Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major is a small coastal town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, resting on the Bristol Channel coast. 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, stemmed 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 one of the most renowned Christian schools of the times. At peak it drew in over 2000 students, including princes and numerous prominent clergymen, some now revered as saints. The contemporary town of Llantwit developed swiftly in the 20th century to accommodate Royal Air Force personnel from the base built at nearby St Athan, but 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 safeguarded under the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, which extends from Gileston in the east to Newton Point beyond Southerndown in the west. Llantwit Major is mainly dependent on local retail and earnings from further afield. Most of the inhabitants commute to work elsewhere, especially Cardiff or Bridgend. Through the summer season tourism is very important to the town which has "The Precinct", Rainbow Plaza and multiple 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 renovations, make certain to identify respected experts in Llantwit Major to make certain of quality.