West Glamorgan

Introduction

Glamorgan is divided into three regions, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan. Cardiff is the capital of Wales and the fastest growing city in Glamorgan. West Glamorgan is well known for the scenic Gower Peninsula and its beautiful beaches. Welsh is the first language for the majority of people living in this part of South Wales. As a tourist to West Glamorgan you will have plenty of pleasant surprises. First of all, the standard of accommodation is excellent and you can find many quality hotels and seaside resorts in this part of the world. The world famous classical artist Katherine Jenkins was born in Neath, West Glamorgan and actress, Catherine Zeta Jones was born in Mumbles, near Swansea.

West Glamorgan was established on 1 st April 1974 and includes the county regions of Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot. The four districts of West Glamorgan are Swansea, Lliw Valley, Neath and Port Talbot. More recently, the county was divided into the two unitary authorities of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The district of Lliw Valley was divided between these two authorities and has been recognised as a preserve county of Glamorgan. The beautiful landscape and natural geographical locations have made West Glamorgan the pride of Wales. The industrial valleys in Mid Glamorgan, the agricultural Vale of Glamorgan to the south and scenic locations in West Glamorgan attract millions of tourists from all around the world.

Major Towns and Main Attractions in West Glamorgan

Swansea is well known for its outstanding natural beauty and since it merged with Lliw Valley, in 1996, has become the largest city in the entire county. The whole district is a union of the county regions of Swansea and Gower Rural District. The Gower Peninsula, located near to the city of Swansea is the major attraction for tourists visiting West Glamorgan. The Gower is world famous for its beautiful coastline and is an excellent place for surfers. Along with surfing and other beach activities the Paviland Cave and Minchin Hole Cave are the major attractions. The Gower peninsula is surrounded by the Lougher estuary to the north and Swansea Bay in the east. The beautiful 188sq.km coastline includes most of the peninsula, west of Crofty, Three Crosses, Upper Killay, Blackpill and Bishopston.

You can find many fine beaches, including Port Eynon, Rhossili and Oxwich Bay, on the southern side of the Gower Peninsula. The Cockle-beds of Penclawdd on the north side is the one most preferred by tourists visiting the Gower Peninsula. Apart from the beautiful coastline you can find six castles here, Bovehill Castle, Oystermouth Castle, Oxwich Castle, Pennard Castle, Penrice Castle and Weobley Castle. The Arthur Stone, near Cefn Bryn and the human skeleton in the Paviland cave are other major attractions on the Gower Peninsula.

Neath Port Talbot county region is located on the border of Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff in the east, Powys and Carmarthenshire in the north, and Swansea in the west. The most important towns in this county include Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe. The Neath area is connected with numerous famous people, such as Hugh Dalton, Ray Milland, Oscar winner Truscott Jones, Richard Burton and Ivor Emmanuel. Port Talbot is world famous for its steelworks while the Orangery at Margam village is an exceptional piece of architecture, constructed by the Mansel family in 1789. The coalmines in the Dulais Valley and the steel industry at Pontardawe are all results of the industrial revolution’s impact on West Glamorgan. The ruins of the Cistercian Neath Abbey, Gnoll Park and Neath Castle are other attractions for tourists to the area.

Lliw Valley was formed by the amalgamation of Llwchwr Urban District and Pontardawe Rural District Councils and was later divided between Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The regions such as Clydach, Llangyfelach, Llwchwr, Gowerton, Gorseinon, Grovesend, Mawr, Penllergaer, Pont-Lliw and Pontarddulais were included in Swansea County while the Cwmllynfell, Cilybebyll, Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Pontardawe and Ystalyfera regions were included in Neath Port Talbot County.

Reasons for Visiting West Glamorgan

There are many reasons for visiting West Glamorgan and the area is packed with beautiful scenic locations. The Gower Peninsula, in Swansea County offers plenty of beautiful beaches and castles and it’s quite a nice place to spend a couple of days. Plan your trip now and enjoy a few days or weeks with your family in West Glamorgan, it is definetly a place you will remember.