Historic county of Wales
Merionethshire
Meirionnydd
Cardigan Bay below, mountain country rising behind.
Merionethshire / Meirionnydd is a county where mountains repeatedly approach the sea. Its western side faces Cardigan Bay through cliffs, beaches and great estuaries, while inland the ground rises rapidly into some of the roughest and most dramatic country in Wales.
The south and west are strongly maritime; further inland, mountain valleys, lakes and upland routes create a very different landscape. This tension between coast and high country gives Merionethshire its defining character: sea and mountain are rarely far apart, yet the terrain makes neighbouring districts feel strikingly separate.
- Kingdom of Meirionnydd
- Formed of Meirionydd, Penllyn, Ardudwy cantrefs
- Flag roots = Agincourt
- Area: 676 sq miles / 1,751 sq km
- Population: 37,874
- County Top: Aran Fawddwy (2,969ft / 905m)
County geography
Current Census
Contemporary Census profile
England and Wales Census 2021. Detailed contemporary statistics are available in the Geographic County Census Explorer.
- Population density
- 53.1 people per sq mi (20.5 people per km²)
- Population
- 35,959
Estuaries beneath the mountains
The Dwyryd, Mawddach and Dyfi systems cut deeply into the western landscape.
Broad tidal water reaches towards steep uplands, creating some of Wales’s most distinctive combinations of mountain and estuary and strongly directing routes through the county.
Mountain and slate country
Further inland, narrow valleys and high ground dominate.
Slate quarrying transformed parts of the northern county, but the industry was itself a product of geology and terrain. Quarries, railways and settlements developed within a landscape already dictated by mountain and valley.
Eastern lake country
Towards the east the geography changes again around Bala Lake and the upper Dee.
This inland waterscape gives Merionethshire another strong geographical focus beyond the Cardigan Bay coast.
County questions
Questions about Merionethshire
Are Merionethshire and Meirionnydd different counties?
No. Meirionnydd is the historic Welsh name associated with the county; Merionethshire and County of Merioneth are English forms.
Is the older territory of Meirionnydd exactly the same as the later county?
No. The county drew substantially upon older Welsh territories, but those earlier territorial divisions should not simply be assumed to have had identical boundaries.
County record
Names and continuity
- Formal name
- County of Merioneth
- Local name
- Meirionnydd
- Foundation
- 1284
Merionethshire, County of Merioneth and Meirionnydd are forms associated with the county. Cardigan Bay, its great estuaries and its mountain interior give it an exceptionally strong geographical identity.