Conwy County Borough

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Conwy County Borough
Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy (Welsh)
Pen y Gogarth (Great Orme), Llandudno, Sir Conwy county Cymru 13.jpg
View across the Conwy estuary from the Great Orme to Penmaenmawr and Snowdonia (Eryri)
Coat of arms of Conwy County Borough.png
Motto(s): 
Welsh: Tegwch i Bawb, lit. 'fairness to all'
Conwy UK location map.svg
Conwy shown within Wales
Coordinates: 53°08′26″N3°46′14″W / 53.14056°N 3.77056°W / 53.14056; -3.77056
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country Wales
Preserved county Clwyd
Incorporated 1 April 1996
Named for Conwy
Administrative HQConwy
Government
[1]
  Type Principal council
  Body Conwy County Borough Council
   Control No overall control
   MPs
   MSs
Area
[2]
  Total435 sq mi (1,126 km2)
  Rank 6th
Population
 (2022) [2]
  Total114,290
  Rank 15th
  Density260/sq mi (102/km2)
Welsh language (2021)
[3]
  Speakers25.9%
  Rank 5th
Time zone UTC+0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)
ISO 3166 code GB-CWY
GSS code W06000003
Website conwy.gov.uk

Conwy County Borough (Welsh : Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is a county borough in the north of Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south and Denbighshire to the east. The largest settlement is Colwyn Bay, and Conwy is the administrative centre.

Contents

Conwy has an area of 1,126 square kilometres (435 sq mi) and a population of 114,290 in 2022, [2] making it sparsely populated. The population is concentrated along the coast, along which are several seaside resorts and the county's largest towns: Colwyn Bay (34,284), Llandudno (20,701), and Conwy (14,753). Inland is much less populous, and the only town is Llanrwst (3,323).

The geography of Conwy is shaped by the River Conwy, which forms a wide valley down the western half of the county, bordered by the Denbigh Moors to the east and the mountains of Snowdonia National Park to the west. The River Elwy, a tributary of the Clwyd, drains the eastern half of the moors. The Conwy forms a wide estuary as it reaches the coast, which has by wide, sandy beaches and the limestone headlands of the Great Orme and the Little Orme. The highest peak within the county is Carnedd Llewelyn, at 1,064 metres (3,491 ft), which is on the boundary with Gwynedd and is the third-highest summit in Wales. Around Betws-y-Coed is the Gwydir Forest, which is mainly given over to plantations. There are several reservoirs in the valleys, the largest of which is Llyn Brenig, which has an area of 3.7 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) and extends into Denbighshire.

Geography

The River Conwy, after which the county borough is named, lies wholly within the area: rising in Snowdonia and flowing through Llanrwst and Trefriw en route to the Irish Sea by Conwy. The river here marks the border between the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire.

One third of the land area of the county borough lies in the Snowdonia National Park, and the council appoint three of the 18 members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. Its total area is 1,126 km2 (435 sq mi), making it slightly larger than Hong Kong. [4] The eastern part includes the larger section of Denbigh Moors.

The vast majority of the population live on the coast; the only settlement of any size inland is Llanrwst.

Welsh language

According to the 2001 census 39.7% of the population of the county borough have "one or more skills" in Welsh. [5] In 2021 census 25.9% reported being able to speak Welsh, which ranks Conwy 5th out of 22 principal areas in Wales. [6] The amount of Welsh spoken in the county borough greatly varies from location to location, with generally the least being spoken on the coastal fringe, in which English is mainly spoken.

Examples of the percentage of people age 3+ speaking Welsh by electoral ward, as of the 2011 census: [7]

WardPercentage of
Welsh speakers
Mostyn18.4%
Colwyn 20.7%
Conwy 28.7%
Trefriw 45.6%
Eglwysbach 54.3%
Uwch Conwy 60.7%
Llangernyw 65.8%

Government

The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996 by merging the districts of Aberconwy and Colwyn. It was originally named Aberconwy and Colwyn, but its council renamed the district a day later, on 2 April 1996, to Conwy.

Politics

Conwy is represented in the UK Parliament by Labour Party politicians Gill German and Claire Hughes since the 2024 election. This election implemented new boundaries, making Conwy County Borough be in the Bangor Aberconwy and Clwyd North UK Parliament constituencies. [8] In the Senedd, it is represented by Conservative Party politicians Janet Finch-Saunders and Darren Millar.

The two UK parliament constituencies covering Conwy County Borough (in pink) from 2024. 1 = Bangor Aberconwy and 2 = Clwyd North. 2024 Wales Conwy Constituencies map.svg
The two UK parliament constituencies covering Conwy County Borough (in pink) from 2024. 1 = Bangor Aberconwy and 2 = Clwyd North.

