Montgomeryshire
From Wikishire
| Montgomeryshire Welsh: Sir Faldwyn United Kingdom | |
| |
|---|---|
 Montgomery | |
| Area: | 780 square miles |
| Population: | 59,474 |
| County town: | Montgomery |
| County flower: | Spiked speedwell [1] |
The County of Montgomery is a shire in the heart of the Welsh mountains.
The county is named after its county town, Montgomery, which in turn is named after one of William the Conqueror's counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. Its second town, where a great deal of county business was formerly done by reason of the mountainous terrain and poor communication across the shire, is Machynlleth. Although the county as such is a creation of the Middle Ages, it is of ancient origin, its borders corresponding roughly to the mediaeval kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn.
The county flower of Montgomeryshire is the corn spurrey (spergula arvensis).
Contents |
Geography
Montgomeryshire is the only county of Wales to stretch from the boundary of England west to the sea, so any journey from the north to the south of Wales must pass through the county. In the east Montgomeryshire has its border with Shropshire, and in the west near Machynlleth it reaches the Dovey estuary on Cardigan Bay.
Montgomeryshire is an inland county, bounded to the north by Denbighshire, to the east and south-east by Shropshire, to the south by Radnorshire, to the south-west by Cardiganshire and to the west and north-west by Merionethshire. The county is almost wholly mountainous, although there are some fertile valleys on the Shropshire side. The highest point is Moel Sych (2,713 feet).
The principal rivers are the Severn flowing east and the River Dovey flowing west. Lake Vyrnwy is a reservoir supplying Liverpool in south Lancashire. The main industries are agriculture (mainly hill farming) and tourism.
Towns
The county's main towns are:
Cantrefi
The cantrefs of Montgomeryshire are:
It also includes the Lordships of Cydewain and Mechain.
Parishes
- Aberhafesb
- Abermule with Llandyssil
- Banwy
- Bausley with Criggion
- Berriew
- Bettws
- Cadfarch
- Caersws
- Carno
- Carreghofa
- Castle Caereinion
- Churchstoke
- Dwyriw
- Forden
- Glantwymyn
- Guilsfield
- Kerry
- Llanbrynmair
- Llandinam
- Llandrinio and Arddleen
- Llandysilio
- Llanerfyl
- Llanfair Caereinion
- Llanfechain
- Llanfihangel
- Llanfyllin
- Llangurig
- Llangyniew
- Llangynog
- Llanidloes
- Llanidloes Without
- Llansantffraid
- Llanwddyn
- Machynlleth
- Manafon
- Meifod
- Mochdre
- Montgomery
- Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn
- Pen-y-bont-fawr
- Trefeglwys
- Tregynon
- Trewern
- Welshpool
Places to see
| Key | |
 | Cathedral/Abbey/Priory |
 | Accessible open space |
 | Amusement/Theme Park |
 | Castle |
 | Country Park |
 | Cadw |
 | Forestry Commission |
 | Heritage railway |
 | Historic House |
 .svg){kind=icon} | Museum (free/not free) |
 | National Trust |
 | Zoo |
Castles and sites
Dolforwyn Castle near Abermule
- Montgomery Castle in Montgomery
- Powis Castle in Welshpool
Trefeglwys Tumuli
- Mathrafal, the seat of the Welsh kings and princes of Powys
- Meifod
Natural landscape
- Lake Vyrnwy
- Llyn Clywedog
- Pistyll y Llyn - one of the highest waterfalls in Wales
- Pistyll Rhaeadr
Museums and heritage
- Bryntail lead mine buildings near Llanidloes
- Centre for Alternative Technology at Llwyngwern near Machynlleth
The Museum of Fiction, Llanerfyl
- Llanidloes Museum
- The Museum of Modern Art, Wales (MOMA), Machynlleth
- Newtown Textile Museum
- Powysland Museum, Welshpool
- The Old Bell Museum, Montgomery
- The Robert Owen Museum, Newtown
Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
See also
References
| Counties of the United Kingdom |
|---|
|
Aberdeen • Anglesey • Angus • Antrim • Argyll • Armagh • Ayr • Banff • Bedford • Berks • Berwick • Brecknock • Buckingham • Bute • Caernarfon • Caithness • Cambridge • Cardigan • Carmarthen • Chester • Clackmannan • Cornwall • Cromarty • Cumberland • Denbigh • Derby • Devon • Dorset • Down • Dumfries • Dunbarton • Durham • East Lothian • Essex • Fermanagh • Fife • Flint • Glamorgan • Gloucester • Hants • Hereford • Hertford • Huntingdon • Inverness • Kent • Kincardine • Kinross • Kirkcudbright • Lanark • Lancaster • Leicester • Lincoln • Londonderry • Merioneth • Middlesex • Midlothian • Monmouth • Montgomery • Moray • Nairn • Norfolk • Northampton • Northumberland • Nottingham • Orkney • Oxford • Peebles • Pembroke • Perth • Radnor • Renfrew • Ross • Roxburgh • Rutland • Selkirk • Shetland • Salop • Somerset • Stafford • Stirling • Suffolk • Surrey • Sussex • Sutherland • Tyrone • Warwick • West Lothian • Westmorland • Wigtown • Wilts • Worcester • York |
