Llantwit Major (Welsh:Llanilltud Fawr) is a town andcommunity inWales on theBristol Channel coast. It is one of four towns in theVale of Glamorgan, with the third largest population (13,366 in 2001) afterBarry andPenarth, and ahead ofCowbridge. It is4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) from Cowbridge, 9 miles (14 km) fromBridgend, 10 miles (16 km) from Barry, and 15 miles (24 km) fromCardiff. It had a population of 9,530 in 2021.

Llantwit Major Welsh:Llanilltud Fawr
East Street
Llantwit Major Location within theVale of Glamorgan
Population	9,486 (2011)[1]
OS grid reference	SS975685
Community	Llantwit Major[2]
Principal area	Vale of Glamorgan
Preserved county	South Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LLANTWIT MAJOR
Postcode district	CF61
Dialling code	01446
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Vale of Glamorgan
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Vale of Glamorgan
List of places UK Wales Vale of Glamorgan 51°24′22″N3°28′30″W / 51.40623°N 3.47503°W /51.40623; -3.47503 Community map Map of the community

Llantwit Major beach

Llanilltud Fawr, named for theLlan (land) ofSaint Illtud, was home to the Monastery of Illtud and the college known as Bangor Illtyd. It became one of the most esteemed centres of Christian culture in theCeltic world. At its peak it had over 2,000 students, including princes, eminent clergymen, and revered saints. The institutions were destroyed by the raidingVikings in 987, butNormans rebuilt the monastery in 1111 and it continued to be a centre of learning until it was disbanded in 1539 during thedissolution of the monasteries. The 13th-centurySt Illtyd's Church, near the ancient monastery, is aGrade I listed building and one of Wales's oldest parish churches.

In the 20th century, the modern town developed rapidly to accommodateRoyal Air Force personnel from theSt Athan base. Remnants of the medieval cobbled streets can be seen adjacent to the 12th-century Old Swan Inn, and numerous buildings of the 15th and 16th centuries remain.

Colhugh Beach is a popular surfing venue and has the remnants of anIron Age fort and some of Wales' finest examples ofJurassic fossils. The pebble beach and its clifftops are protected as part of theGlamorgan Heritage Coast, which stretches for 14 miles (23 km) fromGileston to the east toSoutherndown and Newton Point to the west.

Theparish church glosses the Welsh name of the town rather literally as "Illtud's Great Church".^[3] However, the name used in English means "Greater". The epithetfawr distinguishes this Llantwit fromLlantwit Fardre (Llanilltud Faerdref) nearPontypridd and Llantwit Minor (Llanilltud Fach; also known as Llantwit-juxta-Neath and Lower Llantwit)^[4] nearNeath. TheWelsh place-name elementllan^[5] referred to the sanctified community around an early Christian settlement in Wales and itsparish, rather than merely the church itself (eglwys).

Llantwit Major has been inhabited for over 3,000 years: archaeological evidence has shown that it was occupied inNeolithic times. The remains of anIron Age fort are in its beach area.

TheRoman villa at Caermead (51°25′09″N3°29′56″W / 51.4192°N 3.4989°W /51.4192; -3.4989) remains as faint earthworks in a field, near the 13th-centuryparish church of St Illtud. The L-shapedcourtyard villa was discovered in 1888. Records from 1893 suggest that one room was used as apraetorium, another as a workshop; and there was a 5th-century adjoiningsacristy, simple in style, which featured a chancel, nave, and stone altar. Found remains includedbrachycephalic anddolichocephalic skulls, as well as horse bones.^[6] Finemosaic floors are a notable feature of the villa. Thetesserae included blue and crystalline limestone, green volcanic stones, brown sandstone, and red-brick cuttings, encircled with a red, white, blue and brown border. A record from 1907 described the relics asSamian ware pieces; bronze coins ofMaximinus Thrax,Victorinus, andConstantius Chlorus; as well as roofing materials.^[7]

