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Aberystwyth . Bangor . Black Mountains . Brecon . Brecon Beacons . Cader Idris
Caerleon . Caernarfon . Caernarfon Castle . Caerphilly . Cambrian Mountains . Cardigan
Cardigan Bay . Carmarthen . Carmarthen Bay . Chepstow . Colwyn Bay . Conwy
Conwy Castle . Cwmbran . Ebbw Vale . Fishguard . Harlech . Harlech Castle
Haverfordwest . Holyhead . Llandrindod Wells . Llandudno . Llangollen
Milford Haven . Mold . Monmouth . Pembroke . Pembrokeshire National Park
Port Talbot . Snowdon . Snowdonia National Park . St. Davids . Wrexham
Back to Towns & Cities of Wales
Aberystwyth, town in Ceredigion District, Cardiganshire, central Wales, at the mouth of the Ystwyth and Rheidol rivers, on Cardigan Bay. A seaside resort and educational centre, Aberystwyth is the seat of the University College of Wales (1893), and the National Library of Wales (chartered 1907). There are also the ruins of a 13th-century castle around which the town grew up. Population (1991) 8,774.
Bangor (Wales), cathedral city and administrative centre of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, north Wales. Bangor is situated on the coast at the northern entrance of the Menai Strait which separates the island of Anglesey from the Welsh mainland. The Menai and Britannia bridges cross the strait at Bangor, making it the starting point for trips to the island. The city is the seat of the University College of North Wales (founded 1884) and several theological colleges. Bangor is also a focus of Welsh culture, with an art gallery, a museum of Welsh antiquities, and the Theatr Gwynedd, which is devoted to the work of Welsh playwrights. Bangor cathedral was founded in AD 584 by St Deiniol, its first bishop, to whom the cathedral is now dedicated. A centre of Celtic Christianity, the cathedral has been rebuilt three times, following destruction by the Normans in 1071, by the English King John in the 13th century, and by the Welsh nationalist forces of Owen Glendower in 1404. Sir George Gilbert Scott restored the cathedral in 1866. Population (1985) 15,000.
Black Mountains (United Kingdom), range of mountains in the Welsh counties of Powys and Gwent, and the English county of Hereford and Worcester. The Welsh area is within the Brecon Beacons National Park. Covering about 210 sq km (80 sq mi), the Black Mountains are separated from the Brecon Beacons to the west by the River Usk and the lake of Llangorse; to the north they are bounded by the valley of the River Wye, to the east by the Golden Valley, through which flows the River Dore, and to the south by the town of Abergavenny. Formed of Old Red Sandstone, their covering of gorse and heather gives them a perpetually dark appearance. They lie in a series of parallel dd ridges running northwest-southeast and cut by several streams, including Grwyne Fawr and Grwyne Fechan on the Welsh side, and Escley Brook and the River Mannow in England. The highest points are on Gader Ridge, in Powys, rising to 811 m (2,660 ft) on Waun Fach and 800 m (2,624 ft) on Pen-y-Gader Fawr. The principal industries of the valleys are dairy and sheep farming, and tourism. The line of Offa's Dyke, the late 8th-century earthwork separating Wales from the English kingdom of Mercia, runs through the Black Mountains more or less along the line of the current border.
Brecon (also Brecknock), town in Powys, south Wales, situated on the River Usk at its confluence with the Hoddu and Tarell. It is a shopping and service centre for the surrounding rural area. Christ's College was founded by Henry VIII in 1541 as a boys' school. The Priory Church of St John the Evangelist dates from the 11th century and was adapted for use as a cathedral in 1923. The ruins of the Norman castle lie at two sites, one of which was reconstructed during the reign of Edward I. Population (1990 estimate) 7,000.
Brecon Beacons or Brecknock Beacons, mountains of old red sandstone, south Wales, about 45 km (28 mi) north-west of Cardiff. The Brecon Beacons, known as Bannau Brycheiniog in Welsh, and the nearby Black Mountains and Waterfall District make up the Brecon Beacons National Park. Pen-y-Fan, the highest mountain in south Wales (886 m/2,907 ft) is in the Brecon Beacons, as is its twin flat-topped summit, Corn Du (843 m/ 2,766 ft). There are two Bronze Age cairns, one on Corn Du excavated in the 1970s, the second on Pen-y-Fan, excavated in the early 1990s. A popular hiking area, local income is derived from tourism, as well as from animal husbandry on small privately owned farms. "Brecon Beacons," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Cader Idris (Eng., Chair of Idris), mountain ridge, south-western Gwynedd, Wales. Located about 5 km south of Dolgellau and about 10 km inland from Cardigan Bay, the ridge extends east to west for about 11 km (7 mi) and takes in the peaks of Pen-y-Gader (892 m/2,927 ft)-one of the highest in the British Isles-and Mynydd Moel (854 m/2,804 ft). Cader Idris is composed of volcanic rocks extruded during the early Palaeozoic period, into which glacial erosion has carved some spectacular rugged scenery.
Caerleon, village in Newport borough, Gwent, south-east Wales, on the Usk River near Newport. Caerleon is the site of the important Roman legionary fortress of Isca, founded here about AD 75 and occupied until the 4th century. Extensive remains are to be seen, including those of an amphitheatre, baths, and barracks, and there is a museum containing archaeological relics. Caerleon has also been claimed as the site of King Arthur's legendary capital. Population (Newport Borough, 1991 preliminary) 129,900.
Caernarfon, town, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, north-western Wales. Located on the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey, Caernarfon is a historic walled town with a magnificent castle. The town's strategic location was recognized by the Romans; Caernarfon contains the remains of the Roman fort of Segontium, begun in c. AD 75. Caernarfon Castle was constructed by the Normans in the late 11th century and rebuilt at the end of the 13th century by Edward I of England to act as the base for English control of north Wales; it is one of the best-preserved fortresses of its kind. The Eagle, Queen's, and Chamberlain towers date from 1285-1291, the Black Tower and Queen's Gate from 1295-1301, and the rest of the castle from 1315-1322. Edward I's son, later Edward II, was born at Caernarfon Castle in 1284, and in 1301 was presented to the Welsh people as the first Prince of Wales. The investiture of the Prince of Wales has taken place at the castle since 1911; the current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was invested there in 1969. Caernarfon was granted a charter in 1284 and became the capital of north Wales. It has some light industry, including plastics and metal-working, and is also an agricultural market town. Tourism is important. Visitors go to Caernarfon to see the castle, to enjoy the coast, and to sail and fish. The town is the headquarters of two sailing clubs: the Royal Welsh Yacht Club, and the Caernarfon Sailing Club.
Caernarfon Castle, situated on the north-west coast of Wales, facing Anglesey. It is one of six massive fortresses built by Edward I, and his architect-engineer Master James of St George, to secure his conquests in Wales and is among the best-known castles in Great Britain. Work on the castle began in 1283. Its design, like that of others in this chain (see Conwy Castle and Harlech Castle), owes much to Edward's extensive military experience in Europe and on crusade in the Near East. As a group they mark a high point in Western castle building. Both in its purpose and its design, however, Caernarfon differs considerably from Edward I's other Welsh fortresses, functioning not only as a military structure but also as a propagandist symbol of Edward's regal and divine authority. According to old Welsh tradition, Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor of Rome, was born there. The unusual polygonal design of the turrets (all the other castles have circular turrets) and the decoratively banded masonry walls closely reflect the design of the 5th-century landwalls of Constantinople, thought to have been built by Constantine himself. The discovery of the supposed bones of Constantine's father, Magnus Maximus, in Caernarfon the same year that work started on the castle reinforced the belief in this connection. Edward ensured that his son, the future Edward II, was born there (in 1284), and had him presented to the Welsh people as the Prince of Wales, a tradition that has persisted to the present day; the investiture of Prince Charles took place in Caernarfon Castle in 1969.
