Editing Vale of Clwyd - Wikipedia

The '''Vale of Clwyd''' ''([[Welsh language|Welsh]]: Dyffryn Clwyd)'' is a tract of low-lying ground in the [[county]] of [[Denbighshire]] in northeast [[Wales]]. The Vale extends south-southwestwards from the coast of the [[Irish Sea]] for some 20 miles (about 30km) forming a triangle of low ground bounded on its eastern side by the well-defined [[escarpment|scarp]] of the [[Clwydian Range]] and to the west by numerous low hills. The [[River Clwyd]] ''(Welsh: Afon Clwyd)'' which rises within [[Clocaenog Forest]], southwest of Denbigh, runs the full length of the vale. It is joined by the two major left bank tributaries of the [[River Clywedog (Clwyd)|River Clywedog]] ''(Welsh: Afon Clywedog)'' and [[River Elwy]] ''(Welsh: Afon Elwy)'' and the smaller right bank tributary of the [[River Wheeler]] ''(Welsh: Afon Chwiler).''

{{Short description|Valley in Wales}}

{{About||the constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom|Vale of Clwyd (UK Parliament constituency)|the Senedd constituency|Vale of Clwyd (Senedd constituency)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}

The '''Vale of Clwyd''' ({{lang-cy|[[Dyffryn Clwyd]]}}) is a tract of low-lying ground in the [[Principal area of Wales|county]] of [[Denbighshire]] in north-east [[Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cpat.org.uk/the-vale-of-clwyd/|title=THE VALE OF CLWYD|publisher=Clwyd-Powis Archaeological Trust|access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://naturalresources.wales/media/682566/nlca11-vale-of-clwyd-description.pdf|publisher= Natural Resources Wales|title=Vale of Clwyd|access-date=15 December 2021}}</ref> The Vale extends south-southwestwards from the coast of the [[Irish Sea]] for some 20 miles (about 30&nbsp;km) forming a triangle of low ground bounded on its eastern side by the well-defined [[escarpment|scarp]] of the [[Clwydian Range]] and to the west by numerous low hills. The [[River Clwyd]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Afon Clwyd}}) which rises within [[Clocaenog Forest]], southwest of Denbigh, runs the full length of the vale. It is joined by the two major left bank tributaries of the [[River Clywedog, Denbigh|River Clywedog]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Afon Clywedog}}) and [[River Elwy]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Afon Elwy}}) and the smaller right bank tributary of the [[River Wheeler]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Afon Chwiler}}).

===Settlement & Administration===

==History==

At its seaward end are the coastal resorts of [[Kinmel Bay]] ''(Welsh: Bae Cinmel''), [[Rhyl]] and [[Prestatyn]] whilst the towns of [[Abergele]] and [[St Asaph]] ''(Welsh: Llanelwy)'' lie just inland. The other principal towns of the vale are [[Denbigh]] ''(Welsh: Dinbych)'' and [[Ruthin]] ''(Welsh: Rhuthun)''.<ref>Ordnance Survey 1:50K Landranger sheet 116 'Denbigh & Colwyn Bay'</ref> The area falls within the modern administrative county (and [[unitary authority]]) of [[Denbighshire]] and much of it lies within the [[Vale of Clwyd (UK Parliament constituency)|Vale of Clwyd UK Parliamentary constituency]]

[[Dyffryn Clwyd]] was a [[cantref]] of Medieval Wales, and from 1282 was a marcher lordship.

===Geology===

==Settlement and administration==

The Vale of Clwyd is a [[sedimentary basin]] which takes the form of a [[graben|half-graben]] whose eastern margin is marked by the Vale of Clwyd [[fault (geology)|Fault]]. Like the [[Cheshire Basin]] further to its east, it is mostly floored by thick deposits of [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] [[sandstone]]. Around St Asaph, late [[Carboniferous]], [[Coal Measures]] [[mudstone]]s and sandstones occur. The area was over-run by ice during the [[ice age]]s whose legacy is a covering of [[glacial till]] across the area and a swarm of [[drumlins]] along the western edge of the vale. [[Alluvium]] is encountered across the [[floodplain]]s of the River Clwyd and its tributaries.<ref>British Geological Survey, 1:50K map sheets 95 'Rhyl' & 107 'Denbigh'</ref>

At its seaward end are the coastal resorts of [[Kinmel Bay]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Bae Cinmel}}), [[Rhyl]] and [[Prestatyn]] whilst the town of [[Abergele]] and city of [[St Asaph]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Llanelwy}}) lie just inland. The other principal towns of the vale are [[Denbigh]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Dinbych}}) and [[Ruthin]] (Welsh: {{lang|cy|Rhuthun}}),<ref>Ordnance Survey 1:50K Landranger sheet 116 'Denbigh & Colwyn Bay'</ref> also [[Rhuddlan]]. Most of the area falls within the modern administrative county (and [[unitary authority]]) of [[Denbighshire]] and a portion is in [[Conwy County Borough]]; much of it lies within the [[Vale of Clwyd (UK Parliament constituency)|Vale of Clwyd UK Parliamentary constituency]].

==Geology==

===References===

{{refs}}

The Vale of Clwyd is a [[sedimentary basin]] which takes the form of a [[half-graben]] whose eastern margin is marked by the Vale of Clwyd [[fault (geology)|Fault]].<ref name="Williams_&_Eaton_1993">{{Cite journal |last=Williams |first=G.D. |last2=Eaton |first2=G.P. |date=1993 |title=Stratigraphic and structural analysis of the Late Palaeozoic-Mesozoic of NE Wales and Liverpool Bay: implications for hydrocarbon prospectivity |journal=Journal of the Geological Society |volume=150 |issue=3 |pages=489–499 |doi=10.1144/gsjgs.150.3.0489}}</ref> Like the [[Cheshire Basin]] further to its east, it is mostly floored by thick deposits of [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] [[sandstone]]. Around St Asaph, late [[Carboniferous]], [[Coal Measures]] [[mudstone]]s and sandstones occur. The area was overrun by ice during the [[ice age]]s whose legacy is a covering of [[glacial till]] across the area and a swarm of [[drumlins]] along the western edge of the vale.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Colin A. |last2=Richards |first2=Andrew E. |title=The glaciations of Wales and adjacent areas |date=2005 |publisher=Logaston Press |location=Hereford |isbn=1904396364 |pages=41–42 |edition=2nd}}</ref> [[Alluvium]] is encountered across the [[floodplain]]s of the River Clwyd and its tributaries.<ref>British Geological Survey, 1:50K map sheets 95 'Rhyl' & 107 'Denbigh'</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

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{{Regions of Wales|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vale Of Clwyd}}

[[Category:Geology of Wales]]

[[Category:Geology of Wales]]

[[Category:Geography of Wales]]

[[Category:Sedimentary basins of Europe]]

[[Category:Sedimentary basins of Europe]]

[[Category:Valleys of Denbighshire]]

[[Category:Rifts and grabens]]