant) provide direct access to the Vale of Glamorgan.

The M4 is economically important to the county borough as it "facilitates the movements of goods and people" from the region to other areas of the UK, enabling local firms "access to domestic and international markets." The county borough benefits from its location in theM4 technology corridor,according to the Welsh Government.[25]

Other major routes include:

Rail

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TheVale of Glamorgan Lineis the county borough's principal rail connection. The line runs betweenCardiff CentralandBridgend,with spurs toBarry IslandandPenarth.All services on the line are operated byTransport for Wales,linking the Vale directly to other areas of the capital region, includingCardiff Queen Street,Pontypridd,andMerthyr Tydfil.[26]Railway stations in the Vale of Glamorgan are:

TheSouth Wales Main Linepasses through the Vale, but trains do not stop. The nearest stations on the South Wales Main Line are (from east to west): Cardiff Central;Pontyclun;Llanharan;Pencoed;Bridgend. Most services are operated by Transport for Wales, but Bridgend and Cardiff are additionally served byGreat Western Railwayservices between Swansea andLondon Paddington.Cardiff Central is further served by Great Western Railway services to destinations inSouth West EnglandandCrossCountryservices tothe Midlands.

TheBarry Tourist Railwayis a shortheritage railwayand museum on Barry Island.[27]

Bus

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Bus services in the Vale of Glamorgan are principally operated byNew Adventure Travel(NAT) andCardiff Bus.Routes which run across the Vale include:

  • 93 - Barry to Cardiff via Dinas Powys and Penarth
  • 94 - Barry to Cardiff via Sully and Penarth
  • 95 – Barry to Cardiff via Dinas Powys and Llandough (Cardiff Bus)[28]
  • 96 - Barry to Cardiff via Wenvoe and Culverhouse Cross
  • 303/304 – Bridgend to Cardiff, via Llantwit Major, St Athan, and Barry (NAT)
  • T9 – Cardiff to Cardiff Airport (TrawsCymru)[29]*SUSPENDED*
  • X2 – Porthcawl to Cardiff, via Bridgend and Cowbridge (First Cymru)[30]

The Vale of Glamorgan Council operates a community 'on-demand' transport service in rural communities called Greenlinks.

Air

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Cardiff Airportis in the Vale of Glamorgan, near Rhoose.

In 2019, Cardiff Airport claimed to have a £135 million direct economic benefit to the region.[31]Destinations from Cardiff Airport at the time includedAlicante,Amsterdam,Anglesey,Dublin,andDoha.A "Masterplan" for the airport sets out the Welsh Government's ambition to grow the airport's passenger numbers and freight operations by 2040.[32]

MOD St Athanis also situated in the Vale of Glamorgan.

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The Vale of Glamorgan is twinned with:

and has friendship agreements with:

Freedom of the Borough

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The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Boroughof the Vale of Glamorgan.

Individuals

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Military units

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[34]

Demographics

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Ethnicity

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As of the2021 United Kingdom census,the county borough's ethnic groups are as follows:[35]

Ethnic group Percentage
White 94.6%
Mixed 2.3%
Asian 2.1%
Black 0.5%
Other 0.5%

Religion

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As of the2021 United Kingdom census,the county borough's religious make-up is as follows:[35]

Religion Percentage
No religion 47.9%
Christianity 44.1%
Islam 0.9%
Other 0.5%
Hinduism 0.3%
Buddhism 0.3%
Sikhism 0.1%
Judaism 0.1%
not stated 5.7%

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Council".Vale of Glamorgan Council.Retrieved6 August2024.
  2. ^ab"Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022".Office for National Statistics.26 March 2024.Retrieved3 May2024.
  3. ^Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales 2000,p. 475.
  4. ^Barrow 1980,p. 66.
  5. ^Annual Report.The Group. 1988. p. 24.
  6. ^Burke 1847,p. 295.
  7. ^Spectator 1842,p. 1184.
  8. ^abJack Broom (27 March 1974). "Who-does-what rows drag on to the 11th hour – Duties of the Districts".Western Mail.THE NEW WALES (supplement) p.3.
  9. ^Hooper & Punter 2006,p. 32.
  10. ^"The Local Government Reorganisation (Wales) (Staff) Order 1996".Legislation.gov.uk.Retrieved3 April2016.
  11. ^Goudie, Andrew (1990).The Landforms of England and Wales.Oxford: Basil Blackwell. pp. 136–7.ISBN9780631173069.
  12. ^"Vale of Glamorgan Facts and Figures".Vale of Glamorgan Council.Retrieved6 April2016.
  13. ^"Tair Onnen [Tair Onen (Pantylladron)]".Hill Bagging.Retrieved6 April2016.
  14. ^"Grounded Tanker Crew Scramble to Safety".The Times.No. 55304. London. 1 February 1962. col A, p. 6.
  15. ^"Vale tops Wales rich list".BBC. 14 May 2003.Retrieved3 April2016.
  16. ^"Dow Corning Barry Site".Dow Corning.Retrieved6 April2016.
  17. ^"Vale of Glamorgan".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved6 April2016.
  18. ^"Vale of Glamorgan Council Election Results 1995-2012"(PDF).The Elections Centre (Plymouth University).
  19. ^"Town and Community Councils".Vale of Glamorgan Council.Retrieved29 June2021.
  20. ^"Barry Town's Jenner Park stadium in line for new £350,000 pitch".Walesonline.co.uk. 16 June 2014.Retrieved3 April2016.
  21. ^"Llantwit Majora brief history"(PDF).Welshleague.org.uk.Retrieved3 April2016.
  22. ^"SSE SWALEC Division 3 Central East A fixtures 2015/16 season".Walesonline.co.uk. 24 July 2015.Retrieved3 April2016.
  23. ^"Penarth Town AFC".Penarthtownfc.co.uk.Retrieved3 April2016.
  24. ^"Wales' regional rugby map".BBC. 8 July 2004.Retrieved3 April2016.
  25. ^"M4 Corridor around Newport: Wider Economic Impact Assessment"(PDF).Welsh Government.March 2016.Archived(PDF)from the original on 6 June 2020.Retrieved6 June2020.
  26. ^"Transport for Wales Network Map"(PDF).Transport for Wales.2020.Archived(PDF)from the original on 6 June 2020.Retrieved6 June2020.
  27. ^"Barry Rail Centre".Barry Tourist Railway.Archivedfrom the original on 6 June 2020.Retrieved6 June2020.
  28. ^"Barry and Penarth Network Map"(PDF).Cardiff Bus.Archived(PDF)from the original on 7 June 2020.Retrieved7 June2020.
  29. ^"Routes".TrawsCymru.Archivedfrom the original on 6 April 2020.Retrieved7 June2020.
  30. ^"Cymru Clipper (Network Map)"(PDF).First Cymru.Retrieved7 June2020.
  31. ^"Annual update 2019"(PDF).Cardiff Airport.Archived(PDF)from the original on 7 June 2020.Retrieved7 June2020.
  32. ^"2040 Masterplan"(PDF).Cardiff Airport.Archived(PDF)from the original on 7 June 2020.Retrieved7 June2020.
  33. ^"50 Jahre Städtepartnerschaft: Broschure".Retrieved8 September2024.
  34. ^"Honorary Freedom and Freedom of Entry".Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council.Retrieved1 November2021.
  35. ^abUK Census(2021)."2021 Census Area Profile – Vale of Glamorgan Local Authority (W06000014)".Nomis.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved12 July2024.

Sources

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