Caerphilly (town), town, Caerphilly county borough, south Wales. Located some 10 km (6 mi) north of Cardiff on the coalfield of the Rhymney Valley, Caerphilly is surrounded by hills and dominated by the Norman castle in the town centre. The original keep was destroyed by the forces of Prince Llewellyn ap Gruffydd in 1270. Caerphilly Castle, rebuilt from 1271, is today the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Great Britain, after Windsor. It has been extensively restored and boasts an elaborate defence system, including a vast moat held back by a medieval dam. Empty from the 16th century, except for occasional use as a prison, the castle fell into ruin and was eventually donated to the crown in 1949. Historically a mining and light industrial town, Caerphilly was once nicknamed "the Swindon of Wales" because of its large locomotive and carriage workshops, which closed in 1964. Today, the main employment is in light industry and the manufacture of various goods, including electronics, plastics, and synthetic resins. It is also an agricultural market town, and acts as a residential suburb of Cardiff. The crumbly cheese which bears the town's name was its most famous product for centuries. Population (1991 estimate) 28,000.
Cambrian Mountains, region in Wales, occupying much of the principality. The rugged upland region, which receives abundant rainfall, is the source of the Severn, Towy, and Wye rivers and has reservoirs supplying water to the industrial communities of southern Wales and the Midlands of England. The highest point in the Cambrian Mountains is Aran Fawddwy (905 m/2,970 ft). The isolated valleys and hills support livestock farming, mostly of sheep. The many springs arising in the valleys have given rise to spa towns, including Builth Wells, Llandrindod Wells, and Llanwrtyd Wells, and the region has a relatively high proportion of people using Welsh as their primary language. Subsidiary ranges to the south include the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains.
Cardigan (Welsh, Aberteifi), town, in Cardiganshire, on the River Teifi in south-western Wales. Cardigan grew up around a Norman castle beside the river. During the English Civil War, the castle fell to Parliamentarians in 1645. Also there is an ancient stone bridge across the Teifi which dates from the 12th century. Cardigan is a market town for produce, mainly sheep, dairy products, and potatoes, from the surrounding agricultural area. Population (1990 estimate) 4,000.
Cardigan Bay, semicircular inlet of St George's Channel in the Irish Sea, western Wales. The bay is about 105 km (65 mi) long and about 56 km (35 mi) wide. It is enclosed by the Lleyn peninsula, Gwynedd, on the north, and the peninsula of Dyfed on the south. The main towns on the bay are Pwllheli (on Tremadog Bay, an indentation in the north of Cardigan Bay), Barmouth, Aberystwyth, Cardigan, and Fishguard, from which ferries sail to the Republic of Ireland.
Carmarthen (Welsh, Caerfyrddin), port and county town, Carmarthenshire, south-western Wales. Carmarthen is located just above the upper tidal reaches of the River Towy, inland of Carmarthen Bay on the Bristol Channel. It is a busy market town for the produce of the surrounding agricultural area, in particular wool and milk. It shares with Caerleon the title of the oldest town in Wales, and was the site of strategic Roman and Norman settlements. Carmarthen was granted a charter by King John in 1201. The first known manuscript in the Welsh language, The Black Book of Carmarthen (c. 1170-1230), was written in the town's priory. The 14th-century church of St Peter has an impressive fortified tower and is the resting place of the 18th-century essayist and author, Sir Richard Steele. According to Welsh folklore, Merlin, the legendary wizard and adviser to King Arthur, was born near Carmarthen in 480. One of the oldest traditions of Wales, salmon fishing by coracle, still survives on the River Towy at Carmarthen. Population (1991 estimate) town 14,600; district 53,920.
Carmarthen Bay, inlet of the Bristol Channel, Dyfed, south Wales; approximately 43 km (27 mi) long and originally formed by deglaciation drowning a number of rivers. Caldy Island is at the Bay's western entrance; on the east is the Gower peninsula, and the Burry Inlet leading to Llanelli. The bay receives the rivers Taf and Towy in the area around Carmarthen, and the River Loughor east of Llanelli. Large sand flats are uncovered at low tide, and most of the rest of the bay is less than 25 m (80 ft) deep.
