West Glamorgan is a preserved county

Preserved counties of Wales

The preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for the ceremonial purposes of Lieutenancy and Shrievalty. They are based on the counties created by the Local Government Act 1972 and used for local government and other purposes between 1974 and 1996.-Usage:The Local Government ...

 and 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...

, one of the divisions of the ancient county of Glamorgan

Glamorgan

Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...

.

West Glamorgan was created on 1 April 1974, by 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....

 from the county borough

County borough

County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...

 of Swansea

Swansea

Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

, the municipal boroughs of Neath

Neath

Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...

 and Port Talbot

Port Talbot

Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...

, the urban districts of Glyncorrwg

Glyncorrwg

Glyncorrwg is a village in Britain. It is set in the Afan Valley, in south Wales.Glyncorrwg is also the name of an electoral ward and a community covering the village and surrounding countryside, in Neath Port Talbot county borough.- History :...

 and Llwchwr

Llwchwr

Llwchwr is a community at the far western edge of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llwchwr comprises the town of Loughor and the village and district of Kingsbridge...

, Gower

Gower Peninsula

Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...

 Rural District, Pontardawe

Pontardawe

Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...

 Rural District, and all of Neath Rural District except the parish of Rhigos

Rhigos

Rhigos is a village in the north of the Cynon Valley, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. For postal purposes it comes under the town of Aberdare, although it is some from Aberdare town centre....

. From 1982, the main council offices were located in County Hall, Swansea

County Hall, Swansea

The Civic Centre , is one of the main office blocks for the City and County of Swansea council and is located at the Swansea Bay waterfront in Swansea, Wales...

.

West Glamorgan had four districts

Districts of Wales

In 1974, Wales was re-divided for local government purposes into thirty-seven districts. Districts were the second tier of local government introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, being subdivisions of the eight counties introduced at the same time...

, as follows:

• Swansea
  Swansea (district)
  The Swansea district was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was formed from the areas of the county borough of Swansea and Gower Rural District, from the administrative county of Glamorgan....
  
   – Swansea CB and Gower RD
• Lliw Valley
  Lliw Valley
  The Borough of Lliw Valley was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996...
  
   – Llwchwr and Pontardawe RD
• Neath
  Neath (district)
  Neath was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was formed from the municipal borough of Neath, along with all of Neath Rural District apart from Rhigos parish, which went to Cynon Valley district....
  
   – Neath and Neath RD
• Port Talbot
  Port Talbot (district)
  Port Talbot was one of the four local government districts of the county of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996.The district was formed as Afan on 1 April 1974 as part of a general reorganisation of local government in England and Wales under the Local Government Act 1972...
  
   – Port Talbot and Glyncorrwg

Following 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...

, West Glamorgan and its component districts were abolished on 1 April 1996, the area being divided into the two 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 Swansea

Swansea

Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

 and Neath and Port Talbot

Neath Port Talbot

Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....

. Lliw Valley was partitioned between the two authorities.

West Glamorgan remains in existence as a preserved county for some limited functions such as Lieutenancy and High Shrievalty.

See also

• Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan
  Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan
  This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant for West Glamorgan. The office was created on 1 April 1974.*Sir Cennydd George Traherne, KG, TD† 1 April 1974 – 1987?**Col. James Vaughan Williams 1 April 1974 – 1987*Lt.-Col...
  
  
• High Sheriff of West Glamorgan
  High Sheriff of West Glamorgan
  The office of High Sheriff of West Glamorgan was established in 1974 as part of the creation of the county of West Glamorgan in Wales following the Local Government Act 1972, and, together with the High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan and the High Sheriff of South Glamorgan, effectively replaced the...
  
  
• West Glamorgan constituencies