Caernarfonshire
Encyclopedia
Caernarfonshire historically spelled as Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire in English
during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales
.
The administrative county of Caernarvonshire was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972
, becoming part of the new county of Gwynedd
. The administrative entity of Caernarfonshire was very briefly revived in 1996, when the unitary area of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire was created. It was, however, renamed Gwynedd almost immediately.
, to the east by Denbighshire
, to the south by Cardigan Bay
and Merionethshire
, and to the west by Caernarfon Bay
and the Menai Strait
, separating it from Anglesey
.
The county has a largely mountainous surface. A large part of the Snowdonian Range
lies in the centre and south of the county, including Snowdon
itself, the highest mountain in Wales
at 1,085 m. The north-west of the county is formed by the Llŷn peninsula
, with Bardsey Island
lying off its western end. The north of the county, between the mountains and Menai Strait, is a nearly level plain. The east of the county is part of Vale of Conwy, with the River Conwy
forming much of the eastern boundary. Llandudno
and Creuddyn
forms a small peninsula to the north-east across the Conwy estuary.
The principal towns of the county are Bangor
, Betws-y-Coed
, Caernarfon
, Conwy
, Llandudno, Porthmadog
and Pwllheli
.
in 1284 following Edward I of England
's conquest of the Principality of Wales
and included the cantrefi of: Llŷn
, Arfon
, Arllechwedd and the commote
of Eifionydd
(the northern portion of Dunoding).
The county was divided into ten hundreds
based on the existing Welsh commotes: Cymydmaen (anglicised as Commitmaen), Creuddyn
, Dinllaen, Eifionydd
(Evionydd), Cafflogion (Gaflogion), Llechwedd Isaf (...Isav), Llechwedd Uchaf (...Uchav), Nant Conwy (Nant-Conway), Is Gwyrfai (Isgorvai) and Uwch Gwyrfai (Uchgorvai).
).
, an elected Carnarvonshire County Council taking over functions from the county's quarter sessions
. The administrative county
covered by the county council had identical borders to the geographic county. The administrative county was formally renamed Caernarvonshire on July 1, 1926.
The county contained five ancient borough
s. Three of these (Caernarfon, Conway and Pwllheli) were reformed in 1835 by the Municipal Corporations Act
. Criccieth established a special body of commissioners in 1873.
The remaining borough, the City of Bangor
was not reformed until 1883.
Under the Public Health Act 1848 and the Local Government Act 1858 a number of towns were created Local Board Districts or Local Government Districts respectively, with local boards
to govern their areas. Other towns became Improvement Commissioners' Districts by private act of parliament
. In 1875 these, along with the municipal boroughs, became urban sanitary district
s. At the same time the remainder of the county was divided into rural sanitary districts, some of which crossed county boundaries. The Local Government Act 1894
redesignated these as urban
and rural district
s. A county review order
in 1934 made changes to the county's districts.
The civil parish
of Llysfaen
was a detached exclave of the county. On April 1, 1923 Llysfaen was transferred to the county of Denbighshire
.
from the College of Arms
in 1949. The shield was a combination of the arms of two great native Princes of Wales. The gold and red quarters bearing lions were the arms of Llewelyn the Last - now used as the arms of the Principality of Wales. Across this was placed a green fess
or horizontal band, on which were three gold eagles, from the arms of Owain Gwynedd
. According to the poet Michael Drayton
, the eagles formed the device on the banner of the Caernarvonshire soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt
. The crest above the shield was a generic castle, representing Caernarfon
, Conwy
and Criccieth Castle
s. Behind the castle was the badge of the heir apparent: three ostrich feathers. The supporters
were Welsh dragon
s with fish tails to show that Caernarvonshire was a Welsh maritime county. The supporter stood on a compartment of rocks for the rugged coast and mountains of the county. The motto
Cadernid Gwynedd was adopted by the county council. This was derived from the Mabinogion
, and can be translated as "The Strength of Gwynedd".
the administrative county of Caernarvonshire was abolished on April 1, 1974. Caernarvonshire was largely split between the three districts of Aberconwy
, Arfon
and Dwyfor
, in the new county of Gwynedd
(along with Merionethshire
and Anglesey
). Since the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994
came into force on April 1, 1996 the area of the former county has been divided between the unitary authorities
of Gwynedd
to the west and Conwy
to the east.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
The administrative county of Caernarvonshire was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, becoming part of the new county of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. The administrative entity of Caernarfonshire was very briefly revived in 1996, when the unitary area of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire was created. It was, however, renamed Gwynedd almost immediately.
