| Glamorgan Morgannwg (Welsh) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic county | |||||||||||||
| 1536–1974 | |||||||||||||
 Flag adopted in 2013 | |||||||||||||
 Show location in Wales Show location in England and Wales Show location in the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
| • 1861 | 547,494 acres (2,215.63 km2)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • 1911 | 518,865 acres (2,099.77 km2)[2] | ||||||||||||
| • 1961 | 523,253 acres (2,117.53 km2)[2] | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • 1861 | 326,254[1] | ||||||||||||
| • 1911 | 1,120,910[2] | ||||||||||||
| • 1961 | 1,229,728[2] | ||||||||||||
| Density | |||||||||||||
| • 1861 | 0.7/acre | ||||||||||||
| • 1911 | 2.2/acre | ||||||||||||
| • 1961 | 2.4/acre | ||||||||||||
| Status | Non-administrative county (1536–1889) Administrative county (1889–1974) Historic county (non-administrative) | ||||||||||||
| Chapman code | GLA | ||||||||||||
| Government | Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) | ||||||||||||
| • HQ | Cardiff | ||||||||||||
| • Motto | A ddioddefws a orfu (lit. 'He who suffered, conquered')[3][4] | ||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 1536 | ||||||||||||
• Council established | 1889 | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1974 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Glamorgan (/ɡləˈmɔːrɡən/), or sometimesGlamorganshire (Welsh:Morgannwg[mɔrˈɡanʊɡ] orSir Forgannwg[ˈsiːrvɔrˈɡanʊɡ]), wasone of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolition in 1974. It is located inSouth Wales. Originally an early medievalpetty kingdom of varying boundaries known in Welsh asMorgannwg (orGlywysing), which was then invaded and taken over by theNormans as theLordship of Glamorgan. The area that became known as Glamorgan was both a rural, pastoral area, and a conflict point between theNorman lords and the Welsh princes. It was defined by a large concentration of castles.
After falling under English rule in the 16th century, Glamorgan became a more stable county, and exploited its natural resources to become an important part of theIndustrial Revolution. Glamorgan was the most populous and industrialised county in Wales, and was once called the "crucible of the Industrial Revolution", as it contained the world centres of three metallurgical industries (iron, steel and copper) and its rich resources of coal.
Under theLocal Government Act 1972, the county boroughs and administrative county of Glamorgan were abolished on 1 April 1974, with three new counties being established, each containing a former county borough:West Glamorgan,Mid Glamorgan,South Glamorgan. The name also survives in that ofVale of Glamorgan, acounty borough.
Glamorgan comprised distinct regions: theindustrial valleys, the agricultural vale and the scenicGower Peninsula. The county had boundaries withBrecknockshire (north),Monmouthshire (east),Carmarthenshire (west), and to the south it was bordered by theBristol Channel. The total area was 2,100 km2 (811 sq mi). Glamorgan contained two cities,Cardiff, the county town and from 1955 thecapital city of Wales, andSwansea. The highest point in the county wasCraig y Llyn (600 metres (1,969 ft)) near the village ofRhigos in theCynon Valley.
Glamorgan's terrain has been inhabited byhumankind for over 200,000 years.Climate fluctuation caused the formation, disappearance, and reformation ofglaciers which, in turn, caused sea levels to rise and fall. At various times life has flourished, at others the area is likely to have been completely uninhabitable. Evidence of the presence ofNeanderthals has been discovered on theGower Peninsula. Whether they remained in the area during periods of extreme cold is unclear. Sea levels have been 150 metres (490 ft) lower and 8 metres (26 ft) higher than at present, resulting in significant changes to the coastline during this period.[5][6][7]
Archaeological evidence shows thathumans settled in the area during aninterstadial period. The oldest known human burial in Great Britain – theRed Lady of Paviland – was discovered in a coastal cave betweenPort Eynon andRhossili, on the Gower Peninsula. The 'lady' has beenradiocarbon dated to c. 29,000 years before present (BP) – during theLate Pleistocene – at which time the cave overlooked an area ofplain, some miles from the sea.[7][8]
From the end of thelast ice age (between 12,000 and 10,000 BP)Mesolithichunter-gatherers began tomigrate to theBritish Peninsula – throughDoggerland – from theEuropean mainland.Archaeologist Stephen Aldhouse-Green notes that while Wales has a "multitude" of Mesolithic sites, their settlements were "focused on the coastal plains", the uplands were "exploited only by specialist hunting groups".[5][9][10]
Human lifestyles inNorth-West Europe changed around 6000 BP; from theMesolithic nomadic lives of hunting and gathering, to the Neolithicagrarian life of agriculture and settlement. They cleared the forests to establish pasture and to cultivate the land and developed new technologies such as ceramics and textile production.[11][12] A tradition oflong barrow construction began in continental Europe during the7th millennium BP – the free standing megalithic structures supporting a sloping capstone (known asdolmens); common overAtlantic Europe. NineteenNeolithicchambered tombs (orlong barrows) and five possiblehenges have been identified in Glamorgan. Thesemegalithic burial chambers, orcromlechi, were built between 6000 and 5000 BP, during the early Neolithic period, the first of them about 1500 years before eitherStonehenge or the EgyptianGreat Pyramid of Giza was completed. Two major groups of Neolithic architectural traditions are represented in the area:portal dolmens (e.g.St Lythans burial chamber (Vale of Glamorgan), and Cae'rarfau (nearCreigiau)); andSevern-Cotswold chamber tombs (e.g.Parc Cwm long cairn, (Parc le Breos Cwm, Gower Peninsula), andTinkinswood burial chamber (Vale of Glamorgan)), as well as tombs that do not fall easily into either group. Such massive constructions would have needed a large labour force – up to 200 men – suggestive of large communities nearby. Archaeological evidence from some Neolithic sites (e.g. Tinkinswood) has shown the continued use of cromlechi in theBronze Age.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
TheBronze Age – defined by the use of metal – has made a lasting impression on the area. Over six hundred Bronze Agebarrows andcairns, of various types, have been identified all over Glamorgan. Other technological innovations – including thewheel; harnessingoxen;weaving textiles; brewingalcohol; and skillful metalworking (producing new weapons and tools, and fine gold decoration and jewellery, such asbrooches andtorcs) – changed people's everyday lives during this period.Deforestation continued to the more remote areas as a warmer climate allowed the cultivation even of upland areas.
