The Vale of Glamorgan constituency falls within the boundaries of the County of the Vale of Glamorgan. The Vale has a diverse mixture of urban and rural settlements, the largest urban settlements being Barry, Llantwit Major, Dinas Powys and Cowbridge.
The County of the Vale of Glamorgan covers 33097 hectares (331 square miles) with 53 kilometres of coastline, of which 19 kilometres is Heritage Coast. Barry is the largest town with a population of 48,000 and is where the Vale's administrative centre is based. Cardiff Airport is located at Rhoose, three miles west of Barry.
Major employers include the Vale of Glamorgan Council, npower, Aberthaw Power Station, LaFarge Cement Works, Cardiff Airport, BAMC, British Airways, the NHS, Tesco and Dow Corning. Important tourist attractions include Dyffryn Gardens, the Welsh Hawking Centre, Warren Mill farm park and coarse fishery, Llanerch Vineyard, the Flatholm Project, Barry Island's Blue Flag beach, Cowbridge Physic Garden, Fonmon Castle and the Heritage Coast.
The Waverley and Balmoral pleasure cruisers sail from Barry and Penarth during the summer. There is also the Amelia Methodist Trust near Bonvilston with a charitable working farm, pottery and workshops.
The profile of Barry has been boosted recently thanks to ‘Gavin and Stacey’ a BBC Comedy about an Essex boy and a Welsh girl who fall in love, written by, and staring Ruth Jones and James Corden. Three series and a Christmas Special have been filmed at various locations and businesses in and around Barry and on Barry Island.