The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a

county borough County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...

in the south-east of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. It borders

Bridgend County Borough Bridgend County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. The county borough has a total population of 139,200 people, and contains the town of Bridgend, after which it is named. I ...

to the west,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

to the east,

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff (Welsh: ''Taf'') and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and vill ...

to the north, and the Bristol Channel to the south. With an economy based largely on agriculture and chemicals, it is the southernmost

unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

in Wales. Attractions include

Barry Island Pleasure Park Barry Island Pleasure Park is an amusement park situated on the coast at Barry Island in the Vale of Glamorgan, about south west of the capital city Cardiff, Wales. The park opened annually at weekends from Easter onwards and daily during the ...

, the

Barry Tourist Railway The Barry Tourist Railway (formerly the Barry Island Railway) is a railway developed to attract visitors to Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is a key element of the Barry Rail Centre which also includes engineering and training ...

, Medieval wall paintings in

St Cadoc's Church, Llancarfan St Cadoc's Church, Llancarfan is a church in Llancarfan, in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. It dates from the 13th century and has been a Grade I listed building since 28 January 1963. The church is one of several churches in Wales dedicate ...

Porthkerry Park The hamlet of Porthkerry ( Welsh: Porthceri) lies on the Bristol Channel coast of South Wales within the community of Rhoose between that village and the town of Barry to the east. It is very close to the end of the runway of Cardiff Interna ...

St Donat's Castle St Donat's Castle ( cy, Castell Sain Dunwyd), St Donats, Wales, is a medieval castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, about to the west of Cardiff, and about to the west of Llantwit Major. Positioned on cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel, the si ...

Cosmeston Lakes Country Park Cosmeston Lakes Country Park is a public country park in Wales, owned and managed by Vale of Glamorgan Council. It is situated between Penarth and Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, 7.3 miles (11.7 kilometres) from Cardiff. On 1 May 2013 the country pa ...

and

Cosmeston Medieval Village Cosmeston Medieval Village is a living history medieval village near Lavernock in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Based upon remains discovered during a 1980s archaeology, archaeological dig in the grounds of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, it is a ...

. The largest town is

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

. Other towns include Penarth, Llantwit Major, and

Cowbridge Cowbridge ( cy, Y Bont-faen) is a market town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately west of the centre of Cardiff. The Cowbridge with Llanblethian community and civil parish elect a town council. A Cowbridge electoral ward exists for ...

. There are many villages in the county borough.

History

The area is the southernmost part of the county of Glamorgan. Between the 11th century and 1536 the area was part of the Lordship of Glamorgan. In medieval times, the village of Cosmeston, near what is today Penarth in the south east of the county, grew up around a

fortified manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals wi ...

constructed sometime around the 12th century by the De Costentin family. The De Costentins, who originated on the Cotentin peninsula in northern France, were among the first

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

invaders of Wales in the early 12th century following

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

's invasion of neighbouring England in 1066. The village would have consisted of a number of small stone round houses, or crofts, with

thatched Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...

roofs. Clemenstone, to the west, was the seat of several high sheriffs of Glamorganshire, 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 of

Itton Court Itton Court, Itton, Devauden, Monmouthshire is a country house. The origin of the house was as an outstation for Chepstow Castle. In the 18th century, much of the medieval manor was pulled down and replaced. Further additions and alterations were m ...

in Monmouthshire. In the early 19th century, Lady Sale née Wynch, wife of Sir

Robert Sale Major-General Sir Robert Henry Sale (19 September 1782 – 21 December 1845) was a British Army officer who commanded the garrison of Jalalabad during the First Afghan War and was killed in action during the First Anglo-Sikh War. Biography ...

, spent much of her early life on the Clemenstone Estate. In 1974, the Vale of Glamorgan Borough was created, with a population of 103,000. The Vale of Glamorgan was a second tier

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

, part of the new county of

South Glamorgan , Government= South Glamorgan County Council , Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= , HQ= ...

