About
Cowbridge & The Rural Vale
Charm and culture in Cowbridge and the rural Vale.
A drive down Primrose Hill is the perfect welcome to Cowbridge, a 13th century market town, often highlighted as one of Wales' most desirable places to live. A charming welcome awaits from this ancient town, and the surrounding Vale, and a great way to discover Cowbridge's history is to follow the Blue Plaque Trail.
Wonderful places to stay and dine, offering amazing local foods and beverages from the growing number of independent Vale producers, makes Cowbridge a great choice as a base for exploring. Come and stay for a week or a weekend. It's just 12 miles from the capital by car or bus.
There's a honeycomb of hidden gems to discover in alleyways and arcades off Eastgate and High Street. Hand-crafted jewellery, beautiful art, to die for confectionery, haute couture, and traditional and chic-modern clothes shops. Maybe you'll pick up a bargain in an antique shop, or even a Louis Viutton scarf from one of the choice charity shops.
Continue Reading
Markets, revelry and festivals...
Every Saturday, 9am til 1pm, is Cowbridge Farmers' Market, selling tasty and fresh local produce, and in the spring, the now famous Cowbridge Food and Drinks Festival, an annual celebration of the local and not quite so local independent food and beverage producers.
Throughout the year, a variety of friendly and warm hostelries tempt you in with ales and spirits, traditional meals and tapas, and co*cktails and conversation. Upstairs at Bont Gin Bar, one of the stops on the popular Vale Gin Train, you can go to Gin School, and distil and bottle a unique blend of your own.
In the autumn, you can tap your feet, sway along, and let the music flow through you, as the Cowbridge Music Festival sees, or should that be hears, a mix of jazz, folk and classical, celebrated and enjoyed live, in some of the great venues around town.
A peaceful break from it all...
To take a step back and bring yourself back down to earth a little, helping to sooth away any worries, perhaps with a quiet outdoor snack after a little retail therapy, and you can breathe in the tranquillity of the accessible Cowbridge Physic Garden and Old Hall gardens.
The RHS award-winning Physic Garden, is a peaceful haven and a reassuring place to unwind, surrounded by traditional healing plants and herbs, and plants used for cooking and colour-dyeing. A fascinating and calming oasis from life's bustle.
Ancient market town...
Just a handful of medieval, walled towns survive in Wales, and with substantial parts of the wall and the south gate still standing, 13th century Cowbridge is full of history.
The centre remains almost entirely on the original medieval town plan, and in the 18th century, antiquary, Iolo Morganwg, creator of the rituals of the Welsh National Eisteddfod, once had a bookshop in High Street, now marked with a plaque. “Y Gwir yn erbyn y Byd” it reads...”Truth against the world”.
Llanblethian...
Cowbridge's partner in charm continues that fresh, independent and natural feel that flows from the Vale.
Tour the village's Glyndwr Vineyard, for a wine tasting experience in the oldest vineyard in Wales, sampling award-winning fine wines. Llanblethian Orchards produce craft cider and perry made with 100% fresh juice. And St Quentin's Castle sits in quaint and peaceful surroundings.
Things to do in the rural Vale...
Warren Mill Farm Park. 99.9% of anyone, who has visited this absolute delight of a hidden gem, will tell you what a genuinely lovely visit it is. Children adore it. Adults adore it. Adorable animals, adorable views, and Prairie Dogs too! Very real. Very Vale. A single lane approach, so drive carefully, and you'll need cash, not card, but we don't think you'll regret it. Simply adorable.
National Trust Lanlay Hiking. A surprisingly unspoiled area, not far from the city, largely untouched by the modern day, and doggy friendly to boot. So tighten your laces, pack a lunch, and enjoy this wildlife haven, with meadow hiking to fill your lungs with good, country air.
Hensol Castle Distillery, is set in a gorgeous 17th century castle and grounds. Gin lovers can enjoy a distillery tour and tasting experience, or a co*cktail master class, or even distil your very own blend and bottle of gin. A day out to savour for every gin connoisseur.
Taskforce Paintball and Laser Tag is an altogether more adrenaline-filled experience. The thrill of pursuit in the woods. The exhilaration of out-thinking your adversaries, and that tightness in your gut, that fear, that only comes from knowing that you... could be next...
Don't forget to have a look at Barry and Barry Island, and Penart, and Llantwit Major and the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, and make them all a part of your Vale of Glamorgan experience...
