94-564: The River Thaw ( Welsh : Afon Ddawan ) (also Ddaw ) is a river in the Vale of Glamorgan , south Wales . At 20 kilometres/12.4 miles, it is the longest river entirely in the Vale of Glamorgan. Its source is in the hills just south of the M4 Motorway near Llanharry . It flows in a generally south-eastern direction through the town of Cowbridge , then turns southward and reaches
188-457: A back-formation from the name of the village. An unnamed brook flows through St Athan . Its length is approximately 1.5 miles, and it joins the Thaw near its mouth. The Nant Llanmihangel is over a mile long. It comes from Llanmihangel , and flows into the river at Llandough , south of Llanblethian . There are many insignificant, and thus unnamed, tributaries of the Thaw. One flows in
282-653: A flood hit the shores of the Channel. The devastation was particularly bad on the Welsh side, from Laugharne in Carmarthenshire to above Chepstow on the English border. Cardiff was the most badly affected town. There remain plaques up to 8 ft (2.4 m) above sea level to show how high the waters rose on the sides of the surviving churches. It was commemorated in a contemporary pamphlet " God's warning to
376-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
470-539: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
564-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
658-671: A cliff-face of 716 ft (218 m). On the Gower Peninsula, at its western extremity is the Worms Head , a headland of Carboniferous Limestone which is approachable on foot at low tide only. The beaches of Gower (at Rhossili , for example) and North Devon, such as Croyde and Woolacombe , win awards for their water quality and setting, as well as being renowned for surfing . In 2004, The Times "Travel" magazine selected Barafundle Bay in Pembrokeshire as one of
752-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
846-663: A windsurf around Britain (e.g. Jono Dunnett ). The coastguard has stated that windsurf crossings of the channel are dangerous and should not be attempted without appropriate preparations. The high quality of the landscape of much of both coasts of the Bristol Channel means that they are popular destinations for walkers. Sections of two national trails ; the South West Coast Path and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path follow these shores, and
940-990: Is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave
1034-609: Is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain , separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan ) and South West England (from Devon , Somerset to North Somerset ). It extends from the smaller Severn Estuary of the River Severn ( Welsh : Afon Hafren ) to the North Atlantic Ocean . It takes its name from the English city and port of Bristol . Long stretches of both sides of
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#17328019341491128-628: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( Welsh : Môr Hafren , literal translation: "Severn Sea")
1222-688: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to
1316-468: Is enhanced by the golden beaches, clean blue waters, excellent water quality and good facilities close by to the main surf breaks. The first known crossing of the Bristol Channel (from Swansea to Woody Bay, near Lynton, Devon) by a windsurfer was Adam Cowles in April 2006, apparently accidentally. Other windsurfers have reported making the crossing as a training exercise ( Hugh Sim Williams ) or as part of
1410-511: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
1504-732: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows
1598-475: The 1953 floods in East Anglia , which were caused by a storm surge . It has been shown that the tide and weather at the time were capable of generating such a surge. In 1835 John Ashley was on the shore at Clevedon with his son who asked him how the people on Flat Holm could go to church. For the next three months Ashley voluntarily ministered to the population of the island. From there he recognised
1692-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
1786-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
1880-562: The Bristol Channel at Breaksea Point , south of Aberthaw . The river supports healthy populations of a variety of fish. However, several stretches of the river no longer support a European water vole population, despite having a once sizeable population. Unlike many rivers in south Wales, the Thaw was never subject to much pollution, except at its mouth which was diverted to feed the Aberthaw Power Station . In
1974-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
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#17328019341492068-756: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and
2162-550: The Secretary of State for the Environment announced the designation of a statutory reserve at Lundy. There is an outstanding variety of marine habitats and wildlife, and a large number of rare and unusual species in the waters around Lundy, including some species of seaweed , branching sponges , sea fans and cup corals . The Bristol Channel has some extensive and popular beaches and spectacular scenery, particularly on
2256-605: The Severn Estuary , are Clevedon , Portishead and the city of Bristol . The Port of Bristol , originally established inland on the River Avon in the centre of the city, but now with larger commercial deep water docks on the Severn Estuary , is one of the busiest ports in Britain. There are no road or rail crossings of the Bristol Channel so direct crossings are necessarily made by sea or air, or less directly by
2350-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
2444-573: The Vale of Glamorgan ). East of this line is the Severn Estuary . Western and northern Pembrokeshire and north Cornwall are outside the IHO defined limits of the Bristol Channel, and are considered part of the seaboard of the Atlantic Ocean , specifically the Celtic Sea . In common usage, the distinction between the Bristol Channel, Severn Estuary and Celtic Sea is less clearly defined, with
2538-848: The West Somerset Coast Path extends eastwards from the South West Coast Path to the mouth of the River Parrett. A continuous coastal path, the Wales Coast Path , was opened in May 2012 along the entire Welsh shore under the auspices of the Countryside Council for Wales . The first person to swim across the Bristol Channel was Kathleen Thomas , a 21-year-old woman from Penarth who swam to Weston-super-Mare on 5 September 1927. She completed
2632-594: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
2726-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
2820-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
2914-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
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3008-831: The Atlantic Ocean meaning that a combination of an off-shore (east) wind and a generous Atlantic swell produces excellent surf along the beaches. The heritage coasts of the Vale of Glamorgan, Bideford Bay and Gower are, along with the Atlantic coasts of Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, the key areas for surfing in the whole of Britain. Although slightly overshadowed by the Atlantic coasts of North Cornwall and West Pembrokeshire, both Gower and Bideford Bay nevertheless have several superb breaks—notably Croyde in Bideford Bay and Langland Bay on Gower—and surfing in Gower and Bideford Bay
3102-535: The Bristol Channel are Lundy , Steep Holm and Flat Holm , which are mostly uninhabited and protected as nature reserves, and are home to some unique wild flower species. In 1971 a proposal was made by the Lundy Field Society to establish a marine reserve. Provision for the establishment of statutory Marine Nature Reserves was included in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 , and on 21 November 1986
3196-520: The Bristol Channel are extensive linear tidal sandbanks, which are dredged for aggregates. In the outer Bristol Channel, off the Welsh coast, are the OBel Sands, an extensive area of sand waves up to 62 ft (19 m) high, covering more than 400 sq mi (1,036 km )). The Bristol Channel is an important area for wildlife, in particular waders , and has protected areas, including national nature reserves such as Bridgwater Bay at
3290-612: The British Government to assess all tidal range technologies, including barrages, lagoons and others. The study will look at the costs, benefits and impacts of a Severn tidal power scheme and will help Government decide whether it could or could not support such a scheme. Some of the options being looked at may include a road crossing downstream of the existing crossings of the estuary. On 30 January 1607 ( New style ) thousands of people were drowned, houses and villages swept away, farmland inundated and flocks destroyed when
3384-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
3478-544: The Nant Llancarfan at Penmark. The Nant Llancarfan rises at Bonvilston , flowing southward for 5 miles. A stream known as the Factory Brook is a mile and a half long. It flows east, to meet the Thaw at Cowbridge. The Nant y Stepsau is 2 miles long. Rising between the villages of Llanmaes and Eglwys Brewis , it flows northeast. The Nant Tre-gof is a minor tributary of the river. It starts near
3572-476: The Severn Estuary, a low-lying shoreline is fronted by extensive intertidal mudflats. The Severn Estuary and most of the embayments around the channel are less than 30 ft (9 m) deep. Within the channel, however, there is an east–west valley 65–100 ft (20–30 m) deep, which is thought to have been formed by fluvial run-off during Pleistocene phases of lower sea level. Along the margins of
3666-472: The Severn estuary, but lie upstream of the Bristol Channel itself. On the English side, the resort towns of Weston-super-Mare , Burnham-on-Sea , Watchet , Minehead and Ilfracombe are located on the Bristol Channel. Barnstaple and Bideford are sited on estuaries opening onto Bideford Bay, at the westernmost end of the Bristol Channel. Just upstream of the IHO eastern limit of the Bristol Channel, within
3760-512: The UK. It has been stated that it would contribute significantly to UK climate change goals and European Union renewable energy targets. Earlier studies of a possible Severn Barrage included estimates of bed load transport of sand and gravel by tidal ebb and flood that would be interrupted if a solid dam were built across the Channel. More recently, the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study was launched in 2008 by
3854-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
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3948-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
4042-667: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of
4136-445: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
4230-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
4324-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
4418-403: The area. P & A Campbell , based in Bristol , was the main operator of pleasure craft, particularly paddle steamers , from the mid-19th century to the late 1970s, together with the Barry Railway Company . These served harbours along both coasts, such as Ilfracombe and Weston-super-Mare . This tradition is continued each summer by the PS Waverley , the last seagoing paddle steamer in
4512-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