, under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

. It created several problems in local governance, between the

South Glamorgan County Council South Glamorgan County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir De Morgannwg) was the local government authority that administered the county of South Glamorgan, Wales from its creation in 1974 until its abolition in 1996. History Local government in England and ...

, Cardiff City Council and the

Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council The Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council was the local authority for the Vale of Glamorgan in South Glamorgan, Wales, created in 1974 and reconstituted in 1996 as the Vale of Glamorgan Council unitary authority. It was a second tier district authority ...

owing 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. In April 1996, the Vale of Glamorgan became a

(unitary authority) of Wales.

Geography

Located immediately to the west of Cardiff between the M4 motorway and the

Severn Estuary The Severn Estuary ( cy, Aber Hafren) is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its high tidal range, approximately , means that it has been at the centre of discussions in t ...

, the Vale of Glamorgan covers 33,097 hectares (130 square miles) and has of coastline. The largest centre of population is

(51,502 inhabitants). Other towns include

(6,180),

Dinas Powys Dinas Powys (; also spelt "Dinas Powis" in English) is a small town and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its name means "fort of the provincial place" and refers to the Dinas Powys hillfort, Iron Age hillfort wh ...

(7,799), Llantwit Major (10,621) and Penarth (22,083). Much of the population inhabits villages, hamlets and individual farms. The area is low-lying, with a maximum height of above sea level at Tair Onen to the east of Cowbridge. The borough borders

to the north east,

to the north,

Bridgend Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge ...

to the north west and the Bristol Channel to the south. The yellow-grey cliffs on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast (which stretches between

Gileston Gileston ( cy, Silstwn) is a small Welsh village near West Aberthaw in ''Bro Morgannwg'' (the Vale of Glamorgan) on the coast of South Wales. Location It is located some 15 miles along the coast from Cardiff and lies between Barry and Llantwit ...

and

Ogmore-by-Sea Ogmore-by-Sea ( Welsh: ''Aberogwr'', meaning "Mouth of the River Ogmore") is a seaside village in St Brides Major community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It lies on the western limit of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast of south Wales. The pop ...

) are unique on the

Celtic Sea The Celtic Sea ; cy, Y Môr Celtaidd ; kw, An Mor Keltek ; br, Ar Mor Keltiek ; french: La mer Celtique is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the southern coast of Ireland bounded to the east by Saint George's Channel; other limits includ ...

coastline (i.e.

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

) as they are formed of a combination of liassic

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, shale and

carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

/limestone. They were formed 200 million years ago when the whole area lay underneath a warm, shallow, equatorial sea at the start of the Jurassic Era. Thus today the cliffs contain traces of Jurassic sea creatures, such as ammonites. The stratification of overlapping shale, sandstone and limestone was caused by a geological upheaval known as the

Variscan orogeny The Variscan or Hercynian orogeny was a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica (Laurussia) and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea. Nomenclature The name ''Variscan'', comes f ...

, which pushed the cliffs out of the sea, contorting them as they did so. This stratification can also be found on other parts of the Celtic seaboard, such as

Bude Bude (; kw, Porthbud) is a seaside town in north east Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Bude-Stratton and at the mouth of the River Neet (also known locally as the River Strat). It was sometimes formerly known as Bude Haven.''Corn ...

in Cornwall, across the Bristol Channel. The calcium carbonate (

) in the soil allows crops to be grown which would be difficult elsewhere in Wales or the

West Country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Glo ...