By 4000 BP people had begun to bury, orcremate their dead in individualcists, beneath a mound of earth known as around barrow; sometimes with a distinctive style of finely decorated pottery – like those atLlanharry (discovered 1929) and atLlandaff (1991) – that gave rise to the Early Bronze Age being described asBeaker culture. From c. 3350 BP, a worsening climate began to make agriculture unsustainable in upland areas. The resulting population pressures appear to have led to conflict.Hill forts began to be built from the Late Bronze Age (and throughout theIron Age (3150–1900 BP)) and the amount and quality of weapons increased noticeably – along the regionally distinctive tribal lines of the Iron Age.[14][20][21][22][23]
Archaeological evidence from two sites in Glamorgan shows Bronze Age practices and settlements continued into the Iron Age. Finds fromLlyn Fawr, thought to bevotive offerings, include weapons and tools from the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The hoard, described as "one of the most significant prehistoric metalwork hoards in Wales" has given its name to theLlyn Fawr Phase, the last Bronze Age phase in Britain.[24][25] Excavations atLlanmaes, Vale of Glamorgan, indicate a settlement and "feasting site" occupied from the Late Bronze Age until theRoman occupation.[26][27] Until theRoman conquest of Britain, the area that would become known as Glamorgan was part of the territory of theSilures – aCeltic British tribe that flourished in the Iron Age – whose territory also included the areas that would become known asBreconshire andMonmouthshire.[5] The Silures had hill forts throughout the area – e.g.,Caerau (Cardiff),Caerau hill fort, Rhiwsaeson (Llantrisant), and Y Bwlwarcau [Mynydd Margam], south west ofMaesteg – and cliff castles along the Glamorgan coast – e.g.,Burry Holms (Gower Peninsula). Excavations at one – Dunraven hill fort (Southerndown, Vale of Glamorgan) – revealed the remains of twenty-oneroundhouses.[28][29][30][31][32][33]
Many other settlements of the Silures were neither hill forts nor castles. For example, the 3.2-hectare (8-acre)fort established by theRomans near the estuary of theRiver Taff in 75 AD, in what would become Cardiff, was built over an extensive settlement established by the Silures in the 50s AD.[34]
The region originated as an independent petty kingdom namedGlywysing, believed to be named after a 5th-century Welsh king calledGlywys, who is said to have been descended from a Roman Governor in the region.Saint Paul Aurelian was born in Glamorgan in the 6th century. The namesMorgannwg (Morgan + territorial suffix-wg, 'territory of Morgan') andGlamorgan (gwlad +Morgan, 'land of Morgan')[35] reputedly derive from the 8th-century king Morgan ab Athrwys, otherwise known as "Morgan Mwynfawr" ('great in riches') who unitedGlywysing with the neighbouring kingdoms ofGwent andErgyng, although some have argued for the similar 10th-century rulerMorgan Hen.[36] It is possible it was only the union ofGwent andGlywysing that was referred to as Morgannwg.[37] By virtue of its location and geography, Morgannwg or Glywysing was the second part of Wales, after Gwent, to fall under the control of theNormans and was frequently the scene of fighting between theMarcher Lords and Welsh princes.[38]
The earliest buildings of note included earthwork dykes and rudimentarymotte-and-bailey hillside defences. All that remains of these fortifications are foundations that leave archaeological evidence of their existence, though many were built upon to create more permanent defensive structures. The earliest surviving structures within the region are early stone monuments, waypoints and grave markers dating between the 5th and 7th century, with many being moved from their original position to sheltered locations for protection.[39] The most notable of the early stone markers still in its original place is on a high mountain ridge atGelligaer.[39] Of the later plaitwork patterned standing crosses the finest and best preserved is the 9th century 'Houelt' stone atLlantwit Major.[40]
TheLordship of Glamorgan was established byRobert Fitzhamon following the defeat ofIestyn ap Gwrgant,c. 1080.[41][42] The Lordship of Morgannwg was split after it was conquered; the kingdom of Glamorgan had as itscaput the town of Cardiff and took in the lands from the River Tawe to the River Rhymney.[41] The Lordship took in four of the Welshcantrefi,Gorfynydd,Penychen, Senghenydd andGwynllwg. The area later known as the Gower Peninsula was not under the Lordship of Glamorgan, and became theGower Lordship which had previously been the cantref ofGŵyr. The lowlands of the Lordship of Glamorgan were manorialized, while much of the sparsely populated uplands were left under Welsh control until the late 13th century.[41] Upon the death ofWilliam, Lord of Glamorgan, his extensive holdings were eventually granted toGilbert de Clare in 1217.[43] The subjugation of Glamorgan, begun by Fitzhamon, was finally completed by the powerful De Clare family,[44] and in 1486 the kingdom was granted toJasper Tudor.[41]
.jpg)
The legacy of the Marcher Lords left the area scattered with historic buildings including Norman castles,Cistercian Abbeys, churches and medieval monuments.
The kingdom of Glamorgan was also notable for the number of castles built during the time of theMarcher Lords, many surviving to the present day though many are now ruinous. Of the castles built during the medieval period, those still standing above foundation level include,Caerphilly Castle,Cardiff Castle,Ogmore Castle,St Donat's Castle,St Quintins Castle,Coity Castle,Neath Castle, andOystermouth Castle. Many of the castles within Morgannwg were attacked by forces led byOwain Glyndŵr during theWelsh Revolt of 1400–1415. Some were captured, and several were damaged to such an extent they were never maintained as defences again.
When theDiocese of Llandaff became incorporated into the Province of Canterbury, the Bishop of Llandaff rebuilt over the small church with the beginnings ofLlandaff Cathedral in 1120.[45] In the western region of Morgannwg two monastic foundations were sited, aSavigniac house inNeath in 1130 and the CistercianMargam Abbey in 1147.[45] In the Vale aBenedictine monastery was founded in 1141,Ewenny Priory, a community under the patronage ofSt. Peter's Gloucester. The building of parish churches also began in the 12th century, densely in the Vale, but very sparsely in the upland and northern areas.
TheLaws in Wales Acts of 1535 established the County of Glamorgan through the amalgamation of the Lordship of Glamorgan with the lordships ofGower andKilvey; the area that had previously been the cantref of Gwynllwg was lost toMonmouthshire. With Wales finally incorporated with the English dominions, the administration of justice passed into the hands of the crown.[46] The Lordship became ashire and was awarded its first parliamentary representative with the creation of theGlamorganshire constituency in 1536.[46] TheReformation, which was closely followed by theDissolution of the Monasteries, led to vast social changes across Britain.[47] These events, along with the Act of Union, allowed the leading Welsh families to gain in wealth and prosperity, allowing equal footing to those families of English extraction.[47] Old monasteries, with their lands, were acquired by the wealthy and turned into country houses; their notable residents preferring to live in gentry houses rather than the fortified castles of the past. Major families in Glamorgan included theCarnes atEwenny, theMansels atMargam, Williams ofNeath, the Herberts at Cardiff and Swansea, Sir David Ap Mathew of Llandaff, and theStradlings ofSt Donats.
The main industry of Glamorgan during this period was agriculture. In the upland, orBlaenau area, the hilly terrain along with many areas being densely wooded, made arable farming unprofitable, so the local farming concentrated on the rearing of horses, cattle and sheep.[48] The lowland, orBro was devoted to more general branches of farming, cereal, grass for pasture, hay and stock raising. Non-agricultural industries were generally small scale, with some shallow coal pits,fulling mills, weaving and pottery-making.[48] The main heavy industry of note during this period was copper smelting, and this was centred on the towns of Swansea and Neath.[49] Although copper had been mined in Wales since the Bronze Age, it was not until non-ferrous metalworking became a major industry in the late 17th century that Glamorgan saw a concentration of works appearing in a belt betweenKidwelly and Port Talbot.[49] Smelting of copper started around Neath under theMines Royal Societyc. 1584 but the scale of the works increased dramatically from the early 18th century when Swansea displaced Bristol as Britain's copper smelting capital.[49] Easy access to Cornish ores and a local outcropping of coal near the surface, gave Swansea economic advantages in the smelting industry.