The site was again excavated between 1938 and 1948. It may have been first settled in the 1st century, but the first stone structure was not erected until a hundred years later. The site developed slowly and, it has been suggested, was even abandoned for a while during the 3rd century. By the 4th century, there was an L-shaped villa with a large, aisled building possibly for farm workers, and a number of smaller agricultural structures almost enclosing a central courtyard. TheRoyal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales has associated collection records of the site, including drawings of other remains such as statues and a tessellated pavement, as well as documentation of a 1971 excavation. An early-medieval-period cemetery is in evidence,^[8] as are earthworks, traces of walling, a bank and a ditch. Pieces of pottery have been found.^[9]

According to the 18th-century historian of ill-repute,Iolo Morganwg, the Côr Tewdws or 'College of Theodosius' was established in the late 4th century at a place at or near Llantwit Major called Caer Worgorn by co-founders Emperor Theodosius andCustennin Fendigaid, but was later burnt to the ground by Irish pirates and abandoned.^[10] Morganwg's works have since been discredited.^[11]

Germanus of Auxerre andLupus of Troyes made at least one visit to Britain in AD 429 and founded or refounded a number of ecclesiastic establishments across South Wales. It was at this time thatSaint Illtud came to the Hodnant valley. Although he is said to have been born inBrittany, Illtud had fought as a soldier in Wales before renouncing his former life at the behest ofSaint Cadoc. What is certain is that Illtud oversaw the growth of a pioneering monastery and associated college called Bangor Illtyd, on the Ogney Brook, close to the currentSt Illtyd's Church. Together these institutions became the first great hub ofCeltic Christianity and teaching.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Under Illtud and his successors, Bangor Illtyd and the monastery grew in reputation both as the origin of many prominent Celtic evangelists and as a major centre of scholarly education. As such, it began to attract scholars from across the Celtic and wider world.^[16] The college itself was said to be the oldest in the world, consisting of seven halls, 400 houses and more than 2,000 students at its peak,^[17] including seven sons of British princes, and scholars such asSt. Patrick,St. Paul Aurelian, the bardTaliesin,Gildas the historian,Samson of Dol, andSt. David are believed to have spent some time there.^[18][19] Samson was known to have been summoned byDyfrig to join the monastery in 521 and he was briefly elected abbot before leaving for Cornwall.^[20] KingHywel ap Rhys (d. 886) was buried at the monastery.

The college suffered during the invasions of theSaxons and theDanes, and was destroyed by theVikings in 987 and again by theNormans in the late 11th century.^[14][15] In 1111 it is documented as being restored, but likely in a lesser state than the original. It is known to have continued to function as a monastic school until the 16th-centuryReformation. The ruins of the original school house are located in a garden on the northern end of the churchyard and the monastic halls were located in a place called Hill-head on the north side of thetithe-barn.^[18] Although nothing of the original monastery remains, the present church was originally built between 950 and 1400 and its earliest existing secular buildings date from the 15th century.^[13] The church and school became the property ofTewkesbury Abbey around 1130 after becoming part of the Norman kingdom of Glamorgan.

After thedissolution of the monasteries byHenry VIII during the Reformation, it became independent from Tewkesbury in 1539.^[21]St Donat's Castle,1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) to the west, was built in the 13th century.^[22][23]

In the 20th century, Llantwit developed into a dormitory town and grew about 15 times in size to accommodate theRoyal Air Force atSt Athan.^[13] Despite its modernization and rapid growth, it retains its pre-modern feel with its narrow winding streets, high walls, old town hall and gatehouse, and several inns and houses dated to the 16th century.^[24]Llantwit Major railway station on theVale of Glamorgan Line was reopened in June 2005. In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractivepostcode areas to live in Wales.^[25]

Llantwit Major is located in southeast Wales and mid-west along the coast of theVale of Glamorgan. The town can be accessed from the north directly by the B4268 road and indirectly by the B4270 road (St. Athan road) which branches from theA48 road,^[14] and directly by theB4265 road which leads toBridgend in the northwest andCardiff Airport andBarry in the east. It is one of four towns in the Vale of Glamorgan with the third largest population after Barry andPenarth, and ahead ofCowbridge, which is about4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) to the northeast. Llantwit Major is about 9 miles (14 km) from Bridgend, 10 miles from Barry and about 15 miles (24 km) from Cardiff.^[26]Boverton is an eastern suburb of Llantwit.