: most of the West Country has poor quality and mainly acidic

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

soils). The liassic limestone and carboniferous sandstone are also used in the Vale as building materials; in previous centuries it was taken by sloops across the Bristol Channel to North Cornish ports such as Bude,

Boscastle Boscastle ( kw, Kastel Boterel) is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Forrabury and Minster (where the 2011 Census population was included) . It is south of Bude and northeast of Tin ...

and

Port Isaac Port Isaac ( kw, Porthysek) is a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. The nearest towns are Wadebridge and Camelford, each ten miles (16 km) away. A nearby hamlet, Port Gaverne, is ...

to fertilise Cornwall's poor

slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

soils; 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 the Bristol Channel to

. As in North Cornwall and South-West Ireland, the fierce Atlantic gales created ideal conditions for deliberate shipwrecking, which until 100 years ago was very common along the coast (although shipwrecking was common across all the Celtic Sea).

Nash Point Nash Point ( cy, Trwyn yr As) is a headland and beach in the Monknash Coast of the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales, about a mile from Marcross. It is a popular location for ramblers and hiking along the cliffs to Llantwit Major beach. The l ...

, Southerndown and

have 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.

Economy

The Vale of Glamorgan was determined to be the wealthiest area in Wales in a 2003 survey conducted by

Barclays Bank Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services. Barclays traces ...

that measured

disposable income Disposable income is total personal income minus current income taxes. In national accounts definitions, personal income minus personal current taxes equals disposable personal income. Subtracting personal outlays (which includes the major ...

. Chemical industries are located to the east of the port of Barry while further inland the main activity is agriculture, especially beef and dairy cattle, with marketing facilities at Cowbridge.

Government

The Vale of Glamorgan

UK parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...

and Senedd constituencies (which do not include Penarth and Sully which are in the constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth) sway between

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

control and

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

control in both the Senedd and 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 of

, and substantial Conservative support in the agricultural area in the west. Since 1996 local government is led by

Vale of Glamorgan Council The Vale of Glamorgan Council is the governing body for the Vale of Glamorgan, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. It was run by the Conservative Party after the 2008 United Kingdom local elections, taking over the council from no overall contr ...

. The Labour Party had a large majority initially, though between 1999 and 2012 the Conservatives were the largest group. Since 2017, there has been no overall political majority on council.

Communities

All except one (Rhoose) of the Vale's communities elects a community (or town) council, the lowest tier of local government. *

(town) *

Colwinston Colwinston (historically sometimes Colwinstone; cy, Tregolwyn) is both a village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately southeast of the centre of Bridgend and west of the centre of Cardiff. The village is located within ...

Cowbridge with Llanblethian Cowbridge with Llanblethian is a community (civil parish) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, which incorporates Llanblethian and the town of Cowbridge. It also covers the village of Aberthin to the northeast of Cowbridge. The population was 4,063 ...

(town) *

Ewenny Ewenny ( cy, Ewenni) is a village and community (parish) on the River Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Over the years the village has grown into the neighbouring village of Corntown to such an extent that there is no longer a clear boundar ...

Llanmaes Llanmaes ( cy, Llanfaes) is a small village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan near the market town of Llantwit Major. The population in 2011 was 403. Amenities Llanmaes has a long history, with remains of a Roman fort in fields next to ...

Llancarfan Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry and near Cowbridge, has a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century clas, famed for its learning. Cainnech o ...

* Llandough * Llandow * Llanfair *

Llangan Llangan ( cy, Llanganna) is a small village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is located approximately outside the market town of Cowbridge. As a community it contains the settlements of St Mary Hill, Treoes and Llangan itself. I ...

* Llantwit Major (town) *

Michaelston-le-Pit and Leckwith Michaelston-le-Pit and Leckwith is a Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is located immediately southwest of the city of Cardiff (bounded by the A4232 road) and to the north of the Vale of Glamorgan villages of Llandou ...

* Penarth (town) *

Pendoylan Pendoylan ( cy, Pendeulwyn meaning 'head of two groves') is a rural village and community (parish) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village has won many awards in Best Kept Village competitions and contains 27 entries in the Council's County ...

* Penllyn *

Peterston-super-Ely Peterston-super-Ely ( cy, Llanbedr-y-fro) is a village and community situated on the River Ely ( cy, Afon Elái) in the county borough of the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 874. The community include ...