Early iron smelting within Glamorgan was a localised and minor industry, with historical evidence pointing to scattered ironworks throughout the county.John Leland mentions a works atLlantrisant in 1539, an operation in Aberdare existed during the reign ofEdward VI and two iron furnaces were recorded as being set up by Sir W. Mathew inRadyr during theElizabethan era.[50] By 1666 a furnace was in operation inHirwaun and in 1680 a smelting hearth was established inCaerphilly.[50] Despite the existence of these industries, the scale of production was small, and in 1740 the total output of iron from Glamorgan was reported at 400 tons per year.[51]
Glamorgan, now falling under the protection of the crown, was also involved in the conflicts of the crown. With the start of theFirst English Civil War, there was little support from the Welsh for the Parliamentarians.[52] Glamorgan sent troops to joinCharles I at theBattle of Edgehill, and their Member of ParliamentSir Edward Stradling was captured in the conflict.[53] In theSecond English Civil War, the war came to Glamorgan at theBattle of St Fagans (1648), where theNew Model Army overcame a largerRoyalist to prevent a siege of Cardiff.[52]
The period between the Laws in Wales Acts and the industrialisation of Glamorgan saw two distinct periods architecturally. From the 1530s throughout to 1650, the newly empowered gentry attempted to show their status by building stately homes to show their wealth; but the period from 1650 through to the mid-1750s was a fallow time for architectural grandeur, with few new wealthy families moving to the area. Of the eight major gentry houses of the time onlySt Fagans Castle survives with its interior intact; five, Neath Abbey,Old Beaupre Castle,Oxwich Castle, Llantrithyd andRuperra Castle are ruinous.[54] Of the remaining two manors, The Van at Caerphilly was reconstructed in 1990 while Cefnmabli was gutted by a fire in 1994.[54] The old castles became abandoned throughout this period due to the new security brought by Glamorgan coming under the protection of the crown, with only the Stradlings ofSt Donat's Castle electing to remain in their old ancestral home.[47]
By the 17th century, the availability of fine building stone permitted the construction of high-quality lime-washed rural cottages and farmhouses in the Vale of Glamorgan, which drew favourable remarks from travellers. A Glamorganyeoman of the time generally lived in greater comfort than his contemporaries of the more westerly or upland parts of Wales such asCardiganshire or northCarmarthenshire.[55]
From the mid-18th century onwards, Glamorgan's uplands underwent large-scale industrialisation and several coastal towns, in particularSwansea and laterCardiff, became significant ports.[41] From the late 18th century until the early 20th century Glamorgan produced 70 per cent of the British output ofcopper.[56] The industry was developed by English entrepreneurs and investors such asJohn Henry Vivian[57] and largely based in the west of the county, where coal could be purchased cheaply and ores imported fromCornwall,Devon and later much further afield. The industry was of immense importance to Swansea in particular; in 1823 the smelting works on theRiver Tawe, and the collieries and shipping dependent on them, supported between 8,000 and 10,000 people.[58] Imports of copper ores reached a peak in the 1880s, after which there was a steep fall until the virtual end of the trade in the 1920s. The cost of shipping ores from distant countries, and the growth of foreign competitors, ended Glamorgan's dominance of the industry.[57] Some of the works converted to the production ofzinc and theTawe valley also became a location for the manufacture ofnickel afterLudwig Mond established a works atClydach in 1902.[59]
Even at its peak, coppersmelting was never as significant as iron smelting, which was the major industrial employer of men and capital in south Wales before the rise of the sale-coal industry. Ironmaking developed in locations whereironstone, coal and limestone were found in close proximity – primarily the northern and south-western parts of theSouth Wales coalfield.[61][62] In the second half of the 18th century four ironworks were built inMerthyr Tydfil. In 1759 theDowlais Ironworks were established by a partnership of nine men. This was followed by thePlymouth Ironworks in 1763, which was formed byIsaac Wilkinson and John Guest, then in 1765Anthony Bacon established theCyfarthfa Ironworks. The fourth of the great ironworks,Penydarren Ironworks was built in 1784. These works made Merthyr Tydfil the main centre of the industry in Wales.[61]
As well as copper and iron, Glamorgan became an important centre for the tinplate industry. Although not as famous as the Llanelli or Pontypool works, a concentrated number of works emerged around Swansea, Aberavon and Neath towards the late 19th century.[63] Glamorgan became the most populous and industrialised county in Wales and was known as the 'crucible of the Industrial Revolution'.[42][64]
Other areas to house heavy industries include ironworks inMaesteg (1826), tinplate works in Llwydarth andPontyclun and an iron ore mine inLlanharry.
Alongside the metalworks, industries appeared throughout Glamorgan that made use of the works' output. Pontypridd was well known for theBrown Lenox Chainworks, which during the 19th century was the town's main industrial employer.[65]
The largest change to industrial Glamorgan was the opening up of theSouth Wales coalfield, the largest continuous coalfield in Britain, which occupied the greater part of Glamorgan, mostly north of the Vale.[66] The coalfield provided a vast range in quality and type, but prior to 1750 the only real access to the seams was throughbell pits or digging horizontally into a level where the seam was exposed at a river bank or mountainside.[67] Although initially excavated for export, coal was soon also needed for the smelting process in Britain's expanding metallurgical industries. Developments in coal mining began in the north-eastern rim of Glamorgan around the ironworks of Merthyr and in the south-west around the copper plants of Swansea.[67] In 1828 the South Wales coalfield was producing an estimated 3 million tons of coal, by 1840 that had risen to 4.5 million, with about 70 percent consumed by local commercial and domestic usage.
The 1840s saw the start of a dramatic increase in the amount of coal excavated within Glamorgan. Several events took place to precipitate the growth in coal mining, including the discovery of steam coal in theCynon Valley, the building of a large masonry dock at Cardiff and the construction of theTaff Vale Railway.[67] In 1845, after trials by theBritish Admiralty, Welsh steam coal replaced coal fromNewcastle-upon-Tyne as the preferred fuel for the ships of theRoyal Navy. Glamorgan steam coal quickly became a sought-after commodity for navies all over the world[67] and its production increased to meet the demand.
