Mid Glamorgan facts for kids
| Mid Glamorgan Welsh: Morgannwg Ganol |
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 Mid Glamorgan shown within Wales as a preserved county |
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| Geography | |
| Status | Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) |
| 2003 area | 781 km2 (302 sq mi) |
| 2022 area | 786 km² (7th) |
| HQ | County Hall, Cathays Park, Cardiff (extraterritorial) |
| History | |
| Created | 1974 |
| Abolished | 1996 |
| Succeeded by | Bridgend Merthyr Tydfil Rhondda Cynon Taf Caerphilly Preserved county of Mid Glamorgan |
| 2022 population | 444,037 (4th) |
Quick facts for kids Politics |
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|---|---|
| Governance | Mid Glamorgan County Council |
 Coat of arms of Mid Glamorgan County Council |
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| Subdivisions | |
| Type | Non-metropolitan districts |
| Units | 1. Cynon Valley 2. Ogwr 3. Merthyr Tydfil 4. Rhondda 5. Rhymney Valley 6. Taff-Ely |
Mid Glamorgan (which is Morgannwg Ganol in Welsh) is a special area in Wales. It's called a 'preserved county' today. This means it's used for things like ceremonies, but it doesn't have its own government anymore.
From 1974 to 1996, Mid Glamorgan was an 'administrative county'. This means it had its own local government, called the Mid Glamorgan County Council.
Contents
How Mid Glamorgan Was Formed
Mid Glamorgan was created in 1974. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1972.
It was made up of parts of an older area called Glamorgan. It also included the town of Merthyr Tydfil.
Some other places joined too. These were Penderyn and Vaynor from Brecknockshire. Also, parts of Bedwas and Machen, Rhymney, and Bedwellty came from Monmouthshire.
Districts of Mid Glamorgan
When Mid Glamorgan was an administrative county, it was divided into six smaller areas. These were called 'districts'.
The six districts were:
- Cynon Valley
- Ogwr
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Rhondda
- Rhymney Valley
- Taff-Ely
Changes Over Time
In 1996, Mid Glamorgan and its districts were changed. A new law, the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, made these changes.
The area was split into new local government areas. These are called 'unitary authorities'. The new areas included Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and part of Caerphilly.
Some communities also moved to different areas. Wick, St Brides Major, and Ewenny moved to the Vale of Glamorgan. Pentyrch moved to the Cardiff area. Because of these changes, they became part of the preserved county of South Glamorgan.
Later, in 2003, the borders were changed again. The entire Caerphilly area became part of the preserved county of Gwent.
Where the Council Offices Were
The offices for the Mid Glamorgan County Council were in Cardiff. They were located in the Glamorgan Building at Cathays Park. There were also offices on Greyfriars Road nearby.
It's interesting because these offices were actually outside the borders of Mid Glamorgan itself!
The County's Symbol: Coat of Arms
The Mid Glamorgan County Council had its own special symbol. This was called a 'coat of arms'. It looked a lot like the old coat of arms for Glamorganshire.
The shield part of the arms had three red V-shapes on a gold background. It also had two horn-like shapes and a Tudor rose.
Above the shield was a crest. This showed the famous Welsh dragon rising from flames. The dragon was holding a flag. This flag had three V-shapes, which were from the arms of an old ruler named Iestyn ap Gwrgant.
Two figures stood on either side of the shield. These were a coal miner and a steel worker. They showed the important industries of the area.
The motto, or saying, for the county was A Ddioddefws A Orfu. This means "He Who suffered, conquered". This motto was also used by Glamorganshire before it.
