Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major is a modest seaside town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, resting on the Bristol Channel shore. It is among 4 towns in the Vale of Glamorgan and the 3rd largest by population (13,366 (2001) after Barry and Penarth. The town's name in Welsh, Llanilltud Fawr, is derived from the name of Saint Illtud, who came to the region from Brittany, Gaul. He established the abbey of Illtud and the college linked to it, Cor Tewdws, which would turn into one of the most renowned Christian colleges of the times. At peak it pulled in over 2000 students, featuring princes and various noteworthy clergymen, some now revered as saints. The modern-day town of Llantwit developed rapidly in the 20th century to accommodate Royal Air Force personnel from the base established at nearby St Athan, but it preserves its medieval cobbled streets and buildings of the 15th and 16th centuries. Collugh Beach is a popular surfing venue and has the remnants of an Iron Age fort and a few of the finest examples of Jurassic-period fossils in Wales. The pebble beach and its remarkable clifftops are part of a 14 miles (23 km)-long coastline protected under the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, which extends from Gileston in the east to Newton Point beyond Southerndown in the west. Llantwit Major is largely reliant on local retail and earnings from additional afield. Most of the inhabitants commute to work elsewhere, primarily Cardiff or Bridgend. Through the summer months tourism is essential to the town which has "The Precinct", Rainbow Plaza and several bars 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. For all your home enhancements, make certain to identify credible contractors in Llantwit Major to make certain of quality.
