Historic counties of Wales

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Wales has thirteen historic counties. They serve many cultural and geographic roles and were also the basis of local government in Wales from their creation until 1974.

Since then, local government has moved away from using historic counties as the basis of administrative areas. The Local Government Act 1972 created eight non-metropolitan counties. The historic counties were abandoned as postal counties and were no longer shown on maps. The eight new counties were replaced in 1996 by the current principal areas of Wales. The eight counties were retained for Lieutenancy as preserved counties.

It is unclear whether the area of Monmouthshire was legally part of Wales before 1974: the county is to the west of Offa's Dyke and the Wye - the traditional borders - and was usually paired with the rest of Wales for most purposes, but allocated to English counties for others, such as the administration of courts. However, the Local Government Act 1972 settled the matter, by confirming Monmouthshire's place within Wales.

There is a minor dispute as to which of two sets of borders of the historic counties of Wales is true and valid: see historic counties of England for more detail. The dispute derives from an 1844 Act of Parliament that purported to abolish several enclaves. One of these, Welsh Bicknor was an enclave of Monmouthshire between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and thus geographically in England. The exclave of Flintshire, called Maelor Saesneg (English Maelor) was left untouched however.

The historic counties were used as the basis of vice counties, used for biological recording to this day. This makes it easier to make comparisons in the biodiversity of different parts of Wales over time.

1 The counties
2 Background
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] The counties

Historic counties of Wales

Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)² ⁴
Glamorgan (Sir Forgannwg or Morgannwg)³
Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin or Sir Gâr)¹
Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro)³
Cardiganshire (Sir Aberteifi or Ceredigion)¹
Brecknockshire (Sir Frycheiniog)²
Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed)²
Montgomeryshire (Sir Drefaldwyn)²
Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych)²
Flintshire (Sir y Fflint)¹
Merionethshire (Sir Feirionnydd or Meirionnydd)¹
Caernarvonshire (Sir Gaernarfon)¹
Anglesey (Sir Fôn)¹

These counties originate in 1282, following King Edward I's conquest.
These counties originate in 1535, with the Laws in Wales Act, 1535, converting the remaining Marcher Lordships into counties.
The earldom of Pembroke and lordship of Glamorgan pre-date the Edwardian conquest.
Despite being created by the same Act as the other counties, Monmouthshire became legally considered part of England until 1974. In many cases the formulation "Wales and Monmouthshire" was used.

[edit] Background

The historian William Rees says, in his "Historical Atlas of Wales": (published 1959) "... the boundaries of the modern shires have largely been determined by the ancient divisions of the country. The survival of these ancient local divisions within the pattern of historical change constitutes a vital element in the framework of the national life and helps to preserve its continuity."

The British Broadcasting Corporation, in an article about the Shiring of Wales, says: "Along the border, districts which had long been associated with Wales were added to the counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire."