I have organised I Never Knew That About Wales into the 13 traditional counties that existed from medieval times until the lamentable local government reorganisation in 1974.
Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire have both been distinctive areas from ancient days, while Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Flintshire and Merioneth were created by the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. The other 5 counties of Denbighshire, Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Breconshire and Monmouthshire were established out of the Marcher fiefdoms by the Law in Wales Act of 1535, which abolished the powers of the Lordships of the Marches.
While the post-1974 county names reflect some of the old Welsh kingdoms, their physical boundaries do not always equate to those of the original territories, which were, in any case, somewhat fluid. Nor do the modern counties take account of old loyalties and identities. The traditional counties, on the other hand, were quite deliberately determined by the ancient divisions of the country, are the most settled and long lasting of all the divisions of Wales, and form the backdrop, in terms of both time and flavour, to most of the stories in this book.