2024 is the 50th anniversary of Tongwynlais becoming part of the City of Cardiff.
The Parish of Tongwynlais was part of Llandaff and Dinas Powis District from its formation in 1894. The District’s name was changed to Cardiff Rural District in 1922.
Cardiff Rural District was part of the county of Glamorgan. It stretched from Aberthaw in the south west to Rudry in the north east.
The image below shows the district in 1947 and this 1956 map of Cardiff Rural District from the National Library of Scotland lets you explore it in detail.
The Local Government Act 1972 made more changes that came into effect on 1st April 1974.
The new district of Cardiff was formed from the county borough of Cardiff and several surrounding parishes, including Tongwynlais. It was then known as the “City of Cardiff” in the county of South Glamorgan.
This district was then combined with Pentyrch in 1996 and became the City and County of Cardiff.
I asked some residents if they remembered anything from this time. One person told me that they remember changing their address from “near Cardiff” to “Cardiff”.
I’ve always found it frustrating that decades after Tongwynlais became part of the capital city, it’s regularly described as “just outside Cardiff”. The fact that we’re north of the M4 probably doesn’t help.
Residents always tell me, however, that it’s this geography which has protected the village’s identity.
Do you have any memories of this change? Leave a comment below, get in touch by email or you can find me on Instagram or X.
