Celtic stones and Jurassic cliffs
Llantwit Major
A compact old centre of historic inns and independent shops, with St Illtyd's carved stones inland and the Glamorgan Heritage Coast below the wooded Colhuw valley.
- Best for
- Celtic church history and the Heritage Coast
- Give it
- A day for the old centre and Cwm Colhuw
- Don't miss
- The carved stones in the Galilee Chapel
Photo: John Lord · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped
The Fox verdict
Ancient learning above a rugged coast
Llantwit Major brings a remarkable medieval church, a surviving triangle of old inns and a wooded route to the Bristol Channel into one town.
Start with the Celtic crosses and stones at St Illtyd's, choose among the historic pubs around the square, then follow the Colhuw valley to rock pools, sand and near-vertical Jurassic cliffs. Nearby Nash Point and Dunraven Bay extend the Heritage Coast experience.
Where to go
Places in Llantwit Major
Every place below is checked against a published source, listed with what it is and how long to give it.
Local signatures
3 placesThe Old White Hart Inn
A historic town-centre pub with a large enclosed rear beer garden and a range of real ales.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 75 minutes
- Locality
- facing in towards the town square
Cwm Colhuw Beach
The town's beach has rock pools, sand, surfing and rugged cliffs, with a nature reserve that is home to the Small Blue Butterfly.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 120 minutes
- Locality
- down the Col-huw river at the town's beach
- Access
- Dogs are not allowed from May to the end of September.
Dunraven Bay
A picturesque Heritage Coast beach for fossil hunting and clifftop walks, with the ruins of Dunraven Castle.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 120 minutes
- Locality
- Dunraven Bay / Southerndown Beach
Food & drink
3 places
The Old Swan Inn
A Grade II* listed former townhouse dating from the 16th to early 17th century, with stone-mullioned windows, cobbled setts and a historic fireplace; it now houses a pub and restaurant.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 75 minutes
- Locality
- on Church Street, near St Illtyd's Church and opposite the town hall
Tudor Tavern
A Grade II-listed former house that became a pub in the 1840s and was previously called the Globe Inn; its lower section is thought to date from the late 16th or early 17th century.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 60 minutes
- Locality
- facing in towards the town square
Farmers Pantry Butchers
The East Street butcher's shop sells meat sourced in part through its sister business, Rosedew Farm, alongside produce from other suppliers.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 20 minutes
- Locality
- at Barons Close House, 5 East Street, Llantwit Major
History & heritage
2 placesSt Illtyd's Church
A Grade I-listed church built as two churches end to end, with the Galilee Chapel displaying Celtic crosses and stones including the Houelt Cross, Samson Cross and Samson Pillar.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 60 minutes
- Locality
- Llantwit Major
Nash Point Lighthouse
A striking clifftop lighthouse in service for almost 200 years and one of the UK's last manned lighthouses to become automatic.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- west along the coast
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Three ways to explore Llantwit Major
Signature outings
A medieval roof and wall painting
Look up at the West Church's 15th-century timber roof, then find the medieval St Christopher wall painting in the East Church.
A meal at the Old Swan
Pause outside for the mullioned windows and cobbled setts of this 16th-century townhouse, then head in for a meal.
Nash Point's clifftop landmark
Take in the cliff views beside Nash Point Lighthouse, then stop for refreshments at the nearby café.
The town story
From Celtic Stones to the Glamorgan Heritage Coast
Historic inns, Celtic learning and a wooded valley leading to the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
The inns around the square
Three historic pubs form a triangle facing Llantwit Major's old square: the Old Swan Inn, the Old White Hart and the Tudor Tavern. St Illtyd's Church lies a short walk below the square, with the Town Hall nearby.
The first is a Grade II* listed townhouse dating from the 16th to early 17th century, with mullioned stone windows and cobbled frontage worth seeing before a meal. The second has an enclosed rear beer garden; the third was once the Globe Inn and became a pub in the 1840s.
Farm provisions and Celtic stones
For provisions, find Farmers Pantry Butchers at Barons Close House, 5 East Street. The shop works with sister business Rosedew Farm to source some of its beef and lamb.
St Illtyd's Church developed as a West Church and an East Church, with the restored Galilee Chapel now housing its early medieval carved stones. Look for the Houelt and Samson crosses, the West Church's 15th-century timber roof and a medieval painting of St Christopher. The church grew on a site long associated with St Illtud's monastic school.
Down the Colhuw valley
Follow the Col-huw valley from the old centre to Cwm Colhuw Beach, where the Wales Coast Path meets sand, rock pools and cliffs. The area is home to the Small Blue butterfly. For a longer outing, continue along the coast path towards Nash Point Lighthouse.
Rail, recreation and the Blood & Blacks
Llantwit Major has a railway station. On Boverton Road, the town's recreation ground has rugby pitches, tennis courts, a bowling green and play areas.
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A guide with a point of view
Written from research. Edited for real journeys.
Use the Official site links for live practical details, then use this guide for context, ideas and room to explore.
Photography credits & licences
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- File:Old Swan Inn, Llantwit Major - geograph.org.uk - 5079731.jpg — photograph by John Lord; Old Swan Inn, Llantwit Major by John Lord. Source record on Wikimedia Commons. Declared source image. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0. File changes: Downloaded from Wikimedia Commons, resized to a maximum 1920px edge and encoded as an optimised JPEG. Display changes: Displayed with responsive CSS cropping.
Sources
Every place on this page is checked against a published source. Each entry links the record we used and names who publishes it.
- St Illtyd's Church — cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net other published source
- The Old Swan Inn — cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net other published source
- The Old White Hart Inn — oldwhitehart.uk operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Tudor Tavern — camra.org.uk operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Farmers Pantry Butchers — farmerspantry.shop operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Cwm Colhuw Beach — visitwales.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Nash Point Lighthouse — trinityhouse.co.uk other published source
- Dunraven Bay — valeofglamorgan.gov.uk statutory register or public authority