Editing Ceredigion (section)

==History==
{{See also|Kingdom of Ceredigion|Seisyllwg}}
Ceredigion has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A total of 170 hill forts and enclosures have been identified across the county and there are many standing stones dating back to the [[Bronze Age]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/story/Pages/Hillforts-and-heroes.aspx |title=Discover Ceredigion: Hillforts and Heroes|publisher=Ceredigion County Council |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref> Around the time of the [[Roman invasion of Britain]], the area was between the realms of the [[Demetae]] and [[Ordovices]]. The [[Sarn Helen]] [[Roman roads in Britain|road]] ran through the territory, with [[Roman fort|forts]] at [[Bremia (fort)|Bremia]] and [[Loventium]] protecting gold mines near present-day [[Llanddewi Brefi]]. Following the [[Roman withdrawal from Britain|Roman withdrawal]], [[Scoti|Irish]] [[Irish invasions of Wales|raids and invasions]] were repulsed, supposedly by the forces under a [[Hen Ogledd|northerner]] named [[Cunedda Wledig|Cunedda]]. The 9th-century ''[[History of the Britons]]'' attributed to [[Nennius]] records that Cunedda's son [[Ceredig]] settled the area around the Teifi in the 5th century.<ref name="Foundation">Davies, John, ''A History of Wales</ref> The territory supposedly remained [[kingdom of Ceredigion|a minor kingdom]] under his dynasty until its extinction upon the drowning of [[Gwgon ap Meurig]] {{circa|lk=no|871}}, after which it was administered by [[Rhodri Mawr]] of [[Kingdom of Gwynedd|Gwynedd]] before passing to his son [[Cadell ap Rhodri|Cadell]], whose son [[Hywel Dda]] inherited its neighbouring kingdom [[Kingdom of Dyfed|Dyfed]] and established the realm of [[Deheubarth]]. Records are highly obscure; some historians believe that [[Hyfaidd ap Bledrig]], the Dyfed ruler, may have annexed Ceredigion before his heirs lost it to Hywel through war.

Many pilgrims passed through Cardiganshire on their way to [[St Davids]]. Some came by sea and made use of the churches at [[Mwnt]] and [[Penbryn]], while others came by land seeking hospitality at such places as [[Strata Florida Abbey]]. Both the abbey and [[Llanbadarn Fawr, Ceredigion|Llanbadarn Fawr]] were important monastic sites of scholarship and education. Place names including ''ysbyty'' denote their association with pilgrims.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/story/Pages/Pilgrims-and-princes.aspx |title=Discover Ceredigion: Pilgrims and Princes|publisher=Ceredigion County Council |access-date=14 April 2016}}</ref>

In 1282, [[Edward I of England]] conquered the principality of Wales and divided the area into counties. One of thirteen [[historic counties of Wales|traditional counties in Wales]]. Cardiganshire was split into the five [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundreds]] of Genau'r-Glyn, Ilar, Moyddyn, Penarth and Troedyraur.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/cardiganshire |title=Cardiganshire; The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820-1832, ed. D.R. Fisher|author=Margaret Escott |work=historyofparliamentonline.org|publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2009  |access-date=26 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-uJIMJ3n-JgC&pg=PA287 |title=The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge |author= Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge|page=287|publisher=Charles Knight|year= 1836 |access-date=26 April 2012}}</ref>

Much later, Cardiganshire was designated as a [[vice-county]].

[[File:Radnor Brecknok Cardigan Caermarden Map.jpg|thumb|250px|Hand-drawn map of Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire by Christopher Saxton in 1578]]

[[Pen-y-wenallt]] was home to 17th century theologian and author, [[Theophilus Evans]].<ref name="Evans">{{Cite DWB |id=s-EVAN-THE-1693 |title=EVANS, THEOPHILUS (1693 - 1767), cleric, historian, and man of letters |first=Enid Pierce |last=Roberts |date=1959 |access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref> In the 18th century there was an evangelical revival of Christianity, and [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|nonconformism]] became established in the county as charismatic preachers like [[Daniel Rowland (preacher)|Daniel Rowland]] of [[Llangeitho]] attracted large congregations. Every community built its own chapel or meeting house, and Cardiganshire became one of the centres of [[Methodism]] in Wales; the [[River Aeron|Aeron Valley]] was at the centre of the revival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/story/Pages/Peace-and-religion.aspx |title=Discover Ceredigion: Peace and Religion |publisher=Ceredigion County Council |access-date=14 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423184412/http://www.discoverceredigion.co.uk/English/more/story/Pages/Peace-and-religion.aspx |archive-date=23 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] was one of the major ports of southern Wales until its harbour silted in the mid-19th century. The [[Industrial Revolution]] passed by, not much affecting the area. In the uplands, wheeled vehicles were rare in the 18th century, and horses and [[sled]]s were still being used for transport. On the coast, herrings and corn were traded across the Irish Sea. In the 19th century, many of the rural poor emigrated to the [[New World]] from Cardigan, between five and six thousand leaving the town between 1790 and 1860. Aberystwyth became the main centre for the export of [[lead]] and Aberaeron and Newquay did brisk coastal trade. The building of the railway from Shrewsbury in the 1860s encouraged visitors, and hotels sprang up in the town to accommodate them.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Lloyd, Thomas |author2=Orbach, Julian |author3=Scourfield, Robert |title=Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wEkcJb2lHx8C&pg=PA2 |year=2006 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=0-300-10179-1 |pages=2–3}}</ref>

This area of the county of [[Dyfed]] became a [[Districts of Wales|district of Wales]] under the name Ceredigion in 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]],<ref name=Schaefer/> and since 1996, has formed the county of Ceredigion.<ref name=CountyCouncil>{{cite web |url=https://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9900 |title=County Council |publisher=Cyngor Sir Ceredigion County Council |access-date=14 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220075727/https://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=9900 |archive-date=2016-12-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  According to the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]] 45.3% of the population can speak [[Welsh language|Welsh]], the third highest proportion after [[Gwynedd]] and the [[Isle of Anglesey]]. Nevertheless, this was a decline from 47.3% in 2011 and 52% in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How life has changed in Ceredigion: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/W06000008/ |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=Office for National Statistics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Welsh speakers by local authority, gender and detailed age groups, 2011 census |url=https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Welsh-Language/Census-Welsh-Language/welshspeakers-by-localauthority-gender-detailedagegroups-2011census |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=statswales.gov.wales}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Welsh speakers by local authority and broader age groups, 2001 and 2011 census |url=https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Welsh-Language/Census-Welsh-Language/welshspeakers-by-la-broaderage-2001and2011census |access-date=2023-06-04 |website=statswales.gov.wales}}</ref>