Geography
The county is bounded to the north by the Irish SeaIrish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
, to the east by Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
, to the south by Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales....
and Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
, and to the west by Caernarfon Bay
Caernarfon Bay
Caernarfon Bay is an inlet of the Irish Sea defined by the Llŷn peninsula and Anglesey.The gentle coastline surrounding it is home to villages including Nefyn, Trefor, and Clynnog Fawr on the mainland, and Aberffraw, Llanddwyn and Rhosneigr on Anglesey.The Menai Strait heads north east to link the...
and the Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
, separating it from Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
.
The county has a largely mountainous surface. A large part of the Snowdonian Range
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
lies in the centre and south of the county, including Snowdon
Snowdon
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain"...
itself, the highest mountain in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
at 1,085 m. The north-west of the county is formed by the Llŷn peninsula
Llyn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula extends into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root Laigin in Irish as the word Leinster...
, with Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island , the legendary "Island of 20,000 saints", lies off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", although its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards", or possibly the island of the Viking chieftan, "Barda". It is ...
lying off its western end. The north of the county, between the mountains and Menai Strait, is a nearly level plain. The east of the county is part of Vale of Conwy, with the River Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
forming much of the eastern boundary. Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
and Creuddyn
Creuddyn
Creuddyn may refer to:* The Creuddyn Peninsula, in Conwy county borough* Creuddyn, Ceredigion, a historic commote of Ceredigion* Creuddyn, Rhos, a historic commote of Cantref Rhos in the kingdom of Gwynedd, and later of Caernarfonshire...
forms a small peninsula to the north-east across the Conwy estuary.
The principal towns of the county are Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
, Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
, Llandudno, Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
and Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
.
Creation
The county was originally created under the terms of the Statute of RhuddlanStatute of Rhuddlan
The Statute of Rhuddlan , also known as the Statutes of Wales or as the Statute of Wales provided the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of North Wales from 1284 until 1536...
in 1284 following Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
's conquest of the Principality of Wales
Principality of Wales
The Principality of Wales existed between 1216 and 1542, encompassing two-thirds of modern Wales.It was formally founded in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi, and later recognised by the 1218 Treaty of Worcester between Llywelyn the Great of Wales and Henry III of England...
and included the cantrefi of: Llŷn
Cantref Llyn
The ancient Welsh cantref of Llŷn in north-west Wales was part of the kingdom of Gwynedd for much of its history until it was included in the new county of Caernarfonshire, together with Arfon and Arllechwedd under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284....
, Arfon
Cantref Arfon
The mediaeval Welsh cantref of Arfon in north-west Wales was the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Later it was included in the new county of Caernarfonshire, together with Llŷn and Arllechwedd under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284...
, Arllechwedd and the commote
Commote
A commote , sometimes spelt in older documents as cymwd, was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales. The word derives from the prefix cym- and the noun bod...
of Eifionydd
Eifionydd
Eifionydd is an area in north-west Wales covering the south-eastern part of the Llŷn Peninsula from Porthmadog to just east of Pwllheli. The Afon Erch forms its western border. It now lies in Gwynedd....
(the northern portion of Dunoding).
The county was divided into ten hundreds
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
based on the existing Welsh commotes: Cymydmaen (anglicised as Commitmaen), Creuddyn
Creuddyn
Creuddyn may refer to:* The Creuddyn Peninsula, in Conwy county borough* Creuddyn, Ceredigion, a historic commote of Ceredigion* Creuddyn, Rhos, a historic commote of Cantref Rhos in the kingdom of Gwynedd, and later of Caernarfonshire...