Rhoose Rhoose ( , cy, Y Rhws from "the moor") is a village and community near the sea (the Bristol Channel) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, near Barry. The wider community includes villages and settlements such as Font-y-Gary, Penmark, East Abert ...

St Athan St Athan ( cy, Sain Tathan) is a village and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The village and its parish church are dedicated to Saint Tathan. The church dates to the 13th–14th century, though an earlier ch ...

* St Bride's Major * St Donats * St Georges-super-Ely *

St Nicholas and Bonvilston St Nicholas and Bonvilston is a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Formed in 1982, it includes the villages of St Nicholas, Bonvilston, and four properties in Dyffryn. In August 2020, St Nicholas had 294 dwellings and 451 electors. B ...

Sully and Lavernock Sully and Lavernock ( cy, Sili a Larnog) is a Community (Wales), community on the coast of the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, stretching from Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, Sully to Lavernock. Description The community includes the village of Sully, Vale of ...

Welsh St Donats Welsh St Donats ( cy, Llanddunwyd) is a village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Consisting of 1207 hectares of mainly rural land, it is located north east of Cowbridge. The population of the community was 534 in the 2011 census. ...

Wenvoe Wenvoe ( cy, Gwenfô) is a village, community and electoral ward between Barry and Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Nearby are the Wenvoe Transmitter near Twyn-yr-Odyn and the site of the former HTV Wales Television Centre at Culverhouse ...

Wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placename ...

Villages and hamlets

Aberthaw Aberthaw ( cy, Aberddawan) is an area containing the villages of East Aberthaw and West Aberthaw, on the coast of South Wales about west of Barry. It is home to Aberthaw Cement Works, Aberthaw Lime Works, and Aberthaw Power Station, a coal po ...

Aberthin Aberthin is a small village, just outside Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, on the north side of a shallow valley, less than a mile northeast of Cowbridge across the A48 road. Cowbridge Comprehensive School lies just to the southw ...

* Broughton *

Bonvilston Bonvilston ( cy, Tresimwn) is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village is situated on the A48 about four miles east of Cowbridge and near the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The population in 2011 was 392. History It is named af ...

Boverton Boverton ( cy, Trebefered) is a village located to the east of Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. History Boverton was founded during the reign of William the Conqueror in England. It is thought that he himself founded Bov ...

Clawdd Coch Clawdd Coch (also Clawdd-coch or Clawddcoch) is a hamlet in the Vale of Glamorgan. It lies to the northeast of Tredodridge in the parish of Pendoylan. It is located near the edge of the Vale of Glamorgan Golf Club and Hensol Castle. Etymology I ...

* Clemenstone *

Corntown Corntown () is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan. It lies along the B4524 road, just outside Bridgend, 21.6 miles west of the centre of Cardiff. It has grown around Corntown Farm. Chapel Wood frames part of its western side. The Golden M ...

Culverhouse Cross Culverhouse Cross ( cy, Croes Cwrlwys) is a district straddling the boundary between Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in the community of Wenvoe. The district is centred on a major traffic roundabout that links West Cardiff to the M4 mo ...

* Downs *

Drope Drope is a hamlet in the valley of the River Ely in Vale of Glamorgan, southeast Wales, just beyond the territorial border of western Cardiff. It lies immediately east from Michaelston-super-Ely, west of Ely, Cardiff and southeast of St Georges- ...

* Dyffryn *

Eglwys Brewis Eglwys Brewis is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. It is located just to the north of the village of St Athan, south of Flemingston and northeast of Llantwit Major. Greenlands, Vale of Glamorgan, Greenlands and St Mary Church, Val ...

Flemingston Flemingston (also Lanmihangel y Twyn, or Treffelemin, or Michaelston Le Mont, or Flimstone) is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. It is located northwest by road from the town centre of Barry. It contains the Church of St. ...

