Llantwit Major is a small coastal town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the Bristol Channel coast. 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, stemmed from the name of Saint Illtud, who came to the area from Brittany, Gaul. He established the monastery of Illtud and the college connected to it, Cor Tewdws, which would turn into one of the most prestigious Christian schools of the times. At peak it drew in over 2000 students, including princes and multiple noteworthy clergymen, some now revered as saints. The current town of Llantwit established quickly in the 20th century to accommodate Royal Air Force personnel from the base constructed at close-by St Athan, but it keeps its medieval cobbled streets and structures of the 15th and 16th centuries. Collugh Beach is a popular surfing site 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 impressive 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 mostly reliant on regional retail and incomes from additional afield. The bulk of the occupants commute to work elsewhere, especially Cardiff or Bridgend. During the summer months tourism is essential to the town which has "The Precinct", Rainbow Plaza and many bars 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 trusted experts in Llantwit Major to make certain of quality.