, Dinllaen, Eifionydd
Eifionydd
Eifionydd is an area in north-west Wales covering the south-eastern part of the Llŷn Peninsula from Porthmadog to just east of Pwllheli. The Afon Erch forms its western border. It now lies in Gwynedd....
(Evionydd), Cafflogion (Gaflogion), Llechwedd Isaf (...Isav), Llechwedd Uchaf (...Uchav), Nant Conwy (Nant-Conway), Is Gwyrfai (Isgorvai) and Uwch Gwyrfai (Uchgorvai).
Nineteenth and twentieth centuries
During the 19th century the population increased steadily, from 46,000 in the 1801 census to 137,000 in the 1901 census (figures given for the registration countyRegistration county
A registration county was, in Great Britain and Ireland, a statistical unit used for the registration of births, deaths and marriages and for the output of census information. In Scotland registration counties are used for land registration purposes....
).
Governance
Under the Local Government Act 1888Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, an elected Carnarvonshire County Council taking over functions from the county's quarter sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
. The administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
covered by the county council had identical borders to the geographic county. The administrative county was formally renamed Caernarvonshire on July 1, 1926.
The county contained five ancient borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s. Three of these (Caernarfon, Conway and Pwllheli) were reformed in 1835 by the Municipal Corporations Act
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
. Criccieth established a special body of commissioners in 1873.
The remaining borough, the City of Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
was not reformed until 1883.
Under the Public Health Act 1848 and the Local Government Act 1858 a number of towns were created Local Board Districts or Local Government Districts respectively, with local boards
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
to govern their areas. Other towns became Improvement Commissioners' Districts by private act of parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
. In 1875 these, along with the municipal boroughs, became urban sanitary district
Sanitary district
Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...
s. At the same time the remainder of the county was divided into rural sanitary districts, some of which crossed county boundaries. The Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
redesignated these as urban
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
and rural district
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s. A county review order
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
in 1934 made changes to the county's districts.
| Sanitary district 1875 - 1894 | County district 1894 - 1934 | Changes 1934 - 1974 |
|---|---|---|
| City of Bangor Bangor, Gwynedd Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of... (municipal borough Municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002... ) |
City of Bangor (municipal borough) | Absorbed part of Ogwen RD 1934 |
| Bangor RSD (part) | Ogwen RD Ogwen Rural District Ogwen was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire in Wales from 1894 to 1974.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from the part of the former Bangor Rural Sanitary District in Caernarfonshire. The rest on the Isle of Anglesey, formed Aethwy Rural... |
Lost territory to Bangor MB, Nant Conway RD 1934 |
| Bethesda Bethesda, Wales Bethesda is a town lying on the River Ogwen and the A5 road on the edge of Snowdonia, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, colloquially called Pesda by the locals.- History :... ICD (1854), LGD (1863) |
Bethesda UD | None |
| Carnarvon Caernarfon Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast... municipal borough |
Renamed Caernarvon in 1926 | None |
| Carnarvon RSD (part) | Gwyrfai RD Gwyrfai Rural District Gwyrfai was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarvonshire from 1894 to 1974.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1894, taking over the area of the Carnarvon Rural Sanitary District... |
Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934 |
| Conway Conwy Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208... municipal borough |
Conway municipal borough | Absorbed part of Conway RD |
| Conway RSD | Conway RD Conway Rural District Conwy was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire, North Wales from 1894 to 1934.The rural district had the same area as the Conwy Rural Sanitary District, created in 1875.The district contained the following civil parishes:... |
Abolished 1934 |
| Criccieth Criccieth Criccieth is a town and community on Cardigan Bay, in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The town lies west of Porthmadog, east of Pwllheli and south of Caernarfon. It has a population of 1,826.... ICD (1873) |
Criccieth UD | Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934 |
| Festiniog Ffestiniog Ffestiniog is a community in Gwynedd in Wales, containing several villages, in particular the settlements of Llan Ffestiniog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. It has a population of 4,830.... RSD |