The River Ogney, runs through the town and joins the streams [Hoddnant and Boverton Brook] which flow in from Eglwys Brewis in the northeast; these then merge and become the Afon Colhuw, which meanders down the Colhuw meadows before discharging through an outfall into the sea. The Llantwit Major area is built on a range of different levels and the town itself is sloping. At the lower coastal level is the flat, glacial Colhugh Valley, marked by steep cliffs on both sides, leading to a pebble beach.^[27] The beach, located to the south of the town (51°23′48″N3°30′03″W / 51.396667°N 3.500833°W /51.396667; -3.500833), has the remains of an ancient old stone wall from the large Iron Age hill fort, Castle Ditches. The steep cliffs at Llantwit which allow walks along the coast toSt Donat's Castle andAtlantic College have undergone dramaticerosion in recent years: in many places, the rock structure has collapsed in piles, particularly on the eastern face.

The cliff path, once set about 100 yards (90 m) from the edge is now within metres of the nature pathway, and theVale of Glamorgan Council has installed extensive new barriers to prevent fatalities. The 14 miles (23 km) of coastline fromGileston in the east to Newton Point in the west, passing throughSt Donat's andSoutherndown, is protected as part of theGlamorgan Heritage Coast.Tresilian Bay is between Llantwit Major and St Donat's. Along this stretch of coast the cliff path winds through numerous valleys.^[28] Llantwit Major beach has one of the finest sites in Wales forJurassic fossils, includingcorals, giantbrachiopods,gastropods and the bones ofIchthyosaurus.

The beach is popular with summer tourists, and has a campsite on the nearby fields. The beach has a snack bar and restaurant and associated amenities to cater for the increased public demand in recent years. There is an expansive rocky beach at low tide, with a stretch of sand towards the far west, and views of theBristol Channel and the coastline ofSomerset, with the landmark white roof ofButlins,Minehead.

Llantwit Major is a small town which is largely dependent on local retail and earnings from further afield. The majority of the inhabitants commute to work elsewhere, especially Cardiff or Bridgend. During the summer months tourism is important to the town which has "The Precinct", Rainbow Plaza and several pubs and restaurants. Of note are the Old Swan Inn, Old White Hart Inn, The Tudor Tavern, and the 17th century West House Country Hotel Heritage Restaurant.^[30]

Llantwit Major railway station on theVale of Glamorgan Line reopened in June 2005. Passenger services are operated byTransport for Wales as part of theValleys & Cardiff Local Routes network.

Although it is much less known thanPorthcawl further down the coast, Llantwit Major has considerable renown in South Wales as a surfing location. The beach has alifeguard station funded by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, built in the late 1990s, functioning during the summer months.^[27] There is a beach cafe and often organised walks.^[31]

The Victorian Fair Day, established in 1983, is usually held in June on the Saturday nearest to the 22nd of the month, with a Victorian theme which attracts people from across southern Wales.^[32] The town has several supermarkets includingCo-op Food andFilco, and a town library. The local artistic community supports a number of arts and crafts shops, some selling locally made pottery and other ceramics.

ALlantwit Majorelectoral ward exists, covering Llantwit Major community but also stretching west toSt. Donats. The total population of this ward at the2011 census was 10,621.^[33] Since 2008 the ward has been represented my councillors from the local interest party,Llantwit First Independents.

The town is governed by the Llantwit Majortown council consisting of fifteen councillors. There are fifteenindependent councillors.^[34] At the May 2017 electionsLlantwit First Independents won 12 of the seats. Councillor Mrs Jayne Norman was elected Mayor of Llantwit Major Town Council on 11 May 2017. Llantwit Major also comes under the administration of theVale of Glamorganunitary authority. Llantwit Major istwinned withLe Pouliguen,France.