Fonmon Fonmon ( cy, Ffwl-y-mwn) is a hamlet in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. It lies just off the B4265 road to the northwest of Font-y-Gary and Rhoose on the western side of Cardiff Airport. The hamlet is best known for its central duck pond an ...

Font-y-Gary Font-y-Gary, also Fontygary, Fontegary or Fontygari ( cy, Ffont-y-gari), is a village adjacent to Rhoose, 3 miles south-west of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, on the coast of south Wales. To the north is Fonmon and Fonmon Castle. The origin of ...

* Frampton *

Goldsland Goldsland ( cy, Tregold) is a small hamlet and farm in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. It is located near the boundary of the Wenvoe Castle Golf Club in the parish of Wenvoe. It lies to the east of Dyffryn and south of St Lythans and the ...

Graig Penllyn Graig (in Welsh "rock") may refer to: Places * Graig, Newport, an electoral ward and coterminous community of Newport, South Wales * Graig, Pontypridd, a historic district of Pontypridd, South Wales * Graig, Llanarmon-yn-Ial, a Site of Special Sci ...

Great Hamston Great Hamston is a small hamlet and farm in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. It is located about north of the town centre of Barry, about 600 metres to the south of the main village of Dyffryn, even nearer to Lower Dyffryn, west along the l ...

* Gwern-y-Steeple * Kenson *

Lavernock Lavernock ( cy, Larnog) is a hamlet in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, lying on the coast south of Cardiff between Penarth and Sully, and overlooking the Bristol Channel. Marconi and the first radio messages across open sea Following over ...

Lidmore Lidmore or Lydmore is a small hamlet and farm in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is located just off the A4226 road, to the northwest of Highlight Park in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan and in close proximity to Brynhill Golf Club. To the north is Great H ...

* Llampha *

* Llanbethery * Llancadle *

* Llandough (near Cowbridge) * Llandough (near Penarth) * Llandow *

* Llanmihangel *

Llansannor Llansannor ( cy, Llansanwyr) is a small hamlet in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom. It has a population of roughly 200 people. It contains a parish church, a pub (the City Inn, now closed), a primary school and a village hall, which ha ...

Llantrithyd Llantrithyd (also Llantriddyd) is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The Aubrey Baronets were lords of the manor of Llantrithyd for centuries: the family died out in the 1850s. St Illtyd's Church The church of St Il ...

* Llantwithyn * Llysworney * Maendy * Marcross *

Michaelston-le-Pit Michaelston-le-Pit ( cy, Llanfihangel-y-pwll) is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, just to the west of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It is part of the Michaelston-le-Pit and Leckwith community. The community population taken at the 2011 censu ...

* Middlecross *

Moulton Moulton may refer to: Places in the United Kingdom ;In England *Moulton, Cheshire * Moulton, Lincolnshire **Moulton Windmill * Moulton St Mary, Norfolk * Moulton, Northamptonshire ** Moulton College, agricultural college ** Moulton Park, indus ...

* Newton *

Northcliff Northcliff is a wealthy residential suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The suburb is located on Northcliff Ridge which provides views to both the north and the south. Northcliff's huge homes are nestled around a steep incline of the hill, and ...

* Nurston * Ogmore *

* Pancross *

Penmark Penmark ( cy, Pen-marc) is a rural village south-west of Barry near Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan, in South Wales. The village is a parish and is a linear village. It has a parish church along the main road running through the village. Penmar ...

* Pentre Meyrick *

* Pen-y-Lan * Picketston * Prisk *

* Sigingstone * St. Andrews Major * St Brides Major * Southerndown *

* St Donat's *

St Georges-super Ely St Georges super Ely, also known as St Georges ( cy, Sain Siorys), is a small village and community in the western outskirts of Cardiff, in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Lying to the northwest of Culverhouse Cross, between Peterston-super-El ...

* St Hilary * St Mary Church * St Mary Hill *

St. Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...