The richest source for steam coal was the Rhondda Valleys, and by 1856 the Taff Vale Railway had reached the heads of both valleys. Over the next fifty years the Rhondda would grow to become the largest producer of coal of the age. In 1874, the Rhondda produced 2.13 million tons of coal, which rose to 5.8 million tons by 1884.[67] The coal now produced in Glamorgan far exceeded the interior demand, and in the later half of the 19th century the area became a mass exporter for its product. In the 1890s the docks of South Wales accounted for 38 percent of British coal exports and a quarter of global trade.[67]
Along with the increase in coal production came a very large increase in the population, as people emigrated to the area to seek employment. In Aberdare the population grew from 6,471 in 1841 to 32,299 in 1851 while the Rhondda grew from 3,035 in 1861 to 55,632 in 1881, peaking in 1921 at 162,729.[68] Much of this population growth was driven byimmigration. In the ten years from 1881 to 1891, net migration to Glamorgan was over 76,000, 63 percent of which was from the non-border counties of England – a proportion that increased in the following decade.[69]
Until the beginning of the 18th century, Glamorgan was almost entirely agriculture based. With the industrialisation of the county, farming became of far less importance, with industrial areas encroaching into farming lands.[48] In Glamorgan, from the late 19th century, there was a significant reduction away from arable land towards pasture land.[48] There were two main factors behind this trend; firstly the increase in the population of the county required more milk and other dairy produce,[48] in an age before refrigeration. Secondly there was an employment shortage in farming due to the call of better paid industrial work,[48] and pastoral land was less work intensive. Stock rearing became prominent with breeds such asHereford,Devon andShorthorn cattle being bred in the Vale of Glamorgan,[48] while the unenclosed wilds of the Gower sawWelsh Ponies bred on the commons.[70]
The industrial period of Glamorgan saw a massive building program throughout the uplands and in the coastal regions, reflecting the increasing population and the need for new cheap housing to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of workers coming into the area. As the towns urbanised and the hamlets became villages, the trappings of modern life were reflected in the buildings required to sustain new and growing communities. The period saw the appearance, not only of the works and pits themselves, but of theterrace house or miners cottage, railway stations, hospitals, churches, chapels, bridges, viaducts, stadiums, schools, universities, museums and workingmen's halls.
As well as the architecture of Glamorgan enteringmodernity, there was also a reflection to the past, with some individuals who made the most from the booming industrial economy restoring symbols of the past, buildingfollies and commissioningGothic-style additions to ancient churches.Robert Lugar'sCyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr (1825) and the late 19th century additions toCardiff Castle, designed byWilliam Burges, exemplify how Gothic was the favoured style for rich industrialists and entrepreneurs.[71]Greek Revival architecture, popularised in France and Germany in the late 18th century, was used for a number of public and educational buildings in Wales including theRoyal Institution of South Wales in Swansea (1841) andBridgend Town Hall (1843).[71]
In 1897, Cardiff Corporation acquired land from theMarquess of Bute with the intention of erecting buildings to meet the administrative, legal and educational needs of Glamorgan's county town. From 1901 onwards,Cathays Park was developed into "possibly the finest...civic centre in Britain" with a range of public buildings including theBaroqueCity Hall and therococo-styleUniversity College.[72]
The majority ofNonconformist chapels were built in the 19th century. They progressed from simple, single-storey designs to larger and more elaborate structures, most built in theclassical style.[73] Perhaps the most ambitious chapel was John Humphrey'sMorriston Tabernacle (1872), incorporating Classical,Romanesque and Gothic elements,[74] which has been called the 'Noncomformist Cathedral of Wales'.[75]
Industrial architecture tended to be functional, although some structures, such as the four-storey engine house atCyfarthfa Ironworks (1836), were built to impress. Coal mining eventually became the dominant industry in Glamorgan and tallwinding towers – originally made of timber or cast iron, later steel – became symbolic icons.[73]
After the First World War, there was an initial drop in coal and iron production, there was still enough demand to push the coalfields to their limits, helped by events such as the American coal miners' strike. Cardiff Docks reached an exporting peak in 1923, but soon production fell and unemployment in the upland valleys began to increase at a dramatic rate.[76] Between April 1924 and August 1925 the unemployment rate amongst South Wales miners jumped from 1.8% to 28.5%.[76] Several factors came together to cause this collapse, including the over-valuation of sterling, the end of the coal subsidy, the growth of electric power,[77] the adoption of oil as the fuel of choice for many industries, and over-expansion of the mines in the late nineteenth century.[76] The Welsh coal owners had failed to invest mechanisation during the good years, and by the 1930s the South Wales Coalfield had the lowest productivity, highest production costs and smallest profits of all Britain's coal-producing regions.[77]
These structural problems were followed by theGeneral Strike of 1926 and then most disastrously theinterwar depression of 1929–1931, which changed the face of industrial Glamorgan forever. In 1932, Glamorgan had an unemployment rate of more than 40 per cent, and one of the highest proportions of people receiving poor relief in the United Kingdom.[78] This was a contrast with relatively recent prosperity: for example, in 1913 unemployment in Merthyr was below 2 per cent and the borough had 24,000 miners. By 1921, the number of employed miners had fallen to 16,000, and in 1934, it was down to 8,000.[79]
Steel production was no less depressed than the coal industry. The inter-war years saw the closure of the old Cyfarthfa and Dowlais works, as steel-making became increasingly concentrated in the coastal belt. Both the coal and steel industries were increasingly dominated by large amalgamations, such asPowell Duffryn andGuest, Keen and Nettlefolds. The smaller companies progressively disappeared.[80]
Glamorgan suffered disproportionately during the Great Depression because of the high proportion of its workforce employed inprimary production rather than the manufacture of finished products. Other parts of Britain began to recover as domestic demand for consumer products picked up, but unemployment in the South Wales Valleys continued to rise: the jobless rate in Merthyr reached 47.5 per cent in June 1935. However, the coastal ports, Cardiff and Swansea, managed to sustain a "reasonable" level of economic activity,[81] and theanthracite coalfield in western Glamorgan (and eastern Carmarthenshire) also managed to maintain production and exports above pre-war levels.[82]
With the outbreak of World War II the coalfields of Glamorgan saw a sharp rise in trade and employment. Despite the demand the want for the youth to conscript in the war effort in the valley areas meant that there was a shortage of workers to run the mines; this in turn saw the introduction of theBevin Boys, workers conscripted to work in the mines. During the war bothCardiff andSwansea were targets for German air attacks due to their important docks.
After the First World War, Glamorgan, as was typical for Britain as a whole, entered a period of modernity, which saw buildings built and designed forfunctionality rather than splendour with period features watered down.[83] As the century progressed, symbols of the past industrial period were torn down and replaced with industrial estates populated by unadorned geometric factories. With concrete becoming the favourite post-war building material, larger office blocks began appearing within the cities, though few were of any architectural significance.
