Dyfed Postcodes — Wales (WLS)

Dyfed 

To the southwest of Wales belongs the preserved county of Dyfed. Located on the coasts of the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel, this region is primarily rural.

Dyfed was also the name of the county council for this area between the years 1974 and 1996, and it is still used for some ceremonial and other purposes today.

History

Dyfed is one of Wales's preserved counties. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, it was established as an administrative county council, and its original jurisdiction included roughly the same area as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, with the exception of the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe.

The area once inhabited by the Irish Déisi and now known as Pembrokeshire was the inspiration for the name Dyfed. Ceredigion was never a part of Dyfed in the past, and neither was Carmarthenshire. Dyfed, the modern county, is made up of the present-day counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Pembroke. The next day it was broken up into individual municipalities. 

As of the 1st of April 1996, the three historic counties were reinstated for administrative purposes, with Cardiganshire becoming Ceredigion the following day. This resulted in the dissolution of Dyfed County Council. For some official and ceremonial purposes, the name "Dyfed" is still in use.

Headquarters

Carmarthen served as Dyfed County Council's seat of government, but Llanelli was the county seat and largest city. Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, and Aberystwyth were also major urban hubs.

The retention of the name

Some regional bodies, such as Dyfed-Powys Police & Dyfed Telecom, and the Lord Lieutenancy, continued to use the name Dyfed for ceremonial purposes, but some databases, such as that of Royal Mail, continued to use it at least until 2008, leading to confusion in online commerce.

Geography

The Welsh county of Dyfed stretches along the coast from the Bristol Channel to the Irish Sea. North Gwynedd, East Powys, and Southeast West Glamorgan are all preserved counties that surround this area.

Dyfed's northernmost county, Ceredigion, has a small coastline and is largely surrounded by the Cambrian Mountains. The Severn and Wye flow east into England, while the Dulas, Llyfnant, and Rheidol flow west into the Irish Sea, and all five rivers have their origins on the slopes of Plynlimon, the highest point in the area at 752 meters (2,467 feet). Ceredigion's southern region is flatter, and the River Teifi serves as a boundary between it and Carmarthenshire.

The southeast corner of Dyfed, known as Carmarthenshire, is mostly hilly, with the exception of the river valleys and the coastal strip. The Cambrian Mountains are located to the north of Carmarthenshire, with Fforest Fawr and Black Mountain extending eastward into the county. Fan Foel, at 781 meters (2,562 feet), is located on the border with Powys and is Carmarthenshire's highest point. The rivers Towy, Loughor, Gwendraeth, and Taf all flow into the Bristol Channel, with the latter being the largest. The estuaries of the Loughor, Gwendraeth, Tywi, and Taf deeply slash the county of Carmarthenshire's lengthy coastline. There are numerous fishing communities and sandy beaches in the south, while the eastern coast, around Llanelli and Burry Port, is more industrial. 

The county of Pembrokeshire is located in Dyfed's southwest corner, and its coastline juts out into the Irish Sea. Even though it lacks the mountains that characterize the rest of Dyfed, much of its interior is still undulating. The Preseli Hills (Mynydd Preseli) are a large area of high moorland located up north. Foel Cwmcerwyn, at 536 meters (1,759 feet), is the highest point in the Preseli Hills and all of Pembrokeshire. The county's largest river, the Cleddau, splits into two major tributaries before emptying into the sea at Milford Haven in the county's southwestern corner. Land around the River Cleddau is generally flat and low, with numerous inlets and creeks. Pembrokeshire has a varied coastline that includes cliffs, bays, and sandy beaches. The county is home to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which is home to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a hiking trail that spans 186 miles along the coast.