Gwent
| Gwent (2003-) | |
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Gwent is the area of southeasternmost Wales, bordering on the Welsh Marches of southwest England. It is traditionally bounded on the east by the River Wye, the border between England and Wales, and on the south by the Severn Estuary.
The area has been occupied since the Paleolithic, with a famous Roman site at Caerleon. The medieval British kingdom of Gwent took a name that literally means 'place', or 'the place'. It came into existence after the Romans had left Britain and survived in various forms until the Norman invasion of the west in 1090 AD. The Anglo-Norman kingdom erected the essentially independent county of Monmouthshire in the area, naming it from their rebuilding of a fortified site, Monmouth where the Wye and the River Monnow flow together. The name "Gwent" continued in use as a geographical term for the plain around Newport (Gwent Levels).
"Gwent" was revived as an administrative county of Wales from 1974 to 1996. It covered almost exactly the same area as the traditional county of Monmouthshire. It was abolished and replaced with various other entities, although it remains as one of the preserved counties of Wales used for ceremonial purposes, and the name 'Gwent' survives in various titles, e.g., Gwent Police, Royal Gwent Hospital, Gwent Theatre, and the Newport Gwent Dragons rugby team.
In 2003 the preserved county of Gwent expanded to cover the whole of Caerphilly county borough.
The administrative area was divided into several districts : Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport and Torfaen.
The successor unitary authorities are:
- City of Newport
- Blaenau Gwent
- Torfaen
- Caerphilly (part of which came from Mid Glamorgan)
- Monmouthshire