Chepstow, town, Monmouthshire, southern Wales. Well situated as a transport centre, Chepstow is located on the Severn Estuary at the mouth of the River Wye, adjacent to the Severn road bridge and the M4 motorway. Chepstow's port, once important, is today only accessible to smaller boats. The town's economy is based around tourism, the agricultural trade, and light industry. The site has been settled since prehistoric times, reflecting its strategic position controlling the entrances to the Severn and Wye Valleys. Chepstow became an important fortress town on the Welsh-English border in the 12th century, when the Normans built the castle (1120-1130) which is still the dominant landmark of the town. King Edward I extended it and it remained impregnable until the 17th century, when Oliver Cromwell's guns breached its walls during the Civil War. In the 13th century the 2-m (6-ft) thick Portwall was built to protect the side of the town not protected by the river. Much of the wall is preserved, and the town gate leads to steep and twisting medieval streets. Chepstow is often used by tourists as a base for exploring the scenic Wye Valley, within which Tintern Abbey is situated. There is a racecourse just outside the town. Population (1981) 9,233.
Colwyn Bay, coastal town and resort in Aberconwy and Colwyn county borough, north Wales. Its main industry is tourism, and it has fine sandy beaches. Colwyn Bay has a 12th-century abbey and a small chapel, that may date from the 5th century, built over an ancient well. The Welsh Mountain Zoo and Botanical Gardens has an extensive collection of birds of prey. Population (1989) 27,683.
Conwy (also Conway), town on the estuary of the River Conwy, Aberconwy and Colwyn, north Wales. During the 19th century transport improvements were brought about by the suspension bridge (1826) designed by Thomas Telford and the tubular railway bridge (1848) designed by Robert Stephenson. Conwy's main industry is tourism and it is a popular centre for sailing enthusiasts. It is one of the few remaining examples of a completely walled medieval town. Within the 1,400 m (4,590 ft) circumference of these walls is Conwy Castle (c. 1284), built by Edward I to subdue the Welsh. St Mary's Church occupies the site of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey which was relocated by Edward I. A museum of the town's history since Roman times is housed in Aberconwy, a stone and timber manor house dating from the 14th century. Population (1991 estimate) 13,500.
Conwy Castle, situated on the Conwy River, on the coast of North Wales, one of the six castles built by Edward I to secure his conquests in Wales, and an important link in this chain. Like the others (Caernarfon Castle and Harlech Castle), it was designed by Edward's architect-engineer, Master James of St George, and built from 1283 onwards. The castle was intended to appear daunting and impressive: it has eight massive towers, each identical in scale and four of them turreted; decorative pinnacled battlements; and a limestone wash..
Cwmbran, town in Torfaen borough, south Wales. Cwmbran is about 8 km (5 m) north of Newport. Gwent County Hall is in the town, which together with the neighbouring town of Pontypool forms part of Torfaen District Council. The town is linked by railway to Newport and Cardiff, and is near the M4 motorway. Cwmbran was designated as a new town in 1949 when it had a population of 12,000, and was a former mining town. Developments since then have brought many new industries to the town including the manufacture of braking equipment, bread, biscuits, dairy machinery, electric razors, and valves. Older industries included brick-making. A BBC local radio station broadcasts from Cwmbran. Population (1991): town 47,000; Torfaen District 91,200.
Ebbw Vale, town in Blaenau Gwent, south-eastern Wales. Until the closure of the steelworks in 1978 the town's industry had been based on iron and steel since the 18th century. Today Ebbw Vale provides an important shopping and service centre for the surrounding communities, and electronic and other firms, from Japan and South Korea especially, have been attracted to the town. The Labour politician Aneurin Bevan was the Member of Parliament for Ebbw Vale from 1929 to 1960 and was succeeded by Michael Foot, later Labour party leader, who was Member of Parliament from 1960 to 1983. Population (1996 estimate) 24,100.
Fishguard (in Welsh, Abergwaun), town and seaport at the mouth of the River Gwaun in Pembroke, south-western Wales. Passengers, mail, and freight are carried between here and Rosslare, Ireland, across a distance of 87 km (54 mi), the shortest sea crossing to Ireland. Fishguard was formerly a fishing centre, but today its main industries are transport and tourism. Buried at St Mary's Church is Jemima Nicholas, a local heroine who marched to meet the French invaders of 1797 and personally captured 14 of them. Population (1991) 2,903.
