About the area
The Vale has a dramatic coastline, a quiet countryside and delightful towns to explore.
The Glamorgan Heritage Coast has castles, geology and great beach stops. Barry island is home to “Gavin and Stacey”, and you can join a tour of the film sets, whilst Penarth has its pier and promenade as well as the Victorian shopping area. In land, the town of Cowbridge is a wonderful market town.
The rolling landscape has some surprises to offer; there are three vineyards that you can visit and take a tour, as well as a tea plantation! There is also a castle where you can create your own gin – Hensol Castle.
Fascinating Facts
Location
Places in
Vale of Glamorgan
Barry Island is a traditional seaside resort, famed as the home of Gavin & Stacey. It was an island until 1870 when the expansion of Barry and the development of Barry Docks linked the island to the mainland.
Cowbridge is a market town that lies alongside the west/east Roman road. The town centre retains its medieval plan; one long street divided into burgage plots (house on a narrow plot of land running away from the road). The main street is filled with individual shops and eateries, and there is a museum and Physic Garden to visit.
Llantwit Major has a long history as a Chrisian centre with a monastery and college which had over 2000 students at it’s peak. St. Illtyd’s Church, near the monastery, is one of Wales’s oldest parish churches. The nearby beach is a popular surfing venue and part of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
Penarth is a seaside resort, which during the Victorian era was promoted as “The Garden by the Sea”. There is a traditional promenade and pier, which was restored in 2013, that face onto the Severn, and a harbour area that is within Cardiff Bay. The town, which is on the hill retains Victorian and Edwardian architecture and has lots of individual shops and eateries