4606-460: The coastline are designated as Heritage Coast . These include Exmoor , Bideford Bay , the Hartland Point peninsula, Lundy Island , Glamorgan , Gower Peninsula , Carmarthenshire , South Pembrokeshire and Caldey Island . Until Tudor times the Bristol Channel was known as the Severn Sea , and it is still known as this in both Welsh : Môr Hafren and Cornish : Mor Havren . The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defines
4700-421: The coasts of Exmoor and Bideford Bay in North Devon and the Vale of Glamorgan and Gower Peninsula on the Glamorgan coast. The western stretch of Exmoor boasts Hangman cliffs , the highest cliffs in mainland Britain , culminating near Combe Martin in the "Great Hangman", a 1,043 ft (318 m) 'hog-backed' hill with a cliff-face of 820 ft (250 m); its sister cliff the "Little Hangman" has
4794-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
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#17328019341494888-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of
4982-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
5076-452: The feasibility of setting up a similar rescue service in Weston-super-Mare . There are also RNLI lifeboats stationed along both sides of the Channel. In the Severn Estuary , in-shore rescue is provided by two independent lifeboat trusts, the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) and the Portishead and Bristol Lifeboat Trust. The Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary have the potential to generate more renewable electricity than any other in
5170-440: The first wife of Hugh Cudlipp the Welsh journalist and newspaper editor. The first person to swim the 30.5 nmi (56.5 km; 35.1 mi) from Ilfracombe to Swansea was Gethin Jones, who achieved the record on 13 September 2009, taking nearly 22 hours. The youngest person to swim from Penarth to Clevedon is Gary Carpenter, who in August 2007 at the age of 17, completed the crossing in 5 hours 35 minutes. He held
5264-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
5358-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
5452-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
5546-400: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period
5640-527: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for
5734-431: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
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#17328019341495828-449: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )
5922-404: The last century, there has been a slight decline in the river's biodiversity. Its major tributary, the Kenson River, is polluted in its lower reaches due to agricultural run-off and effluents leaking from nearby quarries. The river is also a popular site for various kinds of recreation, accessible for much of its course, much of which is used for agriculture. There are many archaeological sites along
6016-468: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
6110-502: The mouth of the River Parrett . At low tide large parts of the channel become mud flats due to the tidal range of 43 ft (13 m), frequently stated to be second only to the Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada but smaller than those at Ungava Bay , also in Canada. Development schemes have been proposed along the channel, including an airport and a tidal barrier for electricity generation, but conservation issues have so far managed to block such schemes. The largest islands in
6204-522: The name Bristol Channel frequently applied to areas that by the IHO definition are the Severn Estuary, and sometimes to areas of the Celtic Sea. By the IHO definition, the Bristol Channel is about 75 mi (121 km) from west to east. The Bristol Channel–Severn Estuary system extends eastward inland to the limit of tidal influence, at Gloucester Docks . The channel shoreline alternates between resistant and erosional cliff features, interspersed with depositional beaches backed by coastal sand dunes; in
6298-425: The needs of the seafarers on the four hundred sailing vessels in the Bristol Channel and created the Bristol Channel Mission. He raised funds and in 1839 a specially designed mission cutter was built with a main cabin which could be converted into a chapel for 100 people; this later became first initiative of the Mission to Seafarers . Much of the coastline at the western end of the Bristol Channel faces west towards
6392-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,
6486-493: The offshore western limit of the Bristol Channel as "a line joining Hartland Point in Devon ( 51°01′N 4°32′W / 51.017°N 4.533°W / 51.017; -4.533 ) to St. Govan's Head in Pembrokeshire ( 51°36′N 4°55′W / 51.600°N 4.917°W / 51.600; -4.917 )". The nearshore limit of the IHO definition is between Sand Point, North Somerset (north of Weston-super-Mare ), and Lavernock Point (south of Penarth , in
6580-459: The opposite sides of the river. When Aberthaw A first opened in February 1966, it was the most advanced power station in the world. Aberthaw B opened in the 1970s. The power station currently burns coal with a generating capacity 1455 megawatts , and proposals for a nuclear power station on the site were rejected due to close proximity to Cardiff . Aberthaw A was subsequently demolished in 1995. For centuries, an active, albeit small, port stood at
6674-451: The people of England by the great overflowing of the waters or floods ." The cause of the flood is uncertain and disputed. It had long been believed that the floods were caused by a combination of meteorological extremes and tidal peaks , but research published in 2002 showed some evidence of a tsunami in the Channel. Although some evidence from the time describes events similar to a tsunami, there are also similarities to descriptions of