Harlech, village, north-western Wales. The seat of the former county of Merionethshire, Harlech is situated on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, overlooking Tremadog Bay, part of Cardigan Bay. It is a centre of tourism and outdoor sports, with its proximity to Snowdonia, the Cardigan Bay coast, and Morfa Harlech, a nature reserve and recreational area with sand dunes, marshes, heaths, and a famous golf course. Harlech is the seat of Coleg Harlech college. Harlech Castle, now in ruins, was built in 1283 by Edward I and proved to be an intimidating and highly defensible fortress: it was the last Welsh castle to fall to the Yorkists (1468) during the Wars of the Roses, and also (1647) to the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War. The castle contained a 15th-century parliament, and in 1460 sheltered Queen Margaret after the capture of Henry VI. Population (1994 estimate) 1,500.
Harlech Castle, located on the coast of north Wales, one of the six fortresses built by Edward I to secure his conquests in Wales. It occupies a commanding position on a platform of rock about 60 m (200 ft) above Morfa Harlech marshes and originally faced directly out to sea. Like Caernarfon Castle and Conwy Castle, two others in Edward I's chain of fortresses in north Wales, it was designed by Master James of St George. Its principal feature is a massive gatehouse three storeys high that faces on to the town of Harlech. It was used as a living area by the castle's constable. Harlech Castle has had a chequered history. In 1404 it was taken by the Welsh rebel leader Owen Glendower and used by him for four years as his capital. Later in the 15th century Yorkist forces laid siege to it for eight years during the Wars of the Roses, finally surrendering in 1468. The castle's stubborn resistance supposedly inspired the famous song "March of the Men of Harlech".
Haverfordwest (Welsh, Hwlffordd), town, Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. Haverfordwest is a historic town (granted a charter in the 12th century) that was established as a fort at the head of an inlet (the Western Cleddau) of Milford Haven on the Irish Sea. Milford Haven is an excellent deep-water port, and overtook Haverfordwest as the regional port long ago, with Haverfordwest declining as a result. Today it is the market town for the surrounding agricultural area and a tourist destination close to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, with its beautiful scenery and walks. A crown court sits at Haverfordwest. Haverfordwest Castle (1120) lies in ruins. Population (1994 estimate) 13,700.
Holyhead (Welsh, Caer Gybi), town and port on Holy Island, Anglesey, north-western Wales. An international ferry and container port, Holyhead is located on the north-west coast of Holy Island, off the west coast of the Isle of Anglesey, overlooking Holyhead Bay. The town is connected to the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Great Britain by two road bridges and the railway line from Chester. Holyhead harbour is protected by a 2.5 km- (1.5 mi-) long breakwater, the longest in Great Britain, built in 1870. The site has been settled since prehistoric times, and there are remains of both Celtic and Roman settlements; part of the walls of the Roman fort surround the 13th-century parish church of St Cybi. Holyhead's modern development as a port began with the construction of a causeway linking Holy Island to Anglesey in the 1820s. Today it is Great Britain's third largest passenger port and best known as the main ferry terminal for Ireland, with regular services to Dun Laoghaire and Dublin. However, Holyhead's association with trade between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland dates back thousands of years; archaeological evidence indicates that trade in axes between Ireland and Holyhead occurred as early as 2000 BC. The town has some industry, including aluminium and fish processing, and switchgear manufacture. Population (1991 estimate) 11,800.
Llandrindod Wells, town, Radnorshire, central Wales. Llandrindod Wells is located on the River Ithon near the Cambrian Mountains, in the heart of Wales. An elegant Georgian spa town developed around its magnesium, chalybeate, and sulphurous springs, reputed to cure rheumatism and gout. It is today a popular holiday resort, as well as remaining the foremost spa in Wales. A decline in popularity from the 1960s to the 1980s caused the spa's temporary closure. Llandrindod Wells lies on the Heart of Wales railway line that connects Swansea to Shrewsbury. Visitors are attracted to the excellent fishing afforded by the River Ithon, and by the ruined Roman fort of Castell Collen. Nearby is one of Britain's largest colonies of red kites. Population (1993 estimate) 4,900.
Llandudno, town, Aberconwy and Colwyn, north Wales. Llandudno is a large and popular seaside resort on the Irish Sea, overlooking Llandudno Bay. It developed from a fishing village in the 19th century. Adjacent to the town is the clifftop and recreation area of Great Orme Head, accessible by cable car, tram, or road. The coast around Great Orme Head has been designated the Great Orme Heritage Coast. Prehistoric and Roman artefacts have been recovered there. It was in Llandudno that Lewis Carroll told young Alice Liddell the stories that eventually became Alice in Wonderland. Population (1991) 18,573.
