Clwyd

Clwyd was a county in north-east Wales, created in 1974 and dissolved in 1996 when it was replaced by the unitary authorities of Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham, and part of Conwy. The county encompassed a varied landscape ranging from the flat coastal strip and seaside resorts of Rhyl and Colwyn Bay on the north Wales coast to the heather moorlands of the Clwydian Range, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Vale of Clwyd, a broad agricultural valley running roughly north to south between the two main upland areas, was the county's productive heartland. Clwyd had a strong industrial heritage in north-east Wales, particularly in coal mining, steel production, and brick manufacturing around Wrexham and Flint.