Caernarfonshire (; Welsh: Sir Gaernarfon, Welsh pronunciation: [ˈsir gaɨ̯rˈnarvɔn]), previously spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolition in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales.
Contents
Geography
The county was bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Denbighshire, to the south by Cardigan Bay and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfon Bay and the Menai Strait, which separated it from Anglesey.
The county was largely mountainous. A large part of the Snowdonian Range lay in the centre and south-east of the former county, which included Snowdon itself, the highest mountain in Wales at 1,085 m (3,560 ft). The south-west of the county was formed by the Llŷn peninsula, with Bardsey Island lying off its western end. The north of the county, between the mountains and Menai Strait, had much more subdued relief. The east of the county was part of Vale of Conwy, with the River Conwy forming much of the eastern boundary. Llandudno and Creuddyn formed a small peninsula to the north-east across the Conwy estuary.
The county included the city of Bangor and the towns and villages of Betws-y-Coed, Caernarfon, Conwy, Llandudno, Porthmadog and Pwllheli.
History
Creation
The county was originally created under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan 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).
19th and 20th centuries
During the 19th century the population increased steadily, from 46,000 in the 1801 census, to 81,093 in 1841, and up to 137,000 in the 1901 census (figures given for the registration county).
Governance
In 1889, elected county councils were established under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously performed by unelected magistrates at the county's quarter sessions. The 1888 act also adjusted county boundaries where urban sanitary districts straddled county boundaries to place each such district wholly in one county. Caernarfonshire therefore ceded its part of the Colwyn Bay and Colwyn district to Denbighshire.
The county and the town after which it was named were officially spelled "Carnarvon" until 1926. At a meeting on 10 November 1925 the borough council resolved to ask the county council to change the spelling to "Caernarvon". The county council gave permission for the change of spelling for the name of the borough with effect from 14 January 1926, and at the same time decided to ask the government to also change the spelling of the county's name to Caernarvon. The government confirmed the change in the spelling of the county's name with effect from 1 July 1926.
The county council was based at County Hall, Caernarfon.
The county contained five ancient boroughs. Two of these (Caernarfon and Pwllheli) were reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Criccieth established a special body of commissioners in 1873. Conwy (then called Conway in English) was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1877. 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 acts of Parliament. In 1872 these, along with the municipal boroughs, became urban sanitary districts. 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 districts. 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 1 April 1923 Llysfaen was transferred to the county of Denbighshire.
Ancient parishes
Sixty-eight parishes lay entirely within Carnarvonshire, and five more (Llandrillo, Eglwysbach, Llanrwst, Ysbyty Ifan and Beddgelert) straddled the boundary. The county also contained two extra-parochial areas: Maenan Abbey and Bardsey Island.
Table
The table below lists these ancient parishes and extra-parochial areas by hundred, or (to use the Welsh term) commote. It is a simplification, because in reality some parishes lay in more than one hundred. The hundred that is given here for each parish is generally that in which the parish church was situated. A map can be found at File:WalesCommotesMap.png.
Coat of arms
Caernarvonshire County Council received a grant of armorial bearings 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 Castles. Behind the castle was the badge of the heir apparent: three ostrich feathers. The supporters were Welsh dragons 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".
Legacy
Flag
The Flag of Caernarfonshire was registered with the Flag Institute in March 2012. The pattern of three gold eagles on a green background is a design with a long association with the county, having reputedly been flown by Caernarfonshire soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Places of interest
Bangor Cathedral
Ynys Enlli / Bardsey Island (grid reference SH1221);
Caernarfon Castle (grid reference SH4762);
Conwy Castle (grid reference SH7877);
Criccieth Castle (grid reference SH5000837754);
Great Orme Tramway (grid reference SH7883);
Gwydir Castle, nr. Llanrwst (grid reference SH7961);
Penrhyn Castle (grid reference SH6071);
Swallow Falls, Betws-y-Coed (grid reference SH7657);
Snowdon Mountain Railway, Llanberis (grid reference SH5859);
Ty Mawr Wybrnant (grid reference SH7752).