* St Lythans * Sully *

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * ...

The Herberts The Herberts is a hamlet in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is located immediately to the north of the village of St. Mary Church and southwest of Llandough, 2.2 miles by road southwest of the market town centre of Cowbridge along St Athan Roa ...

* Tre-Aubrey *

Tredodridge Tredodridge (also Tre-Dodridge) is a hamlet in the Vale of Glamorgan within Wales in the United Kingdom. It lies along a country lane, to the northwest of Pendoylan Pendoylan ( cy, Pendeulwyn meaning 'head of two groves') is a rural village ...

* Treguff *

Trerhyngyll Trerhyngyll is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan, about north of Cowbridge and south of Ystradowen, near Maendy, off the A4222 road. Trerhyngyll and Maendy Halt railway station operated here from 1905 to 1951, though the line was cl ...

* Twyn-yr-Odyn * Walterston *

Wrinstone Wrinstone or Wrinston ( cy, Wrinstwn) is a medieval hamlet, just east of Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The Wrinstone estate was variously also known as Wrenston, Wrencheston or Wrenchester. The Barry Railway line ran past the hamlet and ...

Ystradowen Ystradowen is a small village twelve miles west of Cardiff, located in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales; its nearest town is Cowbridge which is about three miles to the south. The village was served by Ystradowen railway station between 18 ...

Landmarks

See Listed buildings in the Vale of Glamorgan,

List of Scheduled Monuments in Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan county borough is a rural and agricultural area of south Wales. With 110 scheduled monuments, evenly spread across the borough, it is an area with a high density of such sites. Forty-one sites date to prehistoric times, inclu ...

Sport

The principal football club in the Vale is Barry Town United F.C., which play their home games at

Jenner Park Stadium Jenner Park is the premier sports stadium in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and traditional home of football club, Barry Town United. Overview Jenner Park occupies the space of land between Barry's Gladstone Road and Barry Road and has be ...

in Barry. The club was founded in 1912 and enjoyed success in the 1990s, when they won the

League of Wales The Cymru Premier, known as the JD Cymru Premier for sponsorship reasons, is the national football league of Wales. It has both professional and semi-professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2 ...

and the

Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mos ...

. The club experienced declining fortunes in the following decade and were relegated to

Welsh Football League Division Two The Welsh Football League Division Two, (last known as the ''Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League Division Two'', for sponsorship reasons) was a football league and forms the fourth level of the Welsh football league system in South Wales. If th ...

, but were promoted to

Division One The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...

after 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. There are several other smaller football clubs in the county such as

Llantwit Major F.C. Llantwit Major AFC are a Welsh football club formed in 1962 and are based in the town of Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, South East Wales. They currently play in the Cymru South, and in 2021–22 finished as league champions. History Llantw ...

, established in 1962, which competes in the

Welsh Football League Division Three The Welsh Football League Division Three, (last known as the ''Nathanielcars.co.uk Welsh League Division Three'', for sponsorship reasons) was a Association football, football league. History Until the 1964–65 season the Welsh Football Leag ...

, and Penarth Town AFC.

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

has a strong presence in the county, though none of its clubs compete in the higher leagues. As of the 2015–6 season,

Penarth RFC Penarth Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based since 1924 at The Athletic Field, Lavernock Road, in Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Team history Origins and early history Penarth RFC was founded in 1879 by Cyril an ...

competes in the

WRU Division Three South East The Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East (also called the SWALEC Division Three South East for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union league in Wales. Competition format and sponsorship Competition There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division Three S ...

Llantwit Major RFC Llantwit Major Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Llantwit Major in Wales. Llantwit Major RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues. It is believed that rugby was played in Lla ...

WRU Division Four South East The Welsh Rugby Union Division Four South East (also called the SWALEC Division Three South East for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union league in Wales. Competition There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division Three South East. During the course of ...