Despite entering a fallow period of architectural design, several structures of note did emerge. Although work began in 1911,The National Museum of Wales (Smith and Brewer) was not completed until 1927 due to the First World War. Designed to reflect sympathetically in dimensions with its neighbouring city hall, the dome-topped museum combines many architectural motifs with Doric columns at its facade, while internally a large entrance hall with stairs, landings and balconies.Percy Thomas'Guildhall in Swansea, an example of the'stripped modernist' style completed in 1936, was described as "Wales' finest interwar building".[84]
Although functionality often deprived a building of interest,Sully Hospital (Pite, Son & Fairweather) is an example of a building which gained from its functional requirements. Initially built for tubercular patients, whose cure required the maximum amount of light and air,[85] the functional architecture left a striking glass-fronted building, completed in 1936.[83]
Another hospital to which functionalism was applied was theUniversity Hospital of Wales (S.W. Milburn & Partners). Begun in the 1960s, and completed in 1971, the building is the third largest hospital in the United Kingdom and the largest in Wales.[86] It was designed to bring the care of patients, research and medical teaching together under one roof.[87]
The demands of modern living saw the growth of housing estates throughout Glamorgan, moving away from the Victorian terrace of Cardiff or the ribbon cottages of the valleys. Several of these projects were failures architecturally and socially. Of note were the Billybanks estate in Penarth andPenrhys Estate (Alex Robertson, Peter Francis & Partners) in the Rhondda, both described byMalcolm Parry, the former Head of the School of Architecture at Cardiff University, as "...the worst examples of architecture and planning in Wales."[88]
The area that was Glamorgan can be divided into three distinct and contrasting geographical areas. To the south east is a gently undulating limestoneplateau,[89] virtually coterminous with the modern county borough ofVale of Glamorgan, mainly comprising farmland and small villages stretching fromPorthcawl to Cardiff. The lowlands are geographically the best environment for agriculture of the three areas.[90] Settlements in the area included Cardiff,Barry,Bridgend,Cowbridge,Penarth and Porthcawl.
The northern part of the county was amountainous area, dissected by deep narrowvalleys. At the southern edge of theBrecon Beacons, the simple geological structure ofOld Red Sandstone gives way toCarboniferous rocks;limestone,shales andmillstone grit.[89] In the 19th century, industrial and population growth in the coal-bearing valleys of theRhymney,Taff,Dare andRhondda gave rise to a form of urbanisation characterised asribbon development. The last deep mine,Tower Colliery atHirwaun, closed in January 2008.[91] A few smalldrift mines like Unity Mine (formerly Pentreclwydau South) nearGlynneath remain. Towns in the region includedAberdare,Caerphilly,Pontypridd,Maesteg,Merthyr Tydfil andMountain Ash.
Further west wasSwansea Bay and theGower Peninsula, anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[92] Of all the areas, Gower was the least affected by heavy industry and the ancient landscape was the least impaired.[90] The high ground that runs centrally through the Gower was largely uncultivated common land and its beaches and rocky coastal headlands showed little signs of the tourist trade[90] that played an increasing role on the local economy. The major settlements of the region included Swansea,Neath andPort Talbot.
The coastline of Glamorgan stretched for 88 miles[citation needed] fromTrowbridge in the east to Gower in the west. It was divided naturally into three distinct sections.[93] The coast of the Vale of Glamorgan was mainly characterised by cliffs, while from Porthcawl to Swansea Bay wide sandy shores prevail. The final section, the Gower coast, was made up of a rugged and serrated peninsula.[94]
From the east the first major coastline feature was theRhymney River, once seen as the natural border between Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, until the absorption of Trowbridge into the Cardiff district[95] in 1936. Heading west, the coast was an expanse ofalluvial deposits stretching to the mouth of Glamorgan's most well known river, theRiver Taff.[94] Once marshland, the area was consumed by the rapid growth of theCardiff Docks during the industrial revolution, but with the downturn in Glamorgan's iron and coal industries, the docks declined. Also flowing into Cardiff Docks is theRiver Ely, which separates Cardiff from the headland and seaside resort ofPenarth in the Vale of Glamorgan.[94] Here the coast stretches southwards for two and a half miles from Penarth Head toLavernock Point, hidden from vessels travelling up theBristol Channel.[96] South easterly from Lavernock Point, roughly three miles out in the Channel Estuary isFlat Holm, an island which although geographically is within the Vale, is administered as part of the city of Cardiff.[97] Flat Holm was the most southerly point of Glamorgan and Wales.
From Lavernock Point the coast heads sharply west to the town ofBarry, a well-known seaside resort, Barry is most notable for its rapid expansion during the late 19th century to become an important dock, at one stage surpassing Cardiff Dock for the tonnage of coal exported. Passing the cliffs of Barry Island the coastline becomes a low-lying promontory called the Lays,[98] which continues west taking in the villages ofRhoose andAberthaw before reachingBreaksea Point, the most southerly point of mainland Wales. Beyond the point is Limpert Bay, which was overlooked by the village ofGileston and the ancient encampment of Summerhouse Point. Here the cliffs rise and run for eleven miles as far as the estuary of theOgmore.[98] Along this run of cliffs the coast passesLlantwit Major andSt Donats, before heading in a rough north-west direction atNash Point.[98]
.jpg)
The coastline remains as steep cliffs until after Dunraven Head, where the cliff face drops away to exposeSoutherndown Beach. Two miles beyond, the Ogmore River runs out into a sand-locked bay which can be seen as commencing the second section of the Glamorgan coast,[99] as here the scenery undergoes an abrupt change; from a series of unbroken cliffs to vast regions of sandy beaches.[100] The Ogmore Bay atOgmore-by-Sea was not only floored with sand but was also backed by high and extensive sand dune system, these impressive natural sand features are commonly known as theMerthyr Mawr sand dunes. Beyond the bay the underlying rocks emerge from the sand to form the promontory of Porthcawl Point.[100]Porthcawl town, once possessing a small dock, abandoned the trade in favour of tourism.[100] The coast continues to the north west as a low rocky formation for three miles toSker Point, after which the sand line begins again, forming an arid wilderness all the way toPort Talbot.[100]Port Talbot was one of the later industrial towns of Glamorgan, and grew out of the medieval village ofAberavon, a settlement built on the banks of theRiver Afan. To the west of the mouth of the Afan is the new district ofSandfields, built over the holiday dunes of Aberavon beach in the 1950s to house the workforce ofPort Talbot Steelworks.[101]
The River Afan commences the wide sweep ofSwansea Bay, which from Port Talbot arcs around taking inBaglan Bay,Briton Ferry, Swansea and ending inMumbles. The whole bay is shut in by high hills and is thickly encircled with sands.[100] Within the bay are two of the major estuaries of Glamorgan; from Port Talbot the first is theRiver Neath, which is protected by long breakwaters.[100] The second is theTawe, the central river of Swansea. Beyond the Tawe the bay sweeps for six miles before reaching Mumbles Head, its most westerly point.[102] Mumbles Head is served byMumbles Lighthouse, which sits on the further of two small islands off the head.
At The Mumbles, the coastline begins its third phase, commencing the wild and rugged cliffs of the Gower. From Mumbles Head toWorm's Head, 20 miles to the west, the coast consists of a series of precipitous cliffs, interrupted by a number of sandy bays. The most notable of the bays includeLangland Bay,Caswell Bay,Pwlldu Bay,Three Cliffs Bay andOxwich Bay. Three Cliffs Bay and the adjoining Oxwich Bay are overlooked by three medieval defences,Pennard Castle,Penrice Castle andOxwich Castle, all three now ruinous. Oxwich Bay ends in the large wooded promontory of Oxwich Point,[103] which leads west to the beach front villages ofHorton andPort Eynon. From Port Eynon Point, a five-mile stretch of wild and impressive cliffs[103] leads to Worm's Head and the western termination of the peninsula. This rock face is pierced in places bycaverns, the most notable being Culver Hole[103] a bone cave near Port Eynon Point.
