Llantwit Major
Encyclopedia
Llantwit Major is a small coastal town
and community
in the Vale of Glamorgan
, Wales
, lying on the Bristol Channel
coast. A small stream, the Afon Col-huw
, runs through the town.
consisting of fifteen councillors. The current Mayor is Cllr Ralph Austin. It also comes under the administration of the Vale of Glamorgan
unitary authority
. Llantwit Major is twinned
with Le Pouliguen
, France
.
Notable buildings in the parish include a Roman villa
at Caermead which remains as faint earthworks in a field, the 13th century parish church
of St Illtud
and a 15th century town hall. The once mint (coin)
for the town is now an attractive (once thatched) 15th century public house
, called the Old Swan Inn, in the centre of the town
. Also, at Hill Head, near St. Illtud's Church, lies a 13th century dovecote next to the site of the old tythe barn built for the monks at the, once St. Illtud's, monastery. Another site on Hill Head is the (13th century) gatehouse
, now belonging to St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major
. There is a plaque on the gatehouse, telling of its history. Historians have recently suggested that this plaque may have been erected after a grain-related incident involving local peasant Benjamin Kirkham that later resulted in his expulsion from the town. These plaques also appear on many other buildings in the town which hold historical significance.
or 'llan', founded in the 5th century by Saint Illtud
as a centre of learning. Saint David
, Saint Samson
, Saint Paul Aurelian
, Saint Gildas
, Saint Tudwal
, Saint Baglan and king Maelgwn Gwynedd are said to have studied at the Cor Tewdws
, the divinity school. It has often been called "the oldest university in the world". The present church on the site largely dates from the 13th and 15th centuries and contains interesting medieval
wall paintings and a fine reredos. There are also a number of important early Christian sculptured stones
, three with inscriptions. One is the memorial to King Rhys ap Arthfael of Morgannwg who died in the mid-9th century. Another may date from Saint Samson's time. St. Illtyd's church thus predates the Age of the Saints in early Welsh Christianity and thus by its very existence provides evidence of continuity with sub-Roman Christianity .
, is the secondary school
in the town. Immediately adjacent is Llanilltud Fawr primary school, one of three primary schools in Llantwit, the others being Eagleswell primary school and St. Illtyd's primary school. The school has roughly 1300 pupils with around 85 full time Staff.
There are also six pubs and four restaurant
s in the town. Of the pubs, three virtually surround the town's War Memorial
, being in plain view of each other.
Llantwit Major railway station
on the Vale of Glamorgan Line
was re-opened in June 2005.
's novel 'Welcome Death' (1954). Some areas of the town have been used in the recording of the recent series of Doctor Who
and The Sarah Jane Adventures
(created by BBC Wales
). The local tearooms were used in the 2007 filming of Y Pris
filmed by and shown on S4C
.
include a medium sized swimming pool
, large and small sports halls, the LifeStyle Fitness Studio, sunbed
facilities, conference room and bar. The Llantwit Major Rugby Football Club
runs 2 senior, 1 youth (U/19) and 8 mini/junior teams and plays in Div 4
of the Welsh Rugby Union
leagues.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, lying on the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
coast. A small stream, the Afon Col-huw
Afon Col-huw
The Afon Col-huw is a very short river in Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales....
, runs through the town.
Local government
The town is governed by the Llantwit Major town councilTown council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
consisting of fifteen councillors. The current Mayor is Cllr Ralph Austin. It also comes under the administration of the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
. Llantwit Major is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Le Pouliguen
Le Pouliguen
Le Pouliguen is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*La Baule – Presqu’île de Guérande*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique departmentIt is twinned with a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales called Llantwit Major....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Notable buildings
Llantwit Major Roman Villa
The Llantwit Major Roman Villa was a Roman L-shaped courtyard villa located at what is now Caermead, immediately north of the town of Llantwit Major in the Welsh county of South Glamorgan....
at Caermead which remains as faint earthworks in a field, the 13th century parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St Illtud
Illtud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
and a 15th century town hall. The once mint (coin)
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
for the town is now an attractive (once thatched) 15th century public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, called the Old Swan Inn, in the centre of the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
. Also, at Hill Head, near St. Illtud's Church, lies a 13th century dovecote next to the site of the old tythe barn built for the monks at the, once St. Illtud's, monastery. Another site on Hill Head is the (13th century) gatehouse
Gatehouse
A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance.-History:...
, now belonging to St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major
St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major
St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major, is one of the oldest and best-known parish churches in Wales.The name of the town is an English corruption of the Welsh name Llanilltud Fawr , and on this site Saint Illtud is believed to have founded a teaching monastery or 'llan' during the 6th century.The...
. There is a plaque on the gatehouse, telling of its history. Historians have recently suggested that this plaque may have been erected after a grain-related incident involving local peasant Benjamin Kirkham that later resulted in his expulsion from the town. These plaques also appear on many other buildings in the town which hold historical significance.
St Illtyd's Church and monastery
The town grew up around a monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
or 'llan', founded in the 5th century by Saint Illtud
Illtud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
as a centre of learning. Saint David
Saint David
Saint David was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century; he was later regarded as a saint and as the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is still uncertain, as suggestions range from 462 to...
