Wales has thirteen traditional counties (or vice counties). They serve many cultural and geographic roles and were also the basis of local government in Wales from 1888 until 1974. Since then, local government has moved away from using traditional counties as the basis of administrative areas, creating eight non-metropolitan counties for administrative purposes. These in turn were replaced in 1996, by the current principal areas of Wales. The eight counties were retained for Lieutenancy. The traditional counties, however, have remained the same throughout these administrative changes. The area of Monmouthshire was not legally part of Wales until 1974, although it was usually paired with it.

There is a minor dispute as to which of two sets of borders of the traditional counties of Wales is true and valid: see Traditional 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 vice counties are always used for biological recording to this day. This makes it easier to make comparisons in the biodiversity of different parts of Wales over time.

The counties

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Traditional counties of Wales

Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)2 Glamorgan (Sir Forgannwg or Morgannwg)3 Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin)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

1. These counties originate in 1282, following King Edward I's conquest.
2. These counties originate in 1535, with the Laws in Wales Act, 1535, converting the remaining Marcher Lordships into counties.
3. The earldom of Pembroke and lordship of Glamorgan pre-date the Edwardian conquest.

Background

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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."

See also

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• Subdivisions of Wales
• Traditional counties of England
• Traditional counties of Scotland
• Traditional counties of Ireland
• Association of British Counties

External links

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• The National Gazetteer of Wales
• The Association of British Counties
• Family history links to traditional counties of Wales
• BBC History page about the Shiring of Wales
• Named map of the counties of England and Wales

History of Wales | Historical regions | Traditional counties of Wales

Contee tradizionali del Galles | Tradisjonelt grevskap (Wales) | Традиционные графства Уэльса