Worm's Head is one of the stand out features of the Glamorgan coastline, a long narrow ledge of limestone, projecting into the sea, ending in a 200-foot high wedge shaped crag;[103] the Head takes its name from its resemblance to a dragon.[103] On the northern side of the Worm's Head is the village and Bay of Rhossili, a westerly facing bay that leads backwards to a series of downs, some of the highest land in the Gower.[104] Rhossili Bay ends in the northern formation of Llangenydd Burrows and the islet ofBurry Holms.[104] The final stretch of Glamorgan coastline turns north-east to form the Burry Inlet, a shallow and sand-choked estuary which leads to a tract ofsalt marshes which stretch to the mouth of theRiver Loughor.[104] The Loughor forming the border between Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire.
The major rivers of Glamorgan include theTaff, theEly, theOgmore, theNeath,Dulais, theTawe, theRhymney (which forms the historic boundary with Monmouthshire), and theLoughor (which forms the historic boundary with Carmarthenshire).
After the fall of the Welsh kingdom of Morgannwg toRobert FitzHamon in 1091, the region became theEnglishLordship of Glamorgan, sometimes called theLordship of Glamorgan and Morgan because it was divided into the Norman settled Plain or Vale of Glamorgan and the Welsh upland area calledMorgannwg, anglicised to Morgan. Both areas were under the control of the Norman Lords of Glamorgan (often theEarls of Gloucester).[38] As well as building a military and defensive network, the Normans also undertook an ecclesiastical reorganisation on Glamorgan.[45] In Llandaff there was a small monastic community based on a small church; which was made the headquarters of the diocese, incorporated into theProvince of Canterbury. TheDiocese of Llandaff covered almost the entirety of Glamorgan[45] and continued throughout the history of the county of Glamorgan, and through to modern times.
In 1536, theLaws in Wales Act 1535 attached theLordship of Gower and Kilvey to Glamorgan and created thehistoric county of Glamorgan.[105] Along with gaining parliamentary representation in 1536, Glamorgan became part of the King's circuit, with judges from England administering law at theGreat Session or Assizes.[46] Local magistrates were appointed to deal with petty sessions whileLords Lieutenant were appointed as the King's representative. Law enforcement within the confines of the shire was the responsibility of theHigh Sheriff of Glamorgan.
From the 1790s a call was made for parliamentary reform to address the imbalance between the number of Members of Parliament for each Welsh county and the population each seat represented.Radnorshire had only a tenth of the population of Glamorganshire,[106] though Radnorshire had one MP to Glamorganshire's two (Glamorgan and theDistrict of Cardiff). TheFirst Reform Act (1832) gave five more seats to Wales, three went to Glamorganshire. The Act increased the number of MPs for Glamorganshire from one to two, it created the separateDistrict of Swansea andMerthyr Tydfil became a borough constituency.[106] Reflecting the increased importance and wealth of Merthyr the borough was given a second MP after theReform Act 1867. However, the 1867 Act had only a limited impact inGlamorgan as the majority of the population lived in the county constituency. Out of 162,241 inhabitants of the county in 1880, only 12,785 had the vote. Conversely, the borough electorate, in Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil had been greatly expanded. This was particularly true of Merthyr where the electorate was increased tenfold to 14,577.[107] As a result, the nonconformist radical,Henry Richard, was returned as senior member for Merthyr, an important watershed in Welsh political history.
In 1884, the county members were the octogenarian C.R.M. Talbot, who had served since 1830 and the Swansea industrialist, Hussey Vivian, first elected in 1857. In 1885, all ten of the Glamorgan seats were captured by the Liberal Party and this election represented the triumph of the nonconformist middle classes.[108] However, the political representation of Glamorgan was transformed between 1884 and 1922. By 1922, the county was represented by eleven Labour MPs.[109] The transformation commenced with theRedistribution of Seats Act 1885. Glamorganshire was split from its two Members of Parliament to five, with the creation of constituencies forEast,Mid andSouth Glamorganshire,Gower andRhondda.[106] An additionalSwansea Town constituency was created, distinct from Swansea District but the Cardiff constituency remained unchanged, and with over 85,000 inhabitants became the largest single-member constituency in the United Kingdom. At this election, all ten members returned for Glamorgan were Liberals, an event which marked the ascendancy of the nonconformist middle-class as a powerful political force.[110] Although most of these seats now had the working-class electorate in a majority they were safe for the Liberals as long as the labour element remained in the Liberal fold.[111]
An administrative county ofGlamorgan was created under theLocal Government Act 1888, excluding Swansea and Cardiff, which became independentcounty boroughs. In 1908, county borough status was also granted toMerthyr Tydfil, despite protests from the southern part of the borough, where it was claimed that links were stronger withPontypridd.[112][113] In 1935, aRoyal Commission argued that Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, then heavily burdened by the cost of maintaining many unemployed people, should be abolished and merged with Glamorgan. The county council refused the proposal.[113]
The first chairman of the County Council wasHenry Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea.[114] The county council's coat of arms, granted in 1950, was:Or, three chevronels gules between as many Tudor roses barbed and seeded proper. The red chevronels on a gold shield were the arms of theDe ClareMarcher Lords, while the roses recorded the shiring of Glamorgan byHenry VIII. The crest above the shield was aWelsh dragon rising from flames, symbolising the revival of the county's industry following a period of economic depression. The dragon supported a flag bearing aclarion from the arms of the De Granville family, lords of Neath. Thesupporters of the arms were a coalminer and a steel worker. Themotto adopted by the county council:A Ddioddefws A Orfu or 'He Who suffered, conquered' was that of the lineage ofIestyn ap Gwrgant, and was considered appropriate to an area whose wealth depended on great hardship.[3][4]
Under theLocal Government Act 1972, the county boroughs and administrative county of Glamorgan were abolished on 1 April 1974, with three new counties being established, each containing a former county borough:West Glamorgan,Mid Glamorgan,South Glamorgan. It 1996 these areas were reorganised into severalunitary authorities by theLocal Government Act of 1994. TheSouth Wales Police force covers an area that is similar to Glamorgan.[115] Since 2013, Glamorgan has had its own officialflag, red with three white chevrons.[116]
 Council elections in the administrative county ofGlamorgan | |
|---|---|
| Glamorgan County Council | |
| Aberdare Urban District Council | |
| Neath Rural District Council | |
| Mountain Ash Urban District | |
| Ogmore and Garw Urban District Council |
|
| Pontypridd Urban District Council | |
| Rhondda Urban District Council | |
Until 1974 Glamorgan was divided into civil parishes, which in the medieval period comprised the following 125 parishes, listed byhundred (with chapelries initalics):[117]
