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historic county in Wales
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Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > Wales > South Wales > Glamorgan

Glamorgan (Welsh: Morgannwg, historically known as Glamorganshire / Sir Forgannwg) is a traditional county in Wales. It is home to Cardiff, the Wales' capital city, along with the city of Swansea. The Bristol Channel marks the southern edge of Glamorganshire, which features the 14-mile-long Glamorgan Heritage Coast and the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To the north, the Valleys and The Rhondda were Wales' industrial heartlands which extend to the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys.

Coastal resort towns include Barry, the focal point for British sitcom Gavin and Stacey, Penarth with its pier and Porthcawl. In the hills lie Caerphilly, which is famous for its cheese and castle, Merthyr Tydfil, the university town of Pontypridd and the village of Pontardawe.

Climb the South Wales foothills for breathtaking views across the nation's southernmost point, or find wooded walks near Llantrisant and Aberdare. Relax on sandy beaches or surf in Barry, Llantwit Major, Southerndown, Ogmore-by-Sea, Porthcawl, Aberavon (Port Talbot), The Mumbles (Swansea) or Rhossili. Eat and drink in the rural town of Cowbridge, or find a night out in the Cardiff - a thriving waterside city which includes several iconic destinations such as the Principality Stadium, Cardiff Castle and the National Museum of Wales.

Cities, towns and villages

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Cities

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  • 1 Cardiff (Welsh: Caerdydd) — the capital and largest city in Wales
  • 2 Swansea (Abertawe) — Wales' second city, famed for beaches and coastal walks

Towns

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  • 3 Aberdare (Aberdâr) — a former industrial town
  • 4 Barry (Y Barri) — home of award-winning TV comedy Gavin & Stacey, a popular resort, Barry Island
  • 5 Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) — Bridgend is home to many shops & two castles
  • 6 Caerphilly (Caerffili) — home to a magnificent castle
  • 7 Cowbridge (Y Bont-faen) — a quiet market town
  • 8 Llantrisant — home of the Royal Mint
  • 9 Llantwit Major (Llanilltud Fawr) — include the village of Gileston, designated as a conservation area in recognition of its unspoilt historic charm
  • 10 Maesteg — has a tradition of music and theatre, including a rich tradition of singing
  • 11 Maerdy — it had one of the last working mines in the south Wales valleys
  • 12 Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful) — Cyfarthfa Castle has a woodland, a miniature railway, children's park areas for sporting, and a small lake
  • 13 Neath (Castell-nedd) — a convenient base for touring the stunning Swansea and Neath Valleys
  • 14 Penarth — a Victorian seaside town with a pier and marina, along with a busy town centre
  • 15 Pontypridd — a base for exploring the industrial heritage of the area, the nearby Brecon Beacons National Park, the vale of Glamorgan and its coastal features, or the Castle and museums of Cardiff and St Fagans
  • 16 Porthcawl — a traditional holiday resort and in its heyday its beaches on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast
  • 17 Port Talbot — home of Afan Forest Park, one of the top centres for mountain biking in the world

Villages

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  • 18 Clydach and Pontardawe — two neighbouring villages in the Swansea Valley
  • 19 Llangynwyd — the site of Llangynwyd parish church, the ruins of Llangynwyd Castle and one of the oldest pubs in Wales
  • 20 Rhoose (Y Rhws) — Rhoose Point exhibits works of art made from rock and coastal rock platform
  • 21 Southerndown and Ogmore-by-Sea — when the tide is out popular tourist resort has an expanse of sand and pools
  • 22 Sully (Sili) — has the remains of a Saxon fort with a Bronze Age barrow at the highest point

Other destinations

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  • 1 Flat Holm (Ynys Echni) is an island nature reserve, the most southerly part of Wales. Boat trips visit from the Cardiff area.
  • 2 Gower Peninsula (Penrhyn Gŵyr) is the headland west of Swansea, an AONB - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
  • 3 Afan Forest Park (Afan Argoed) is a steep-sided valley with hiking and mountain-biking trails.
  • Heritage Coast - The coastline in the Western Vale is considered a "Heritage Coast", protected for its natural beauty and historical importance to the area. The Heritage Coast Centre can be found at Southerndown.

Understand

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Glamorganshire is divided up into several administrative areas, which are:

Get in

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Glamorganshire has good rail and road links from destinations throughout Wales and England. Cardiff Airport lies in Glamorganshire with connections from international destinations.

A three-lane motorway goes into the distance, flanked by blueish cables which hold up the Prince of Wales Bridge
The M4 from London enters Wales over the Prince of Wales Bridge

By car

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The runs east-west through Glamorganshire, past Cardiff, Caerphilly, Llantrisant, Bridgend, Port Talbot, Neath and Swansea.

Other major routes include:

  • from Newport, Carmarthen and (from destinations such as Haverfordwest and Fishguard) into Cardiff, Cowbridge, Bridgend, Port Talbot, Neath and Swansea
  • from Hereford and Abergavenny past Merthyr Tydfil and Neath
  • from Newport into Caerphilly
  • from North Wales and Brecon past Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Cardiff
  • from Pontypool and Cwmbran into Blackwood and Abercynon
  • from Llandeilo and (from destinations such as Llandovery and Brecon)
A long, green GWR train in the platform beneath London Paddington's large, arch roof.
GWR trains connect London Paddington with destinations in Glamorganshire

By train

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There are several long-distance trains between Glamorganshire and destinations across Wales and England.