•  
  Engraving ca. 1835
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  Boverton Place
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  The Tudor Tavern
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  Old White Hart Inn
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  Dovecote, Church Lane
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  War memorial

The foundation of St. Illtyd's Church dates back to theAge of the Saints in early Welsh Christianity and thus by its very existence provides evidence of continuity with sub-Roman Christianity. The town grew up around theBangor Illtyd ("Illtyd's college").^[35] Saint David,Saint Samson, SaintPaul Aurelian, SaintGildas,Saint Tudwal,Saint Baglan and king Maelgwn Gwynedd are said to have studied at the divinity school. It was founded around AD 508 by St Illtyd as a centre of learning. The school is said to have stood on the north side of the churchyard; and the monastery was situated north of thetithe barn on Hill Head.^[36]

The elongated church (51°24′29″N3°29′16″W / 51.4081°N 3.4878°W /51.4081; -3.4878), a conglomeration of distinct buildings, is divided into two areas by a wall, a 13th-century monastery church, and theNorman parish church. The eastern section contains interestingmedieval wall paintings with religious themes, and a finereredos. The western section, aLady chapel, 40.5 feet (12.3 m) in length,^[36] contains a small museum housing the Llanilltud Collection of Celtic Stones, including a pillar and two inscribed stones of major importance. One commemorates KingRhys ab Arthfael ofMorgannwg who died in the mid-9th century.^[35] The church contains acurfew bell and medieval priesteffigies.^[19] The older church is 64 feet (20 m) long; the newer church was built byRichard Neville.^[35] The grounds also include a 13th-century gatehouse, a monks' pigeon-house, ruined walls in a garden area, and mounds near the vicarage.^[35]

Manorial records indicate that the Town Hall (51°24′27″N3°29′05″W / 51.4076°N 3.4848°W /51.4076; -3.4848) dates to the 15th century but it is often attributed toGilbert de Clare, Lord of Glamorgan, who died much earlier in 1295.^[37] It then functioned as a manor and a meeting venue for the court to organise duties and collect rents and at weekends held fairs.^[37] It was renovated in the late 16th century and over the years the lower floor functioned as a school, a slaughterhouse and a jail and the top floor a venue for church meetings, leased to Oddfellows in the 1830s.^[37] Aside from fairs it also held plays, concerts and dances. It became a Grade: II* listed building on 22 February 1963.^[38] It features a bell with the inscription,Sancte Iltute, ora pro nobis ("Saint Illtyd, pray for us").^[39] It is reached by a flight of steps.^[22]

The Great House (51°24′44″N3°29′17″W / 51.412361°N 3.488173°W /51.412361; -3.488173), located along the road to Cowbridge, on the northern outskirts originally dated from the 14th century when it consisted of just a square central section, but significant additions have made it an excellent example of a Tudor "Ty mawr" (Great House). A northern wing with a stable and dovecot were amongst the added parts.^[37] The house was occupied by the Nicholl family for centuries but by the 1920s it had been abandoned and fell into a heavily dilapidated state.^[40] The building was bought and restored to its former glory in the 1950s.^[37]

Covered by adomical vault,^[41] the Dove Cote (51°24′23″N3°29′21″W / 51.406414°N 3.48913°W /51.406414; -3.48913) is a Grade II* listed tall 13th-century cylindrical column in a middle of the Hill Head field, which lies in close proximity to St Illtuds Church, next to the site of the old tithe barn, built for the monks at the St. Illtud's monastery.^[42][43] Another site on Hill Head is the (13th–14th century)gatehouse, now belonging toSt Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major. Today these are the only remaining buildings which at one time belonged to Tewkesbury Abbey.^[37] There is a plaque on the gatehouse, telling of its history.

The Old Place (51°24′28″N3°29′23″W / 51.407665°N 3.489745°W /51.407665; -3.489745) is a ruin of an Elizabethan manor house, built by Griffith Williams for his daughter and son-in-law Edmund Vann in 1596. It is often mistakenly called Llantwit Castle.^[13] The Williams family were successful lawyers and part of the rising minor gentry who were loathed by the Seys of Boverton and the Stradlings of St Donats. Vann was fined over £1,000 for being involved in a scuffle in central Llantwit on a Sunday which led him to take on the Sey family and seek his revenge.^[13]

Records state that a building was located here from the 11th century and during medieval times it is believed to have been a monastic or manorial mint.^[44] but the current Grade II* listed inn (51°24′30″N3°29′10″W / 51.408341°N 3.486029°W /51.408341; -3.486029) is dated to the 16th century, aside from restoration work; it was once thatched roofed. It was run for many years in Tudor times by the Raglan family. In the mid 17th century there is evidence that its owner Edward Craddock was again using it as a mint to "mint his own tokens as there was a shortage of coin at this time."^[13] There are five other pubs and fourrestaurants in the town.

