Blaenau Gwent

Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. Its highest point is Coity Mountain at . Government The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. It covered the whole area of five former districts and a single parish from a sixth, which were all abolished at the same time: Abertillery Urban District Brynmawr Urban District Ebbw Vale Urban District Llanelly parish from Crickhowell Rural District Nantyglo and Blaina Urban District Tredegar Urban District Brynmawr and Llanelly had been in the administrative county of Brecknockshire prior to the reforms, whilst the other areas had all been in the administrative county of Monmouthshire. Gwent County Council provided county-level services for the new borough. The new borough was named Blaenau Gwent, meaning uplands of Gwent. The name had previously been an alternative name for the ancient parish of Aberystruth which had covered a large part of the area and had its parish church at Blaina. Blaenau Gwent was reconstituted in 1996 as a county borough, taking over the county-level functions from the abolished Gwent County Council. At the same time Llanelly was transferred to the reconstituted Monmouthshire. The area is now governed by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, which is a principal council.