Glaslyn RD Glaslyn Rural District Glaslyn was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire from 1894 to 1934.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from the part of Festiniog Rural Sanitary District in Caernarfonshire... |
Abolished 1934 |
| Llandudno Llandudno Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community... ICD (1874) |
Llandudno UD | Absorbed part of Conway RD 1934 |
| Llanfairfechan Llanfairfechan Llanfairfechan is a town and community in the Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the coast of north Wales on the route of the A55 road, between Penmaenmawr and Bangor. It previously was in Gwynedd and prior to that was in Caernarfonshire. For ceremonial and electoral boundary purposes it was... LGD (1872) |
Llanfairfechan UD | None |
| Llanrwst Llanrwst Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church.... RSD (part) |
Geirionydd RD Geirionydd Rural District Geirionydd was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarvonshire, North Wales from 1894 to 1934.The rural district was formed from the part of Llanrwst Rural Sanitary District in Caernarvonshire... |
Formed Nant Conway RD Nant Conway Rural District Nant Conwy was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire from 1934 to 1974. The district was formed by a County Review Order, combining the areas of Geirionydd Rural District with most of Conwy Rural District and part of Ogwen Rural District... by amalgamation with parts of Conway RD, Ogwen RD |
| 1898: Bettws-y-Coed UD | None | |
| Penmaenmawr Penmaenmawr PenmaenmawrConwyPenmaenmawr is a town in the parish of Dwygyfylchi, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 3857 in 2001. It is a quarrying town, though the latter is no longer a major employer, on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan.The town was bypassed by the A55... LGD (1866) |
Penmaenmawr UD | None |
| Pwllheli Pwllheli Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -... municipal borough |
Pwllheli municipal borough | None |
| Pwllheli RSD | Lleyn RD | Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934 |
| Ynyscynhaiarn LBD (1858) | Ynyscynhaiarn UD renamed Portmadoc UD 1915 |
Absorbed part of Glaslyn RD 1934 |
The civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Llysfaen
Llysfaen
Llysfaen is a village in Conwy County Borough near the coast of north Wales and is located high above the coast. For local government purposes, it is also a community and Conwy County Borough Council ward.-Introduction:...
was a detached exclave of the county. On April 1, 1923 Llysfaen was transferred to the county of Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
.
Coat of arms
Caernarvonshire County Council received a grant of armorial bearingsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
from the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1949. The shield was a combination of the arms of two great native Princes of Wales. The gold and red quarters bearing lions were the arms of Llewelyn the Last - now used as the arms of the Principality of Wales. Across this was placed a green fess
Fess
In heraldry, a fess or fesse is a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shield. Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by a fess or other ordinary, ranging from one-fifth to one-third...
or horizontal band, on which were three gold eagles, from the arms of Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
. According to the poet Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era.-Early life:He was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothing is known about his early life, beyond the fact that in 1580 he was in the service of Thomas Goodere of Collingham,...
, the eagles formed the device on the banner of the Caernarvonshire soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. The crest above the shield was a generic castle, representing Caernarfon
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
, Conwy
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
and Criccieth Castle
Criccieth Castle
Criccieth Castle is a native Welsh castle situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth, Gwynedd, in North Wales, on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay...
s. Behind the castle was the badge of the heir apparent: three ostrich feathers. The supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
were Welsh dragon
Y Ddraig Goch
The Welsh Dragon appears on the national flag of Wales . The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolise Wales is from the Historia Brittonum, written around 820, but it is popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders...
s with fish tails to show that Caernarvonshire was a Welsh maritime county. The supporter stood on a compartment of rocks for the rugged coast and mountains of the county. The motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
Cadernid Gwynedd was adopted by the county council. This was derived from the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
, and can be translated as "The Strength of Gwynedd".