The earliest forms of transport within Glamorgan were mere paths or trackways linking one settlement to another.[118] With continual use the tracks widened to allow different forms of travel, including the use by pack horses; and as the tracks became more recognisable the first primitive roads came into being. TheRomans established a route, Via Julia Maritima, to service their garrisons across South Wales and this is followed largely by the presentA48.[119] However, for 1,000 years after the Romans there was little need for major roads.[120] Early roads were not systematically managed, and in Glamorgan as in the rest of Wales, they were in a very poor state.[121] Towards Tudor times the upkeep and repair of the roads came under the administration of each parish, with six days of the week during the summer allowed for track repairs. These repairs were rarely completed and the roadways continued to suffer.[121] TheHighways Act 1555 required each landowner to produce a cart, horses or bullocks, and two men to work 4 days on roads. Supervision was by two unpaid surveyors appointed by the parish. By the late 1600s the situation improved as surveyors were appointed by the magistrates, who were allowed to levy a rate to pay for some of the work.[120]
In 1756, after the shire of Glamorgan had come under the rule of the crown, Wales adopted a toll system for the maintenance of the roads; with the governance falling under the control of theturnpike trusts. Further Turnpike Acts came into force in 1799 and 1810, and these Acts allowed trustees to collect a toll for the use of certain roads within a district.[122] In South Wales there were turnpikes along the coast, more or less following the present motorway line, up the Merthyr Valley and across the hills toAbergavenny,Brecon,Llandovery and down toCarmarthen.[120] This system improved travelling conditions, allowing for stage coaches which were then coming into general use.[122] Although the roads improved there were those who felt that the tolls were unjust, and there was a popular uprising between 1839 and 1843 known as theRebecca Riots where agitators attacked and destroyed thetoll houses. Although most of these attacks occurred in Carmarthenshire, there were reports of attacks within Glamorgan, most notably in Swansea.[123] In 1846, county highway boards were established in south Wales, to buy out the turnpike trusts and take over their functions.[119] In 1878 all roads that had ceased to be turnpiked after 1870 were deemed as 'main roads' by theHighways and Locomotives (Amendment) Act 1878.[124] The turnpike system was eventually abolished by theLocal Government Act 1888 and the roads were placed under the management of the local county council.[125] County highway boards were disbanded. There were, however, a number of urban areas within Glamorgan that retained the right to control their own highways, and the county council never achieved control of the whole highway network.[119]
Proposals for a high-quality new road across South Wales were first made in the 1930s. However, thedualling of the A48 Neath bypass was only completed in 1960, with the A48(M) Port Talbot bypass following in 1966. The latter road, an early example of dual carriageway construction through a built-up area, was the first length ofmotorway opened to traffic in Wales.[126] The Ministry of Transport initially envisaged that the newM4 motorway would terminate at Tredegar Park nearNewport, with a series of bypasses to improve the A48 further west. The creation of theWelsh Office led to a re-appraisal of policy and a decision to extend the M4 further into Glamorgan. By 1970, the Welsh Office was committed to building a new route all the way toPont Abraham in Carmarthenshire.[127] The 1960s also saw the construction of the first road across theHeads of the Valleys, with the A465Neath-Abergavenny trunk road opening in 1964.[120][128] However, even at the outset there were complaints about the capacity and safety of its single carriageway, three-lane design.[129]
Due to Glamorgan's long coastline, several settlements grew and prospered as harbour and port towns. In 1801, Swansea was Glamorgan's largest urban area with a population five times that of Cardiff's.[130]Cowbridge was the capital town of the Vale, and the centre of agricultural trade, with surplus stock being shipped to the coastal village of Aberthaw[131] and to a lesser extentNewton.[132] Where there were breaks in the rocky coastline, small fishing and cockling communities existed, such as Port Eynon andPenclawdd.
The event that changed the face of coastal Glamorgan was the growth of the Merthyr iron industry. Merthyr needed a coastal export point for its iron and Cardiff was the obvious choice being at the mouth of the River Taff.[131] A road was built to connect the two towns, but with only horses to move the cargo, transportation was cumbersome; therefore an alternative was planned. Although Glamorgan had a large number of rivers, few were navigable for any considerable length.[133] Between 1790 and 1794, acts of Parliament were obtained for the construction of three canals within Glamorgan, theGlamorganshire Canal (1790),Neath Canal (1791) and theSwansea Canal (1794). All three were vital in increasing the transportation of iron, copper, steel and coal from the uplands of the county to the ports at Swansea and Cardiff. Although the first stages of all three canals were completed by 1800 and revolutionised the commercial transportation systems of Glamorgan; in 1804 at Penydarren Ironworks,Richard Trevithick's"Pen-y-Darren" locomotive became the first engine to pull a load along rails;[134] heralding the coming of the railways, which would eventually replace the canals.
Theport at Cardiff grew quickly during the 19th century, not as a mass exporter of iron but of coal, transported from Pontypridd and theCynon and Rhondda Valleys. From 1840 to 1870 Cardiff's export tonnage of coal increased from 44,350 to 2,219,000.[135] By 1871, Cardiff had outgrown all of its Welsh rivals to become the most populous town in the country[135]Swansea Docks continued to be the world's leading exporter of copper, but did not experience the growth of Cardiff due to poor links to the coalfields. Ambitious attempts were made to link Swansea's docks to coal rich areas, such as theRhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, but these plans were never truly economically successful. The biggest threat to Cardiff's dominance came in the early 20th century atBarry. In 1881, Barry had 484 inhabitants, after an 1884 act of Parliament[which?] authorising the construction of a docks and railway link, the town grew to over 27,000 by 1901.[136] The chief advocate of Barry's growth as a dock wasDavid Davies, and in 1901 Barry was exporting more coal than Cardiff, peaking in 1913 when it shipped 11.41 million tons.[136]
Theinterwar depression experienced by Great Britain brought an end to the prosperity of the Glamorgan ports.[137] During the Second World War, the main ports of Glamorgan were heavily targeted by German bombing raids, though exports were not severely disrupted. By the second half of the 20th century none of the county's docks showed any growth, and with the collapse of the coal trade in South Wales Cardiff and Barry Docks became near derelict, shipping mainly general cargo. Swansea also suffered a vast reduction on trade with the end of the area as a world leader in copper smelting. The only dock to remain a viable exporter was thePort of Port Talbot. First built in 1839,[132] the docks at Port Talbot were a minor concern in relation to the more established ports, but exports increased after the 1916 with the completion of the Margam Steelworks.[132] Exports continued strongly when theAbbey Works were built in 1952. Port Talbot would eventually become the biggest exporting port in Glamorgan, and the second largest in Wales, only surpassed byMilford Haven.
Before the use of locomotives, railway track was used at various stages of the canal system to link locations to which the waterways could not reach. These wagons on these tramlines would be pulled by horse over wooden rails, which later were replaced by wrought iron.[138] In 1809Richard Griffiths built a private tram-road to the Glamorganshire Canal from his coal mine in Gyfeillion.[139] The Gyfeillion site was extended further in 1811 to linkWalter Coffin's mine atDinas Rhondda,[140] allowing the first viable transport link from the Rhondda coal fields to the ports of Cardiff.