6768-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
6862-551: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,
6956-488: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase
7050-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
7144-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
7238-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
7332-490: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
7426-410: The river's mouth, and provided docking facilities. In those days, the river was large and navigable by ships for some considerable distance; however, the river began silting up some time in the late 18th century. Its flow and size were so badly degraded that shipping was restricted to a few small vessels, but by 1850 it was of no use at all to shipping as it had become no more than a large stream. The port
7520-690: The river. It has a total length of 2 miles and is formed at the confluence of two other rivers, the Waycock and the Nant Llancarfan . It runs southwest through the village of Penmark and near Rhoose and Cardiff International Airport . The Kenson is also known for its good angling, and had many tributaries of its own. These include the River Waycock which is itself 9 kilometres long, and flows through Dyffryn and Penmark . It has many sources between Wenvoe and St Lythans , and meets
7614-400: The river. The river was once large enough for the villages and settlements along its banks to have access to shipping and thus the sea. Its estuary was once wider, but silting and impoundments have reduced its size considerably. The river picks up many tributaries along its course, making its watershed the largest in the Vale of Glamorgan. The Kenson River is by far the largest tributary of
7708-484: The road and rail crossings of the Severn estuary. The Channel can be a hazardous area of water because of its strong tides and the rarity of havens on the north Devon and Somerset coasts that can be entered in all states of the tide. Because of the treacherous waters, pilotage is an essential service for shipping. A specialised style of sailing boat, the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter , developed in
7802-662: The same direction of the Thaw for a mile or so, and flows amongst a dismantled railway and power cables. The stream in question meets the Thaw near the village of Flemingston and is very near the Nant Tre-gof. On 31 October 1998, water levels in the river reached its highest recorded level and the river flooded, causing significant damage to 4 properties in Cowbridge, 4 in Aberthin, and 17 in Llanblethian. The flooding
7896-651: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in
7990-515: The small village of Llantrithyd near the A48 and flows southwest for nearly 3 miles, through the hamlet of Treguff (this name is a corruption of Tre-gof). Its confluence with the Thaw is nearly opposite that of the Nant y Stepsau. The Nant y Berthyn is the smallest named tributary. It flows through the small village of Aberthin , and is under a mile long. It is sometimes named as Nant Aberthin ,
8084-470: The swim, nominally 11 miles but equivalent to 22 miles because of tidal flows, in 7 hours 20 minutes. In 2007 the achievement was marked by a plaque on the seafront at Penarth. There is also a plaque at Anchor Head in Weston-super-Mare. In 1929, Edith Parnell , a 16-year-old schoolgirl, emulated Kathleen Thomas's swim from Penarth to Weston-super-Mare in 10 hours 15 minutes. Edith later became
8178-499: The twelve best beaches in the world. In 2007, Oxwich Bay made the same magazine's Top 12 best beaches in the world list, and was also selected as Britain's best beach for 2007. The city of Swansea is the largest settlement on the Welsh coast of the Bristol Channel. Other major built-up areas include Barry (including Barry Island ), Port Talbot and Llanelli . Smaller resort towns include Porthcawl , Mumbles , Saundersfoot and Tenby . The cities of Cardiff and Newport adjoin
8272-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
8366-462: The world, built in 1947. The steamer provides pleasure trips between the Welsh and English coasts and to the islands of the channel. Trips are also offered on the MV ; Balmoral , also owned by Waverley Excursions. The Burnham-on-Sea Area Rescue Boat (BARB) uses a hovercraft to rescue people from the treacherous mud flats on that part of the coast. A hovercraft was recently tested to determine
8460-664: Was abandoned altogether by 1900. The Thaw was used to cool the power station, which led to a small amount of thermal pollution in the river's mouth. The estuary is not natural, because the river was diverted into a channel to allow the power station to be built, similar to the Cadoxton River a few miles east. The river's original mouth was actually slightly further east of here; many lagoons, small pools and salt-marshes are left over from its once large estuary. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] )
8554-522: Was caused by flood water over-topping the banks of main rivers and ordinary watercourses, and restrictions to flow in channels and surcharging of drains. The river meets the Bristol Channel at a shingle beach called Leys Beach, at Breaksea Point , one of the southernmost points of Wales. It flows through the village of Aberthaw . At its mouth is the Aberthaw Power Station, which is split into two complexes, Aberthaw A and Aberthaw B, on
8648-622: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to
8742-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
8836-517: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern
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