The Old White Hart Inn is Grade II listed,^[45] and described as a late 16th-century building.^[46] It has been suspected that the building was previously used as a courthouse, but this has never been proved. Moreover, tokens were given out under the Old White Hart's name in the 18th century.^[46]

According to the blue plaque on the wall outside Plymouth House (51°24′32″N3°29′20″W / 51.408791°N 3.488876°W /51.408791; -3.488876), the house is believed to have been formerly part of the monastery, perhaps functioning as a halled house for some time in the fifteenth century.^[37] After its closure in 1539, it became the manor house of West Llantwit owned by Edward Stradling. Later owners include Lewis of the Van, the Earl of Plymouth and then Dr. J. W. Nicholl Carne, who renamed it after its previous owner some time in the 19th century.^[13][47]

From the blue plaque on the Court House (51°24′34″N3°29′07″W / 51.409519°N 3.485348°W /51.409519; -3.485348), it was formerly known as Ivy house when it was a town house from the 16th century. In the 18th century it was extended by Christopher Bassett. For some time it was owned by the Throckmorton family ofCoughton Court,Warwickshire, descendants of one of the perpetrators of theGunpowder Plot.^[37] Later owners included Daniel Durrell, headmaster of Cowbridge Grammar School, and the benefactor of Tabernacle Chapel, Elias Bassett. It then fell to his niece and her husband William Thomas and became part of the Thomas family and at one time was owned by Illtyd Thomas, father ofMare Treveleyan, an antiquarian.^[48][49] The Thomases built the Town Hall clock to commemorateQueen Victoria.

According to the blue plaque on the building (also known as "The Old School") (51°24′30″N3°29′15″W / 51.408413°N 3.487469°W /51.408413; -3.487469), it was built around 1450 by John Raglan (Herbert) and was then owned by Robert Raglan, from a family who had significant power in the area at the time and held many local administrative posts as stewards and priests. In the 17th century it became a vicarage for Stephen Slugg and functioned as a boarding school for primary school children between 1874 and 1975.^[50]

The old police station (51°24′25″N3°29′14″W / 51.4069°N 3.4872°W /51.4069; -3.4872) was built in the mid-1840s after the place is Glamorgan Constabulary was established in 1841, and was originally comprised a single-storey building, but was expanded in 1876 to include four bedrooms on the top floor.^[37] It continued to function as a police station until 1928 when a new building opened nearer the town centre on Wesley Street.^[37]

This is located in the centre of Llantwit War Memorial (51°24′30″N3°29′13″W / 51.40842°N 3.486894°W /51.40842; -3.486894), between the Old Swan and the White Hart and has a Celtic cross. The memorial commemorates residents who lost their lives or went missing in World War I and World War II. There are 32 names listed for World War I and 26 names for World War II.

Bethel Baptist Church (51°24′31″N3°29′06″W / 51.408714°N 3.485035°W /51.408714; -3.485035) was erected in 1830 to provide for local Baptists and its first minister was a local shopkeeper named Jabez Lawrence.Christmas Evans, a one-eyed Welsh preacher of considerable renown was reported to have held services here.^[37]

Located in Boverton, Boverton Place (51°24′17″N3°27′51″W / 51.404751°N 3.464059°W /51.404751; -3.464059) is a former fortifiedmanor house, now in ruins.^[51] It was built at the end of the 16th century and served as the seat ofRoger Seys, Queen's Attorney to the Council of Wales and the Marches in the 1590s.^[37] It remained in Seys family until the last heiress Jane Seys married Robert Jones of Fonmon who sold it to owners who let it fall into ruin. Its last occupants were mentioned in the census of 1861.