The first railway network to be built in Glamorgan, theTaff Vale Railway, was also the first in Wales. Linking the ironworks of Merthyr to the ports of Cardiff, the Taff Vale line was given royal assent in 1836, with work commencing the same year. It was completed in 1840, and as well as carrying goods the trains made limited passenger trips from the very beginning. By 1856 the Taff Vale Railway was extended to service the top of the Rhondda Valleys atTreherbert andMaerdy, which allowed the exploitation of the minefields in one of the most coal-rich areas of Britain. The second major railway to open was theSouth Wales Railway, linking Gloucester in England toNeyland. The line was designed to link the coalfields of Glamorgan to London, and was also part ofIsambard Kingdom Brunel's vision of a transport link from London to New York. The South Wales Railway serviced Cardiff, Bridgend, Neath and Swansea, with its final destination within Glamorgan beingLoughor, before continuing through Carmarthenshire. Other railway lines that opened during the mid to late 19th century included theVale of Neath Railway, theSwansea Vale Railway and theRhymney Railway; all designed with the primary purpose of transporting metals and coal from the uplands of the county to the ever-expanding ports. The cargo carried on these lines was of a very high volume, and in 1850 the Taff Vale Railway was transporting 600,000 tons of coal per annum.
Towards the turn of the 19th century, two notable events occurred connected to the Taff Vale Railway. In 1888, theBarry Railway Company was formed as part ofDavid Davies' plan to create an alternative export port in south Wales atBarry Docks. As a threat to the monopoly of the TVR, the plans were heavily contested in Parliament, and more parliamentary time was spent on the Barry bill than on any other railway bill in British history.[141] The second event saw the Taff Vale Railway Strike of 1900, an event that saw the House of Lords, in theTaff Vale Case, deemtrade unions accountable for the financial losses caused by strike action. The need to reverse the decision was a central factor in the creation of the BritishLabour Party.[141]
In the 20th century, the railways saw a gradual drop in usage as the heavy industrial works and mines began to reduce output and close and many stations became redundant. Following the Second World War, the railways were nationalised in 1948. In the 1960s the main line services in Wales underwentdieselisation, but this modernisation failed to save the rail system and by 1968 many passenger lines were discontinued by theBeeching Axe.
Glamorgan was served by several airports and airfields, withCardiff Airport being the county's chief airport. Cardiff Airport grew from aformer RAF station built in 1942 atRhoose,[142] and was originally known as Rhoose Airport. In 1970 it became 'Glamorgan, Rhoose Airport' before becoming 'Cardiff-Wales airport' in the 1980s.
Glamorgan's second commercial airport wasSwansea Airport which also began as an RAF station, before being released to commercial usage in 1956. The airport saw varying degrees of success until regular flights ceased in 1969. Several other airports and aerodromes have serviced Glamorgan, but usually for private flights. The most notorious aviation disaster in Wales occurred in Glamorgan in 1950, when a privately hiredAvro Tudor crashed atLlandow Aerodrome. TheLlandow air disaster was, at the time, the world's worst aviation disaster.[143]
Sport was an important part of life in Glamorgan, and the county produced several individuals and teams of note. One of the first recorded team sports in Wales wasbando, a variant of bandy. The game was very popular in Glamorgan between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries before losing in popularity to rugby football. The most notable team to carry the name Glamorgan, isGlamorgan County Cricket Club. Althoughcricket had been established in Glamorgan since the creation ofCardiff Cricket Club in 1819; county team Glamorgan CCC did not form until 1888.[144] The team gainedfirst-class status in 1921,[144] and still play under the name of Glamorgan. In the first hundred years, the only Welshman to captain an England major tour abroad wasTony Lewis, Glamorgan captain 1967–72.
The other bat and ball team sport of note in the area wasbaseball, which was very popular in Cardiff, reaching its peak in the 1930s.[145]
One of the most popular sports in Glamorgan wasrugby union, producing some of the oldest rugby clubs in the world.Swansea RFC,Cardiff RFC andMerthyr RFC were founding members of theWelsh Rugby Union in 1881,[146] and bothSt. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground (Swansea) and theCardiff Arms Park (Cardiff), have been sporting venues for international rugby. Like cricket, rugby union was also played at county level, with Glamorgan represented byGlamorgan County RFC, an invitational team which faced the likes of theAll Blacks and theSpringboks in the early part of the 20th century. Other rugby clubs of note from the region includeBridgend RFC,Glamorgan Wanderers RFC,Neath RFC andPontypridd RFC. Although never finding any lasting appeal within Glamorgan, a number ofrugby league teams emerged in the early 1900s; and on 1 January 1908, the first true international rugby league game took place inAberdare betweenWales andNew Zealand.[147]
As well as rugby and cricket,association football was a very popular sport in Glamorgan, producing two teams with a long tradition in British football,Swansea City (formed 1912 as Swansea Town A.F.C.)[148] andCardiff City (formed 1899 as Riverside AFC). Both clubs played in theEnglish football league system, rather than theWelsh leagues, though Cardiff were more successful during this period, spending 15 seasons in theFirst Division and winning theFA Cup in1927.[149] Other teams of note includeMerthyr Tydfil F.C. (1945), who have won theWelsh Cup on three occasions.
Of all the individual sports,boxing was perhaps Glamorgan's most prolific. From the northern coalfields and ironworks a string of world class boxers were produced, which was later matched by notable fighters from Cardiff. Of note were Rhondda'sPercy Jones (World Flyweight Champion),Tom Thomas (British Middleweight Champion),Jimmy Wilde (World Flyweight Champion) andTommy Farr (Empire Heavyweight Champion); Merthyr'sEddie Thomas (European Welterweight Champion) andHoward Winstone (European Featherweight Champion); Pontypridd'sFreddie Welsh (World Lightweight Champion) andFrank Moody (Empire Middleweight Champion). From Cardiff came 'Peerless'Jim Driscoll (British Featherweight Champion) andJack Petersen (British Heavyweight Champion). Other fighters of note includeDai Dower (European Flyweight Champion) fromAbercynon andBill Beynon (Empire Bantamweight Champion) fromTaibach.[citation needed]
Glamorgan, and Wales, were never exploited as a tourist destination until the late 18th century. The destination of choice for English gentlemen during the period was theGrand Tour, but after conflicts in mainland Europe, British travellers looked for 'wild' destinations within their own country.[150] These first tourists were important archivists in their writings, paintings and sketches but there was no real tourist trade to receive them. The coming of industrialisation in the early 19th century gave rise to a new prosperous middle-class and improved communications; both led to a burgeoning tourist trade.[151] The late 19th century, with improving rail links, saw the coastal areas of Glamorgan that benefited from a beachfront grow as tourist destinations.[151] These towns, most notablyBarry Island, Porthcawl, Aberavon and Mumbles, owed their existence as tourist locations to the development of the south Wales coal field and the introduction of the workers' annual holidays.[151] By the mid 20th century these locations improved the number of visitors they could accommodate with the introduction of caravan parks and chalet parks.[151]
As the 20th century progressed, and people's leisure activities extended beyond a once-a-year weeks holiday, the county responded with county parks, museums, art galleries and activity centres.
 | ||
