| Montgomeryshire Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn |
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Ancient extent of Montgomeryshire |
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| Geography | |
| 1831 area | 483,323 acres (1,955.94 km2) |
| HQ | Montgomery |
| Chapman code | MGY |
| History | |
| Succeeded by | Powys |
| Demography | |
|---|---|
| 1831 population - 1831 density |
66,482[1] 0.1/acre |
| Politics | |
| Governance | Montgomeryshire County Council (1889-1974) |
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn) is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county town, Montgomery, which in turn is named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.
Montgomeryshire today constitutes the northern part of the principal area of Powys. The population of Montgomeryshire was 59,474 according to the 2001 census.[2]
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Montgomeryshire is the birth place of Saint Richard Gwyn.
In terms of historic counties, Montgomeryshire is bounded to the north by Denbighshire, to the east and south east by Shropshire (an English county), to the south by Radnorshire, to the south west by Cardiganshire and to the west and north west by Merionethshire. It was formed under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542. Its cantrefi included:
It also included the Lordships of Cydewain and Mechain. The borders of Montgomeryshire correspond roughly to the medieval kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn.
From 1889 to 1974 the county became an administrative county with a county council. Montgomery, the traditional county town, shared administrative functions with Machynlleth, on the other side of the county.
Local government reforms in 1974 created the modern-day administrative county of Powys, which was formed by combining Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire. Montgomeryshire (or simply "Montgomery") became a district within Powys, with its administrative headquarters in Newtown (and not Montgomery). Further local government reform in 1996 abolished district councils in Wales, making Powys a unitary authority. The former district of Montgomeryshire however continues to have some administrative/political function as one of the three committee areas used by Powys County Council, along with the other two historic counties that form the basis of the modern-day county (Radnorshire and Breconshire). These three areas are often referred to by the County Council as "shires".
The few communities that were added to northern Powys in 1996 (which come within the historic boundaries of Denbighshire) now form part of the modern-day Montgomeryshire area.
Montgomeryshire continues to be a UK Parliament constituency as well as a Welsh Assembly constituency.
The area is almost wholly mountainous, although there are some fertile valleys in the east. The highest point is Cadair Berwyn at 830 metres (2,720 ft). Its main rivers are the River Severn (which flows east into Shropshire) and the River Dyfi (which flows west into the Irish Sea). Lake Vyrnwy is a reservoir supplying Liverpool.
The main towns are Machynlleth, Llanidloes, Montgomery, Newtown and Welshpool. The main industries are agriculture (mainly hill farming) and tourism, though there is also some forestry and light manufacturing. The population density is highest near the border with England and along the Severn valley.
The county flower of Montgomeryshire is Spergula arvensis (also called "corn spurrey"). The historic area is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording.
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