Llantwit Major Beach

As you move towards the older village of Llantwit Major down Boverton Road, just before you get to the Town Hall another narrow, single-track road on the left is signposted, "Beach". You can walk or drive down this narrow road for around a mile or so through a valley of fields that is used for camping, and eventually you will come to a car park car park with a café and other facilities.  Straight ahead then lies the beach on the Bristol Channel and on a clear day, the coastline of Somerset is visible.

Llantwit Major beach is not one of those beaches with long stretches of sand. There is some sand there, but it mostly consists pebbles and rock pools that most children love to play in.  To each side are high cliffs that are the habitat of many nesting birds and wild plant life.    

This coastline is part of the Glamorganshire Heritage Coast that begins in Aberthaw in the East and stretches to Porthcawl in the West. Llantwit Beach with its high cliffs and large foreshore, is one of the best beaches in Wales for fossil hunters and due to frequent rock-falls, there is always ample opportunity to excavate new fossils.  Jurassic fossils such as giant gastropods, bivalves and brachiopods are to be found.  But for those interested in more detail regarding fossils in Wales check out this article on Wales on Line   
Please note: Great care need to be taken when searching for fossils that one does not venture near to the base of the cliff face as the cliffs are quite dangerous, and there have been many rock-falls in the area. 

Llantwit Major Beach also attracts surfers as there are some good breakers here over the reefs, but it is more suitable for the experienced surfer and not a good place for the novice surfer or swimmers due to riptides and currents that can occur.

For the rambler, there is also access to the cliff top paths up a steep but stepped path and then a long walk along the Glamorgan Heritage coastline in Easterly and Westerly directions from Llantwit Major with some spectacular views over the bay and surrounding coastlines. 

It is strongly recommended that visitors stay to the paths provided as the cliffs in the area tend to be prone to rockfalls on to the coast hundreds of feet below. 

Survey Craft off Llantwit Beach	Sandy Part of Llantwit Beach

Further Posts/Articles relating to Vale of Glamorgan, Wales - see archive list in right hand column or Vale of Glamorgan Page ..  Please feel free leave comments.