Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major is a small coastal town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, resting on the Bristol Channel shoreline. It is one of 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 arrived at the region from Brittany, Gaul. He established the monastery of Illtud and the college connected to it, Cor Tewdws, which would emerge as among the most esteemed Christian colleges of the times. At peak it brought in over 2000 students, including princes and several distinguished clergymen, some now revered as saints. The modern-day town of Llantwit established rapidly in the 20th century to accommodate Royal Air Force personnel from the base constructed at close-by St Athan, however it preserves its medieval cobbled streets and structures of the 15th and 16th centuries. Collugh Beach is a popular surfing location and has the remnants of an Iron Age fort and some 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 stretches from Gileston in the east to Newton Point beyond Southerndown in the west. Llantwit Major is mostly dependent on regional retail and earnings from more afield. The majority of the residents commute to work elsewhere, particularly Cardiff or Bridgend. Through the summer season tourism is essential to the town which has "The Precinct", Rainbow Plaza and numerous 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 of your home makeovers, make certain to identify reliable specialists in Llantwit Major to make certain of quality.