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Principal area · Wales

Vale of Glamorgan

Explore the villages, gardens, country parks and coastal bays located immediately west of Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Quick facts

Type of place
Principal area
Nation
Wales
Official identifier
gss:W06000014

Overview

The Vale of Glamorgan lies immediately west of Cardiff, combining coastal settlements with villages, gardens and countryside. It is a separate principal area; its proximity and statistical urban overlaps do not make it part of Cardiff’s council area.

Vale of Glamorgan is a principal area in Wales.

Population and demographics

Land area
331.15 km²

Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.

Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE5!D357 (binary spreadsheet decimal rounded to 6 dp). Released 29 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Population
135,362 people

Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.

Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE2 - Persons!D357. Released 29 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Population density: 408.8 people per km²

Calculated from the population and land area for 30 June 2025, using figures from the same release and covering the same boundaries.

Gardens, parks and the coast

Dunraven Bay at Southerndown adjoins walled gardens and the remains of a castle tower and gatehouse. At Dyffryn, the Victorian house and gardens have connections with coal merchant John Cory. The gardens include formal spaces, orchards and lakes. Porthkerry Country Park combines woodland and meadow with a viaduct and a pebbly shore. Cosmeston’s two lakes occupy former quarries, beside a reconstructed medieval village representing the fourteenth century. Barry Island’s Whitmore Bay and promenade provide another seaside setting.

Sources

  1. Things to do in the Vale of Glamorgan — Visit Wales. The Vale of Glamorgan lies immediately west of Cardiff. (Introduction; Exploring the outdoors). Accessed 2026-09-28.

  2. ONS local authority districts December 2025

    Office for National Statistics · lad-december-2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0 Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025.