Visit Cowbridge Places

Welcome to Visit Cowbridge Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Cowbridge

  

Cowbridge Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Cowbridge

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Cowbridge history

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Roman times

The town lies on the site of a Roman settlement identified by some scholars as the fort of Bovium (cow-place) Recent excavations have revealed extensive Roman settlement.

Middle Ages

Cowbridge is one of very few medieval walled towns in Wales. On 13 March 1254, it received its first borough charter from Richard de Clare, the Lord of Glamorgan. The town centre is arranged on its medieval plan, with one long street divided into “burgage plots”

Georgian times

Iolo Morganwg, inventor of present-day rituals of National Eisteddfod of Wales, kept a bookshop in the High Street. He held the first meeting of the Gorsedd, an assembly of bards, in 1795. Cowbridge Grammar School was founded in 1608 and had close links with Jesus College, Oxford.

Notable buildings

Cowbridge Town Hall served as a prison until 1830, when it was converted into a town hall. The conversion was completed in 1830 by Isaiah Verity of Ash Hall who in gratitude was made a Freeman of Cowbridge. The main street contains a number of Georgian houses, including the former town houses of important local families such as the Edmondes and Carnes.

Modern times

Cowbridge was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017. The town once had a railway station, which opened in 1865 and closed in 1951. The Bear Hotel, the Horse and Groom, the Edmondes Arms, the Duke of Wellington and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Cowbridge etymology

The town is first recorded as Pontyfon, (with mon or fon meaning cow in Old Welsh), and as. Pontyfuwch (bridge of the cow in modern Welsh) by 1645. The modern Welsh name, Y Bont-faen, translates as ‘the stone bridge’

You can visit Cowbridge places with Walkfo Cowbridge to hear history at Cowbridge’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Cowbridge has 40 places to visit in our interactive Cowbridge map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Cowbridge, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Cowbridge places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Cowbridge & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 40 audio facts unique to Cowbridge places in an interactive Cowbridge map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Cowbridge Places Map
40 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Cowbridge historic spots	Cowbridge tourist destinations	Cowbridge plaques	Cowbridge geographic features
Walkfo Cowbridge tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Cowbridge

  

Best Cowbridge places to visit

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Cowbridge has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Cowbridge’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Cowbridge’s information audio spots:

St Donat’s Church, Welsh St Donats Records of 1180 describe the church as a chapel confirmed to the Abbey of Tewkesbury. By 1563 it was known to have served as a parish church for the community. By 1764 it received a stipend from Queen Anne’s Bounty and was described as a curacy.

Church of the Holy Cross, Cowbridge The Church of the Holy Cross is a medieval church in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Believed to have been built in the 13th century, the church has an unusual tower design. It was listed as a Grade I building on 12 May 1963.

Cowbridge town wall Cowbridge town wall is a Grade II*-listed medieval wall in the small market town of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The walls were built by about 1300 and are believed to have been used to collect tolls from the town’s market, held twice-weekly.

Church of St John the Baptist, Llanblethian The Church of St John the Baptist is a medieval church in Llanblethian in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Believed to have been built in the 12th century, the church boasts an unusual tower. It underwent extensive restoration in the late 19th century.

St Hilary’s Church, St Hilary (Vale of Glamorgan) The Parish Church of St Hilary (Welsh: Eglwys Sant Ilar) is a Grade II* listed Anglican church in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. It is one of 11 churches in the Parish of Cowbridge.

Old Beaupre Castle Old Beaupre Castle (Welsh: Hen Gastell y Bewpyr) is a ruined medieval fortified manor house in Llanfair, outside Cowbridge in Wales. It is a Grade I listed building and is presently under the care of Cadw.

Llanmihangel Place Llanmihangel Place is a Grade I listed manor house in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. The house dates back to the 12th century, when it was constructed as a single-storey dwelling.

Llandough Castle Llandough Castle is a 14th-century tower house located in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It was assigned Grade II* listed building status in 1981. It is currently a private residence.

Visit Cowbridge plaques