, and

Old Penarthians RFC Old Penarthians Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Penarth, Wales. The Old Penarthians were formed out of an association set up on 7 December 1923 by Penarth County School. The society formed was the Penarth County School ...

and Cowbridge RFC in the

WRU Division Five South East The Welsh Rugby Union Division Five South East (also called the SWALEC Division Five South East for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season. Competition format and sponsorship Competition ...

. Several of the clubs are feeders for

Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms ...

. There are cricket grounds in

and Sully and several golf clubs, including the

Glamorganshire , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

, Southerndown and

Wenvoe Castle Wenvoe Castle was a castle and country estate between Barry and Wenvoe, in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Today the former estate forms the Wenvoe Castle Golf Club. Goldsland lies on its western boundary. History In the later medieval periods ...

clubs.

Transport

Road

Owing to its close proximity to Cardiff, most of the major roads in the county borough originate in the capital. Running east-west, the A48 runs through the centre portion of the Vale of Glamorgan between

and

, passing along the northern edge of

. The M4 motorway also runs east–west along the northern edge of the Vale, linking the area to major cities such as

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, Newport, and

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. 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 the M4 technology corridor, according to the Welsh Government. Other major routes include: * A4050 – Cardiff

* A4055 – Cardiff Bay to Barry * A4160 – Cardiff City Centre to Penarth * A4226 – the A48 to Barry and

Cardiff Airport Cardiff Airport ( cy, Maes Awyr Caerdydd) is the only airport offering commercial passenger services in Wales. It has been under the ownership of the Welsh Government since March 2013, operating at an arm's length as a commercial business. Pa ...

* B4265 – Cardiff Airport to Bridgend (coast road)

Rail

The

Vale of Glamorgan Line The Vale of Glamorgan Line ( cy, Llinell Bro Morgannwg) is a commuter railway line in Wales, running through the Vale of Glamorgan from Barry to Bridgend, via Rhoose and Llantwit Major. Route The Barry branch starts at Cardiff West and ru ...

is the county borough's principal rail connection. The line runs between Cardiff Central and

, with spurs to

Barry Island Barry Island ( cy, Ynys y Barri) is a district, peninsula and seaside resort, forming part of the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. Barry's stretch of coast, on the Bristol Chan ...

and Penarth. All services on the line are operated by

Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consi ...

, linking the Vale directly to other areas of the capital region, including

Cardiff Queen Street , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Cardiff Queen St. (19366639218).jpg , caption = Cardiff Queen Street seen from the north. , borough = Cardiff, City and County of Cardiff , country = Wales , coordinates = , grid_name = ...

Pontypridd () ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...

, and

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

. Railway stations in the Vale of Glamorgan are: The

South Wales Main Line The South Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell De Cymru), originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain. ...

passes 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 Pontyclun (or Pont-y-clun) is a village and community located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Like the surrounding towns, it has seen a sharp increase in its population in the last ten years as people migrate south from the S ...

; Llanharan; Pencoed; Bridgend. Most services are operated by Transport for Wales, but Bridgend and Cardiff are additionally served by Great Western Railway services between Swansea and

London Paddington Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services pro ...

. Cardiff Central is further served by Great Western Railway services to destinations in

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...

and CrossCountry services to

the Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the In ...

. The

is a short

heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

and museum on Barry Island.

Bus

Bus services in the Vale of Glamorgan are principally operated by

New Adventure Travel Adventure Travel (stylised as Adventuretravel; formerly NAT Group and New Adventure Travel) is a bus and coach company in South Wales. It is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro. History Established in 2008 with four buses, Adventure Travel has now g ...

(NAT) and

Cardiff Bus Cardiff Bus ( cy, Bws Caerdydd) is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. The company is wholly owned by Cardiff Council and is one of the few municipal bus companies to ...