Llangollen, town, Denbighshire, Wales. Llangollen is a busy market town and picturesque holiday resort on the River Dee, at the edge of the Welsh Mountains. The Llangollen Canal runs close to the town. Llangollen has hosted the popular International Musical Eisteddfod every summer since 1947. The 14th-century bridge over the Dee in the town is claimed to be one of the seven wonders of Wales, and the town also boasts Valle Crucis Abbey, founded by Prince Madog ap Gruffydd in 1202, the 13th-century Castell-Dinas-Bran, and an early 9th-century stone cross, Eliseg's Pillar, commemorating Eliseg's victory at the Battle of Bangor. Population (1991) 3,253.
Milford Haven, town, Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. It has a splendid landlocked harbour, with port facilities that were enlarged in the 1960s and 1970s to handle large cargoes of petroleum. The town is connected by pipeline to Manchester and has one of the largest oil refineries in Great Britain. Fishing also plays an important role in the town's economy. Originally a small hamlet, Milford Haven was laid out in 1790. In the 19th century a whaling industry flourished here. Population (Preseli Pembrokeshire District, 1991 preliminary) 69,600.
Mold (in Welsh, Yr Wyddgrug), town in Flintshire, north Wales. Mold was until 1974 the county town of Flintshire when, following local government reorganization, it became the headquarters of the new county of Clwyd. In April 1996 Clwyd was abolished, and Mold became once again the administrative headquarters of Flintshire-which does not have the same boundaries as the original Flintshire. Mold lies in the fertile Alyn valley, and is 18 km (11 mi) south-west of Chester, England. It is an ancient market town. The high street is dominated by St Mary's Church, which in turn is dominated by the ruins of a castle originally built in the late 11th century. Castle and town were ravaged by 200 years of warfare. The economy of Mold has changed greatly over recent years. Until the mid-century it was the centre of a coal-mining area, and lead was also mined. Today the main industries include light engineering, quarrying, and mixed agriculture. Population 9,168.
Monmouth, town in Monmouthshire, south-eastern Wales. Monmouth lies at the confluence of the Wye and Monnow rivers, in an agricultural area for which it has been the commercial centre since the 13th century. It was granted a charter in 1256, but was important long before that, having been the Roman station of Blestium. Henry V was born in the Norman castle of Monmouth in 1387. The castle has long since been destroyed, replaced by the 17th-century Great Castle House of the Duke of Beaufort. The town is a centre of tourism for the Wye Valley. It is the seat of a grammar school (1614) and other notable features are the Naval Temple at Kymin Hill (1800), a ruined 11th-century Benedictine priory, and the 13th-century Monnow Bridge Gate. The latter is a rare instance of a fortified gateway on a bridge. Population (1985 estimate) 7,500.
Pembroke, town in Dyfed, Wales. Pembroke is the administrative centre of the South Pembrokeshire district. It is a pleasant town on the Milford Haven inlet of the Irish Sea, which was the home of a port and naval dockyard between 1814 and 1926. Today, Pembroke is the market centre for the surrounding agricultural area and a centre of tourism, with excellent access to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and South Pembrokeshire Heritage Coast. Pembroke has a castle dating from Norman times. Its construction was begun in 1090 (the year that Pembroke was granted a royal charter) by Arnulf, Earl of Pembroke, becoming the seat of the Earls of Pembroke for the next two centuries. Henry VII was born in Pembroke Castle, which is notable because it adjoins a large natural cavern, known as the Wogan. Pembroke was a fortified town, and some of its 13th-century walls survive. Monkton House, a ruined Benedictine priory begun in 1098, stands near the castle, as does the 13th-century church of St Mary. Population (1981) 15,576.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, in south-western Wales, Great Britain, established in 1952, comprises four sections of the Welsh mainland and several islands. Its total area is 583 sq km (225 sq mi). The mainland sections of the park are all within 16 km (10 mi) of the sea. Two of them lie on a plateau about 60 m (200 ft) above sea level. The cliffs, gorges, drowned valleys, and other features of the plateau were formed by marine erosion about 2 million years ago; the limestone arch known as the Green Bridge of Wales and the free-standing limestone columns of the Stack Rocks and Elegug Stacks, in the sea near Flimston Down, are perhaps the most spectacular. Also within the park are Daugleddau, a tidal estuary, and, to the north, the Presely Hills, which rise 536 m (1,760 ft) above sea level at Foel Cwm Cerwyn. Five of the islands in the park are nature reserves, dedicated to the conservation of puffins, Manx shearwaters, fulmars, and other seabirds and, on Ramsey, grey seals. The park also contains a number of ruined Norman castles and the medieval cathedral and bishop's palace at St David's.