Coat of arms

Arms of Nefydd Hardd, Chirk Castle Castell y Waun Chirk castel North Wales 11.jpg
Arms of Nefydd Hardd, Chirk Castle

Conwy County Borough Council was granted a coat of arms by the College of Arms in 2001. [9] The new arms recall those of both Aberconwy and Colwyn Borough Councils. The main part of the shield depicts blue and silver waves for the river from which the county borough takes its name, and also recalls the gold and blue wavy field of Colwyn's arms. On top of the waves is placed a symbolic red tower, representing Conwy Castle. The chief or upper third of the shield is coloured green, the main colour in Aberconwy's arms. In the centre of the chief is a severed head from the heraldry of Marchudd ap Cynan, Lord of Abergele and Rhos. On either side are two black spears embrued, or having drops of blood on their points. These come from the reputed arms of Nefydd Hardd, associated with the Nant Conwy area. In front of each spear is a golden garb or wheatsheaf, for the rural areas of the county borough.

Above the shield, placed on the steel helm usual in British civic arms, is the crest. This takes the form of the Welsh red dragon supporting a Bible, rising from a wreath of oak leaves and acorns. The Bible is to commemorate the first Welsh language translation of the book, which originated in the area, while the oak circlet recalls that an oak tree formed the main charge in the arms of Colwyn Borough Council, and its predecessor the municipal borough of Colwyn Bay.

The motto adopted is Tegwch i Bawb, meaning "Fairness to All".

Railway

The Conwy Valley Line, from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, runs through the borough.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caernarfonshire</span> Historic county of Wales

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Llandudno is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2021 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigside, Glanwydden, Penrhynside, and Bryn Pydew – had a population of 19,700. The town's name means "Church of Saint Tudno".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denbighshire</span> County in Wales

Denbighshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denbighshire (historic)</span> Historic county in Wales

Until 1974, Denbighshire, or the County of Denbigh, was an administrative county in the north of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was a maritime county, that was bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Flintshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfonshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clwyd</span> Preserved county of Wales

Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to the east and Shropshire to the south-east. Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd also shares a maritime boundary with Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, a slightly different area had a county council, with local government functions shared with six district councils. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and the new principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betws-y-Coed</span> Village and community in Conwy, Wales

Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located in the historic county of Caernarfonshire, right on the boundary with Denbighshire, in the Gwydir Forest. It is now a very popular visitor destination in the Snowdonia National Park. The population of the community as of the 2021 census was 476, a decline on the previous census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanrwst</span> Welsh market town

Llanrwst is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed around the wool trade and became known also for the making of harps and clocks. Today, less than one mile from the edge of Snowdonia, its main pursuit is tourism. Notable buildings include almshouses, two 17th-century chapels, and the Parish Church of St Grwst, which holds the stone coffin of Llywelyn the Great. The 2011 census gave it a population of 3,323.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy</span> Walled market town in Wales

Conwy, previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on the east bank. The town formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. The community, which also includes Deganwy and Llandudno Junction, had a population of 14,753 at the 2011 census.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhos (North Wales)</span> Welsh medieval kingdom, later cantref

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberconwy (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliamentary constituency, 2010–2024

Aberconwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanrhos</span> Human settlement in Wales

Llanrhos is a village in the community of Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The village lies between the towns of Conwy and Llandudno. Llanrhos was a civil parish from 1894 until 1974. The area was formerly part of a larger parish called Eglwys Rhos or Eglwysrhos, being an old variant name for the same village. The ancient parish included Deganwy, the Craig-y-Don district of Llandudno, the Little Orme and Penrhyn Bay. The area was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire prior to 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig-y-Don</span> Human settlement in Wales

Craig-y-Don is a suburb of Llandudno, a coastal seaside resort in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It is also an electoral ward to Conwy County Borough Council and Llandudno Town Council.

Aled was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire, Wales, from 1935 to 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conwy County Borough Council</span> Local government authority in central north Wales

Conwy County Borough Council is the local authority for Conwy County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North West Wales</span> Area of Wales

North West Wales is an area or region of Wales, commonly defined as a grouping of the principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey in the north-west of the country. These principal areas make up the entire preserved county of Gwynedd, and parts of Clwyd. It is bordered by Denbighshire, in North East Wales to the east, Powys, and Ceredigion in Mid Wales to the south, and the Irish sea to the north and west. It is the more mountainous, rural, and sparsely populated part of the north Wales geographic region.

References

  1. "Council". Conwy County Borough Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics . 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. "How life has changed in Conwy: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – CONWY COUNTY population (W06000003)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  5. "2011 Census – ONS".
  6. "How life has changed in Conwy: Census 2021".
  7. "2011 Census - area profiles - wards (electoral divisions)". conwy.gov.uk.
  8. "2023 Parliamentary Review - Revised Proposals | Boundary Commission for Wales". Boundary Commission for Wales . Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  9. Letters Patent dated 27 August 2001