Llantwit Major in a day: St Illtud's Church, the old square and the Heritage Coast
Llantwit Major is small enough to see on foot in a day, and it packs fifteen centuries of history between its square and the sea.
Morning: the church of St Illtud
Start at St Illtud's Church, a Grade I listed building that grew from a Norman church on a site linked by tradition to the monastery Illtud founded around 500 AD. In the churchyard, look for the three scheduled monuments: the chantry priest's house, the cross and the footbridge.
Midday: the square and the Town Hall
Walk up to the market square. The Town Hall, built around 1490 under Jasper Tudor to collect rents and hold the weekly market, is listed Grade II*. The square is lined with old inns, the Old White Hart among them, so it is the natural place to stop for lunch.
Afternoon: Col-huw beach
Follow the lane down to Col-huw (Colhugh), a pebble beach whose cliffs are part of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, one of Britain's first designated heritage coastlines. The headland carries the remains of an Iron Age fort, the rocks are known for Jurassic fossils, and the valley shelters rare species such as the small blue butterfly. Check tide times before walking under the cliffs.
Sources
- St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major (listing details from Cadw, record 13259)
- Llantwit Major Town Hall
- Llantwit Major (Col-huw and the Heritage Coast)
- Llantwit Major History Society