Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major is a small seaside town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, resting on the Bristol Channel shore. It is among four towns in the Vale of Glamorgan and the 3rd greatest by population (13,366 (2001) after Barry and Penarth. The town's name in Welsh, Llanilltud Fawr, originated from the name of Saint Illtud, who came to the region from Brittany, Gaul. He founded the abbey of Illtud and the college connected to it, Cor Tewdws, which would come to be among the most well-regarded Christian colleges of the times. At peak it brought in over 2000 students, including princes and many prominent clergymen, some now revered as saints. The contemporary town of Llantwit developed rather quickly in the 20th century to accommodate Royal Air Force workers from the base constructed at close-by St Athan, however it holds on to its medieval cobbled streets and structures of the 15th and 16th centuries. Collugh Beach is a popular surfing destination 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 dramatic clifftops are part of a 14 miles (23 kilometre)-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 largely reliant on local retail and revenues from further afield. Most of the inhabitants commute to work elsewhere, primarily Cardiff or Bridgend. Throughout the summer season tourism is necessary to the town which has "The Precinct", Rainbow Plaza and a number of clubs and eateries. 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 refurbishments, make sure to identify credible experts in Llantwit Major to make certain of quality.