Radnorshire

Radnorshire, a border county of South Wales, bounded by the counties of Montgomery, Salop, Hereford, Brecon, and Cardigan. Measuring 36 miles by 30, and 432 sq. m. in area, it is the tenth in size and twelfth in population of all the twelve Welsh counties. The beautiful Wye traces all the south-western and southern boundary, the Teme the north-eastern; and the surface generally is hilly or mountainous, in the Forest of Radnor attaining a maximum altitude of 2163 feet. Of half-a-dozen mineral springs, those of Llandrindod are in most repute. The rocks are mainly Lower Silurian, and the soils poor, less than half of the total area being in tillage, whilst woods and plantations cover nearly 8000 acres. The rearing of stock is the principal industry. Radnorshire returns one member; and till 1885 another was returned by the Radnor district of parliamentary boroughs—Cefnlllys, Knighton, Knucklas, New Radnor, Presteigne, and Rhayader. Pop. (1801) 19,135; (1841) 25,458; (1881) 23,528; (1891) 21,791. See Williams' History of Radnorshire (Tenby, 1858).