. Routes which run across the Vale include: * 95 – Barry to Cardiff (Cardiff Bus) * 303/304 – Bridgend to Cardiff, via Llantwit Major, St Athan, and Barry (NAT) * T9 – Cardiff to Cardiff Airport (

TrawsCymru TrawsCymru is the brand name for a network of regional bus services in Wales, sponsored by the Welsh Government. It was introduced as a replacement for the TrawsCambria network. History Launch plans In 2010, the Welsh Assembly ran a consultatio ...

) * X2 – Porthcawl to Cardiff, via Bridgend and Cowbridge (

First Cymru First Cymru is an operator of bus services in South West Wales. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup with its headquarters in Swansea. History In 1987, South Wales Transport was sold during the privatisation of the National Bus Company in a man ...

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

Air

is in the Vale of Glamorgan, near Rhoose. In 2019, Cardiff Airport claimed to have a £135 million direct economic benefit to the region. Destinations from Cardiff Airport include

Alicante Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, and

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

. A "Masterplan" for the airport sets out the Welsh Government's ambition to grow the airport's passenger numbers and freight operations by 2040.

MOD St Athan Ministry of Defence St Athan or MOD St Athan (Welsh: Maes awyr Sain Tathan), formerly known as RAF St Athan, is a large Ministry of Defence unit near the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. It was the designated site for ...

is also situated in the Vale of Glamorgan.

International links

The Vale of Glamorgan is twinned with: *

Rheinfelden, Germany Rheinfelden ( gsw, Badisch-Rhyfälde, ) is a town in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, across from Rheinfelden, Switzerland, and 15 km east of Basel. The population is ...

* Mouscron/Moeskroen,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Fécamp Fécamp () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France. Geography Fécamp is situated in the valley of the river Valmont, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Alabaster Coast. It is aroun ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and has friendship agreements with: *

Jurbarkas Jurbarkas (; Samogitian: ''Jorbarks'', known also by several alternative names) is a city in Tauragė County, in Samogitia, Lithuania. Jurbarkas is located in the historic land of Karšuva. It is on the right-hand shore of the Nemunas at it ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

* Neumarkt/Egna,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Putnok Putnok is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It lies away from Miskolc, between the Bükk Mountains and the river Sajó. History The area has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Until 1283 it was royal property, part (l ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the

Freedom of the Borough The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

of the Vale of Glamorgan.

Individuals

* Sir Raymond Gower : 13 April 1977. * Sir Cennydd Traherne : 19 March 1984. * Sir Hugo Boothby : 19 March 1984. * Mrs. Susan Eva Williams : 4 March 1991.

Military Units

RAF St Athan Ministry of Defence St Athan or MOD St Athan (Welsh: Maes awyr Sain Tathan), formerly known as RAF St Athan, is a large Ministry of Defence unit near the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, southern Wales. It was the designated site for ...

: 18 May 1974. * Merchant Navy Association (Wales): 16 April 2005. * The

Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards (WG; cy, Gwarchodlu Cymreig), part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the First World War, by Royal Warrant of George V. ...

: 16 March 2006. * The

Royal Welsh The Royal Welsh (R WELSH) ( cy, Y Cymry Brenhinol) is an armoured infantry regiment of the British Army. It was established in 2006 from the Royal Welch Fusiliers (23rd Foot) and the Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot). History The ...

: 21 February 2009. *

203 (Welsh) Field Hospital 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital is a unit of the Royal Army Medical Corps within the Army Reserve of the British Army, based in Wales. History The hospital was formed upon the formation of the TAVR in 1967, from the amalgamation of 3rd (Western) Gener ...

(

Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

)

RAMC The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

: 17 April 2010. * HMS Cambria, RN: 31 March 2012.

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vale of Glamorgan Principal areas of Wales County boroughs of Wales 1974 establishments in Wales

History

Geography

Economy

Government

Communities

Villages and hamlets

Landmarks

Sport

Transport

Road

Rail

Bus

Air

International links

Freedom of the Borough

Individuals

Military Units

See also

References

Sources

External links