, Saint Samson
Samson of Dol
Saint Samson of Dol was a Christian religious figure who is counted among the seven founder saints of Brittany. Born in southern Wales, he died in Dol-de-Bretagne, a small town in north Brittany.-Life:...
, Saint Paul Aurelian
Paul Aurelian
Paul Aurelian is a 6th century Welsh saint, who became one of the seven founder saints of Brittany....
, Saint Gildas
Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
, Saint Tudwal
Saint Tudwal
Saint Tudwal was a Breton monk. He is considered one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Tudwal was said to be a son of Hoel Mawr . Tudwal travelled to Ireland to learn the scriptures, then became a hermit on what is now called Saint Tudwal's Island East off North Wales...
, Saint Baglan and king Maelgwn Gwynedd are said to have studied at the Cor Tewdws
Cor Tewdws
Cor Tewdws or Bangor Tewdws was a monastery and school in what is now Llantwit Major, Glamorgan, Wales. It was reputedly burnt down in AD 446 before being refounded by St Illtyd in AD 508 and flourished into the 13th Century during the Middle Ages...
, the divinity school. It has often been called "the oldest university in the world". The present church on the site largely dates from the 13th and 15th centuries and contains interesting medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
wall paintings and a fine reredos. There are also a number of important early Christian sculptured stones
Sculptured stones
Sculptured stones is a name applied to commemorative monuments of early Christian date found in various parts of the British Isles and Scandinavia....
, three with inscriptions. One is the memorial to King Rhys ap Arthfael of Morgannwg who died in the mid-9th century. Another may date from Saint Samson's time. St. Illtyd's church thus predates the Age of the Saints in early Welsh Christianity and thus by its very existence provides evidence of continuity with sub-Roman Christianity .
Amenities
Llantwit Major School, formerly known as Llanilltud Fawr Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, is the secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the town. Immediately adjacent is Llanilltud Fawr primary school, one of three primary schools in Llantwit, the others being Eagleswell primary school and St. Illtyd's primary school. The school has roughly 1300 pupils with around 85 full time Staff.
There are also six pubs and four restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s in the town. Of the pubs, three virtually surround the town's War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
, being in plain view of each other.
Llantwit Major railway station
Llantwit Major railway station
Llantwit Major railway station serves the small town of Llantwit Major in South Wales. It is located on the Vale of Glamorgan Line, 29 km west of Cardiff Central towards Bridgend via Barry and Rhoose...
on the Vale of Glamorgan Line
Vale of Glamorgan Line
The Vale of Glamorgan Line is a commuter railway line in South Wales from Cardiff to Bridgend via Barry, Rhoose and Llantwit Major. There are also branch lines to Penarth and Barry Island. As its names suggests, the line runs through the Vale of Glamorgan....
was re-opened in June 2005.
Cultural references
The town is fictionally portrayed in the late Glyn DanielGlyn Daniel
Glyn Edmund Daniel was a Welsh scientist and archaeologist whose academic career at Cambridge University specialised in the European Neolithic period. He edited the academic journal Antiquity from 1958–1985...
's novel 'Welcome Death' (1954). Some areas of the town have been used in the recording of the recent series of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
(created by BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
). The local tearooms were used in the 2007 filming of Y Pris
Y Pris
Y Pris is a popular Welsh language television programme produced by Fiction Factory for Welsh public service television station S4C. Described in its tagline as "The Sopranos by the seaside"...
filmed by and shown on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
.
Sport and leisure
Facilities at the Llantwit Major leisure centreLeisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
include a medium sized swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, large and small sports halls, the LifeStyle Fitness Studio, sunbed
Sunbed
A sunbed , tanning bed or sun tanning bed is a device which emits ultraviolet radiation to produce a cosmetic tan. Regular tanning beds use several fluorescent lamps that have phosphor blends designed to emit UV in a spectrum that is somewhat similar to the sun...
facilities, conference room and bar. The Llantwit Major Rugby Football Club
Llantwit Major RFC
Llantwit Major Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Llantwit Major in Wales. Llantwit Major RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues....
runs 2 senior, 1 youth (U/19) and 8 mini/junior teams and plays in Div 4
WRU Division Four South East
The Welsh Rugby Union Division Four South East is a rugby union league in Wales.-Competition:There are 12 clubs in the WRU Division Three South East...
of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
leagues.
Notable residents
- Theophilus RedwoodTheophilus RedwoodTheophilus Redwood was a Welsh pharmacist who was one of the founding members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. He was born in Boverton, Llantwit Major....
1806 - 1892 - Daniel HopkinDaniel HopkinMajor Daniel Hopkin MC was a British soldier, barrister and Labour Party politician.-Early life:Hopkin was born in Llantwit Major in South Wales, the son of a farm labourer who died in 1893 when Daniel was seven...
MC (1886–1951), Labour MP born in Llantwit Major - Dafydd HewittDafydd HewittDafydd Hewitt is a Welsh rugby union player. A centre, he currently plays his club rugby for Cardiff Blues. He was selected for the Wales national rugby union team squad in 2007. Hewitt captained Wales Under 21's at the 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship. Hewitt's brother Rhys plays at hooker...
1985–Present, Cardiff BluesCardiff BluesCardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
Rugby Player