To Cardiff Central

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A white and red Transport for Wales train pulls into Cardiff Central
A Transport for Wales train pulls into Cardiff Central

To Swansea

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  • Great Western Railway from London Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway and Neath
  • Great Western Railway (limited service) from destinations in West Wales including Carmarthen and Llanelli
  • Transport for Wales from Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford, Abergavenny, Cwmbran, Newport, Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway and Neath
  • Transport for Wales from Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Carmarthen and Llanelli
  • Transport for Wales from Shrewsbury, Llandovery, Llandeilo and Ammanford

To Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway and Neath

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  • Great Western Railway from London Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central and Swansea
  • Great Western Railway (limited service) from destinations in West Wales including Carmarthen and Llanelli
  • Transport for Wales from Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford, Abergavenny, Cwmbran, Newport, Cardiff Central and Swansea
  • Transport for Wales from Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Swansea and Cardiff Central
A white National Express coach parked in front of a smart, grey building: Birmingham Coach Station
A National Express coach at Birmingham Coach Station, with direct connections to Cardiff

By bus and coach

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  • Megabus - into Cardiff from destinations including London, Heathrow Airport, Bristol, Newport, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Glasgow, Exeter, Plymouth and Swansea
  • Megabus - into Swansea from destinations including London, Heathrow Airport, Bristol, Newport and Cardiff
  • National Express 201 - into Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea from Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Bristol and Newport
  • National Express 202 - into Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea from Heathrow Airport, Bristol and Newport
  • National Express 216 - into Cardiff from Bristol, Bristol Airport and Newport
  • National Express 507/508/509 - into Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea from London, Reading, Chepstow, Newport and destinations in West Wales
  • National Express 110/111/112 - into Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea from Bridgend, Newport and destinations in West Wales
  • TrawsCymru T1C (limited service) - into Cardiff, Bridgend and Port Talbot from Aberystwyth and Carmarthen
  • TrawsCymru T4 - into Cardiff, Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil from Newtown, Llandrindod, Builth Wells and Brecon
  • TrawsCymru T6 - into Swansea and Neath from Brecon and Sennybridge
An empty platform and tracks into the distance: Rhoose Cardiff International Airport
Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station between Barry and Llantwit Major

By plane

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Cardiff Airport (CWL IATA) lies between Barry and Llantwit Major, to the west of Cardiff. There are direct flights into Cardiff from destinations from Europe and North Africa. Check the website: https://cardiff-airport.com/destinations/

Public transport connections from Cardiff Airport include:

  • Transport for Wales operates trains from Rhoose Cardiff International Airport station to Glamorganshire destinations including Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street, Bridgend, Llantwit Major, Aberdare, Pontypridd, Radyr and Barry. Bus route 905 Rail Linc[dead link] connects the airport with the station.
  • New Adventure Travel 304 buses direct to Llantwit Major, Cardiff Bay and Barry.

Airports further afield include:

  • Bristol Airport with international flights from destinations in Europe and North Africa. Direct coach connections to Cardiff using National Express 216. Alternatively use Bristol Airport Flyer to Bristol Temple Meads and connect with direct trains to Cardiff Central.
  • London Heathrow Airport with international flights to destinations worldwide, including in North America and Asia. Direct coach connections to Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea using National Express 201/202. Alternatively use rail connections to London Paddington with direct trains to Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.
  • London Gatwick Airport with international flights to destinations worldwide. Direct coach connections to Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Swansea using National Express 201. Alternatively use rail connections to Reading with direct trains to Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.

By boat

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Irish Ferries operates a Rosslare (Ireland) to Pembroke ferry route. There are direct trains from Pembroke Dock to Swansea.

StenaLine operates a Rosslare to Fishguard ferry route. There are direct trains from Fishguard Harbour to Carmarthen, where there are onward connections to Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Bridgend and Cardiff Central.

Get around

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The best means of transport for exploring the region is by private car.

Buses

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Buses depart from Swansea Bus Station to most of the suburbs and rural areas of Swansea, and to other towns in the region. Towns with central bus stations to their suburbs include Neath, Port Talbot, Llanelli and Carmarthen. Most services are operated by First Cymru[dead link].

Train

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Arriva trains operate suburban and rural train services from Swansea station to Llansamlet, Skewen, Baglan, Briton Ferry, Gowerton, Bynea, Llangennech, Pontarddulais, Pantyfynnon and Ammanford.

Car Hire

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Walking

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There are some good walks in the Vale, many from the Valeways Scheme. As a county on the coast, the Wales Coast Path runs the full length of the Glamorgan Coast, from Cardiff to Bridgend. The route then continues around Wales as a long-distance path. There is another long-distance trail in the Vale of Glamorgan, the 69 mile long Valeways Millennium Heritage Trail. This path goes to many destinations in the Vale, including Southerndown, Cowbridge, Rhoose, Barry, Cardiff, Llanharry and Colwinston. The trail runs in a circle, and is made up of mainly Bridleways. Most of its destinations are covered in this Wikivoyage article! It takes you from the sea, to near-sky heights, with some fabulous views across the Vale

Surfing

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Although not the most popular surfing resort in Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan hosts some great waves.

Southerndown

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Situated on the Bristol Channel, Southerndown becomes very popular in the height of summer when the sun is out. Even when it's raining, it's still pretty busy. A sandy, RNLI Lifeguarded beach with loads of space, makes Southerndown a great place to spend time on the beach and surf on the waves on the flooding tides. Southerndown is situated on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. Other facilities on or near the beach also include public toilets and a shop.

Ogmore-By-Sea

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Further West than Southerndown, is Ogmore-By-Sea, also known simply as Ogmore. Although not as popular as Southerndown, and with fewer facilities, Ogmore does sometimes have surfers, especially East of the Beach. The mouth of the river Ogmore is on this beach, although entering the water is not advised at this point

Llantwit Major

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The town of Llantwit Major has an RNLI Lifeguarded beach. Sometimes popular with surfers

Go next

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This region travel guide to Glamorgan is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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