Abolition
Under the Local Government Act 1972Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
the administrative county of Caernarvonshire was abolished on April 1, 1974. Caernarvonshire was largely split between the three districts of Aberconwy
Aberconwy
Aberconwy may refer to:*Aberconwy *Aberconwy *Aberconwy , a defunct administrative division of Gwynedd*Battle of Aberconwy See Also...
, Arfon
Arfon
Arfon was one of five districts of Gwynedd, Wales, from 1974 to 1996.It was created by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from part of the administrative county of Caernarfonshire, namely the municipal boroughs of Bangor and Caernarfon, the Bethesda urban district, the rural districts...
and Dwyfor
Dwyfor
Dwyfor was one of the five local government districts of Gwynedd, Wales from 1974 to 1996, covering the Llŷn peninsula. Its council was based in Pwllheli....
, in the new county of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
(along with Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
and Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
). Since the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994
Local Government (Wales) Act 1994
The Local Government Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure in Wales of 22 unitary authority areas, referred to as principal areas in the Act, and abolished the previous two-tier structure of counties and districts...
came into force on April 1, 1996 the area of the former county has been divided between the unitary authorities
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
to the west and Conwy
Conwy (county borough)
Conwy County Borough is a unitary authority area in North Wales.-Geography:It contains the major settlements of Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan, and has a total population of about 110,000.The River Conwy, after...
to the east.
Places of interest
- Ynys Enlli / Bardsey IslandBardsey IslandBardsey Island , the legendary "Island of 20,000 saints", lies off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", although its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards", or possibly the island of the Viking chieftan, "Barda". It is ...
; - Caernarfon CastleCaernarfon CastleCaernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
; - Conwy CastleConwy CastleConwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
; - Criccieth CastleCriccieth CastleCriccieth Castle is a native Welsh castle situated on the headland between two beaches in Criccieth, Gwynedd, in North Wales, on a rocky peninsula overlooking Tremadog Bay...
; - Great Orme TramwayGreat Orme TramwayThe Great Orme Tramway is a cable-hauled gauge tramway in Llandudno in north Wales.This is Great Britain's only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of only three surviving in the world . It takes passengers from Llandudno Victoria Station to just below the summit of the Great Orme...
; - Gwydir CastleGwydir CastleGwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy valley, North Wales, a mile to the west of the ancient market town of Llanrwst and to the south of the large village of Trefriw...
, nr. LlanrwstLlanrwstLlanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
; - Penrhyn CastlePenrhyn CastlePenrhyn Castle is a country house in Llandegai, Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales, in the form of a Norman castle. It was originally a medieval fortified manor house, founded by Ednyfed Fychan. In 1438, Ioan ap Gruffudd was granted a licence to crenellate and he founded the stone castle and added a...
; - Swallow FallsSwallow FallsSwallow Falls is a name coined by early tourists for the Rhaeadr Ewynnol, , a multiple waterfall system in Wales, located on the Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy county borough. It is visited by tens of thousands of tourists annually....
, Betws-y-CoedBetws-y-CoedBetws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
; - Snowdon Mountain RailwaySnowdon Mountain RailwayThe Snowdon Mountain Railway is a narrow gauge rack and pinion mountain railway in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is a tourist railway that travels for from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales....
, LlanberisLlanberisLlanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
; - Ty Mawr WybrnantTy Mawr WybrnantTŷ Mawr Wybrnant is a house located in the Wybrnant Valley, in the parish of Penmachno, near Betws-y-Coed in Conwy County Borough, North Wales. It was the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, first translator of the whole Bible into Welsh....
.
See also
- List of Lord Lieutenants of CaernarvonshireLord Lieutenant of CaernarvonshireThis is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire. Since 1778, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Caernarvonshire...
- List of High Sheriffs of CaernarvonshireHigh Sheriff of CaernarvonshireThis is a list of High Sheriffs of Caernarvonshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
- Counties of WalesCounties of WalesThe counties of Wales may refer to:*Principal areas of Wales — see Local government in Wales*Preserved counties of Wales*Historic counties of Wales*Former administrative counties of Wales — see History of local government in WalesMaps:...
- Unitary Authorities of Wales