Merionethshire

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Merionethshire
Motto: Tra môr, tra Meirion
(While the sea lasts, so shall Meirionnydd)
Merionethshire
Ancient extent of Merionethshire
Geography
1831 area 385,291 acres
1911/1961 area 422,372 acres
HQ Dolgellau
Chapman code MER
History
Created 1284
Succeeded by Meirionnydd
Demography
1831 population
- 1831 density		 35,315[1]
0.1/acre
1911 population
- 1911 density		 45,565
0.1/acre
1961 population
- 1961 density		 38,310
0.1/acre
Politics
Governance Merionethshire County Council (1889-1974)

Coat of arms of Merionethshire County Council

Merionethshire (Welsh: Meirionnydd, Sir Feirionnydd) is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.

The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974. The bulk formed the Meirionnydd district in the new county of Gwynedd, with a small protusion in the north-east (the Edeyrnion Rural District) becoming part of the Glyndŵr district of Clwyd. Since Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 came into force in 1996 the Glyndŵr part now forms part of the principal area of Denbighshire, with the rest remaining in Gwynedd.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Merionethshire is a maritime county, bounded to the north by Caernarfonshire, to the east by Denbighshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Cardiganshire, and to the west by Cardigan Bay. Its total area is 1,731 km², and it is one of the more sparsely populated counties of the UK. It is also one of the strongest Welsh-speaking parts of Wales. The coastline consists alternately of cliffs and stretches of sand and the area generally is the most mountainous in Wales; a large part of the Snowdonia National Park lies within it. The greatest heights are Aran Fawddwy 905 m (2970 ft) and Cadair Idris 893 m (2929 ft). The chief rivers are the Dwyryd, the Mawddach and the Dyfi. Waterfalls and small lakes are numerous, the largest being Bala Lake (4 miles long and 1 mile broad).

[edit] History

The county was formed in 1284 under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan from the Cantrefi of:

Merioneth was an important part of the Welsh slate industry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with major quarrying centres at Blaenau Ffestiniog in the north of the county and Corris in the south.

[edit] Main Towns

The main towns are

The main industries today are agriculture, forestry and tourism.

[edit] Places of special interest (with grid reference):

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vision of Britain - 1831 Census
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Local government in Wales
Principal areas established in 1996
Counties and districts 1974 - 1996
Counties established before 1889