Port Talbot, town in Neath and Port Talbot county borough, south Wales, on Swansea Bay in the Bristol Channel. It is the site of one of the largest steel-producing complexes in Europe. Other products include iron and tinplate. Its port was enlarged in 1970 to allow the docking of large ore-carrying vessels. The town is also a seaside resort and local trade centre. Dock facilities were opened here in 1837, and the town rapidly developed as a coal-shipping centre. Population (Port Talbot District, 1991 preliminary) 49,900.
Snowdon, mountain group in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It is broken by valleys into five minor groups, whose chief peak, Y Wyddfa (1,085 m/3,560 ft above sea level), is the highest mountain in Wales. A rack-and-pinion railway was constructed to the summit in 1895. The region is part of Snowdonia National Park.
Snowdonia National Park, in northern Wales, Great Britain, established in 1951. Extending over 2,171 sq km (840 sq mi), the park consists mainly of several ranges of ancient mountains, formed by volcanic activity and eroded during the Ice Ages. The highest is Yr Wyddfa Fawr (1,085 m/3,560 ft), one of the ive peaks of the Snowdon Massif (or Mount Snowdon). Its name means "the great tomb", referring to the legend that a giant is buried under it. The park also includes forests, lakes, open moors, and some sea-coast. The sparse vegetation of the mountains includes two rare flowers, the Snowdon lily and the yellow Welsh poppy, which are unique to the region; the native birds of Snowdonia include ravens, cormorants, kestrels, and peregrine falcons. Polecats and pine martens inhabit some of its forests. Snowdonia was the location of the last armed resistance by the Welsh against English invasions, during the 13th century, and it is still a stronghold of the Welsh language and culture. In the 19th century it became a centre for slate-quarrying, which still continues both within the national park and in the district of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is entirely surrounded by the park but is excluded from it. Since the 1920s commercial forestry has been a major activity. The park also contains a hydroelectric power station at Ffestiniog and a nuclear power station, no longer in use, at Trawsfynydd.
St David's, city in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, overlooking the River Alun, near St David's Head, the westernmost point of Wales. St David's is the site of the most famous cathedral in Wales, a fine, mostly 12th-century building constructed of purplish sandstone. According to tradition, the settlement was founded in the mid-6th century by St David, the patron saint of Wales. Then known as Menevia, St David's was a centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. Population (Preseli Pembrokeshire District, 1991 preliminary) 69,600. .
Wrexham (town) (Welsh, Wrecsam), town in Wrexham county borough, north-eastern Wales. Wrexham lies at the northern end of the Cambrian Mountains. It is the commercial centre of predominantly agricultural north Wales, and is the market town of the area and a centre of industry. Heavy industries, chemicals, leather and textiles, food-processing, and brewing are all important to the local economy. Wrexham Lager Brewery was the first lager brewery in Great Britain. Wrexham lies only 8 km (5 mi) from the border with England, and the area has historically been hotly contested. The name "Wrexham" is from the Latin and Old English for "hamlet of the King", suggesting English origins, and the town is situated on the English side of Offa's Dyke, the early boundary between the Anglo-Saxons and the ancient British. Wrexham's parish church of St. Giles was completed in the early 16th century; it is notable for its tower which was described as one of the seven wonders of Wales, and the graveyard is the resting place of Elihu Yale, the benefactor of Yale University. Erddig Hall, a fully restored 17th-century estate, lies just outside Wrexham. Population (1994 estimate) Wrexham Maelor district 117,400.
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