Dimlands (or Dimland Castle or Dimland Lodge) (51°24′22″N3°30′04″W / 51.406172°N 3.501055°W /51.406172; -3.501055) is situated about a kilometre back from the clifftops of the Bristol Channel along the road to St. Donats. It was owned at one time by John Whitlock Nicholl Carne of the University of Oxford who moved there after his father's death. Dimlands was built by John Carne's father, Rev. Robert Carne, at the end of the 18th century, upon land left him by his father, Whitlock Nicholl of The Ham, sheriff for the county of Glamorgan in 1746. The property was held by the Nicholl family since the time ofKing Henry VII. The dwelling is of castellatedTudor architecture with bluelias limestone exterior, and Coombedown stone windows and cornices. The south-facing front is more than 130 feet (40 m) in length. The western coast of Cornwall and Lundy Island are visible from the turrets. The carved chimney in the dining room is made of Caen stone, and the chimney-piece in the drawing room is also. Other features are the Minton tile flooring, the large Tudor-style staircase, two sitting rooms, and the library, a newer addition. The Dimlands stables feature sharp-pointedgables, as well as a carved stone with the date of the original grant (1336).^[52]

On the hillside of the Colhugh Valley there are a row of houses situated at Hillhead in Llantwit Major.^[53] The houses were built in the early years of the 19th century for the poor of the parish.^[46] With the introduction of thePoor Law Amendment Act 1834,^[54] a workhouse was opened in Bridgend. The houses became surplus to requirements and were then sold as private residences.^[46] Llantwit Major came under the Bridgend and Cowbridge Poor Law Union. Each unit was originally divided into two separate upper and lower accommodation, the upstairs entrance was from the west and the entrance to the lower accommodation came from the east.^[53]

The town is home toLlantwit Major F.C., a football club playing in theCymru South. The club has enjoyed excellent success in recent years, winning Division Three in 2016/17, and Division Two in 2017/18. Manager Karl Lewis has built a successful squad of players, including Sam Snaith andAdam Roscrow who have gone on to play in the Welsh Premier League and English Football League respectively.

Llanilltud Fawr Comprehensive School is thesecondary school in the town. A fire gutted the building in October 1991 and a new building was constructed.^[55] The school has roughly 1300 pupils and around 85 full-time staff. Immediately adjacent is Llanilltud Fawrprimary school, one of four primary schools in Llantwit, the others being Eagleswell primary school, Ysgol Dewi Sant and St. Illtyd's primary school.

Facilities at the Llantwit Majorleisure centre include a smallswimming pool, large and small sports halls, the LifeStyle Fitness Studio,sunbed facilities, conference room and bar. TheLlantwit Major Rugby Football Club, which played its first match againstCowbridge Rugby Football Club in 1889,^[56] fields two senior, one youth (U/19) and eight mini/junior teams, and plays inDivision Four of theWelsh Rugby Union leagues. Other sports clubs representassociation football,cricket and running.

The town is fictionally portrayed in the lateGlyn Daniel's novelWelcome Death (1954). Some areas of the town have been used in the recording of the recent series ofDoctor Who^[57] andThe Sarah Jane Adventures episodeThe Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith (created byBBC Wales). The local tearooms were used in the 2007 making ofY Pris filmed by and shown onS4C.

• Glyn Daniel (1914–1986) scientist and archaeologist^[58]
• Dafydd Hewitt (1985–) FormerCardiff Rugby Rugby Player^[59]
• Daniel Hopkin (1886–1951) Labour MP born in Llantwit Major^[60]
• Steve Grapes (1953–) Former Professional Footballer forNorwich City andCardiff City
• Karl Jones (1957–) racing driver
• Pat Mountain (1976–) goalkeeping coach forBristol City F.C., grew up in Llantwit Major
• Theophilus Redwood (1806–1892) pharmacist, one of the founding members of theRoyal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain^[61]
• Adam Roscrow (1995–) Welsh Professional Footballer forThe New Saints currently on loan atWelling United
• Josh Navidi (1990–) formerCardiff Rugby,Wales,British and Irish Lions InternationalRugby Union Player

• Llantwit Major Town Council
• BBC Wales feature on Llantwit Major