Tinkinswood and St. Lythan Neolithic Burial Chambers

Around 6-7 miles west of Cardiff, in the Vale of Glamorgan, down a quiet country lane off the A48 trunk road, are two ancient burial chambers from the Neolithic Age. To get there, get on the A48 west of Cardiff and follow the signs for Dyffryn House once in the village of St. Nicholas. Go about a mile down that road past the entrance to Dyffryn House and a sign will appear in a lay-by on the right-hand side of the road indicating Tinkinswood Burial Chambers. And finally, to get to the site, you then need to walk cross a stile and walk across two fields.

Although not a large attraction it is another of the places to visit in Wales that I would recommend that takes you off the beaten track.

Tinkinswood

Tinkinswood Burial Chamber
A pillar has been inserted to support the heavy capstone

Tinkinswood is a burial chamber that was constructed about 6000 years ago and during an excavation in 1914, the chamber was found to contain the remains of 50 people together with earthenware and stone tools from the Neolithic age.  It is believed to have been attached to the village of Tinkinswood. The soil in this area is highly fertile and there are many rocks lying around that would have been ideal for tool-making, so it is understandable why Neolithic man would have settled here.

What caught my imagination was the size of the capstone. Weighing in around 40 tons and measuring 7.3 X 4.4 metres (24 X 14ft ), I had an image of how the stone must have been put into place with hundreds of men pulling and lifting, and perhaps levering it into place.  And what is more surprising is that this dolmen, as such burial chambers are known, predates Stonehenge by around 1000 years.

Situated within a courtyard, originally the chamber would have been covered by an earth mound, but over the years this has disappeared. 

And we have a legend... some sort of curse that may be attached to the place. It is said, that if anybody spends the night at this site

Tinkinswood Burial Chamber
North View

on the evenings leading up to May Day, St John's Day or mid-winter's day, they will either go insane or be transformed into a poet!  And... another curse may have been even more potent at one time. A  group of boulders nearby are said to be three women who were turned into stone for dancing on the Sabbath. So
perhaps there was a Welsh relative of Medusa at Linkswood!

St. Lythan's Burial Chamber

Known as Gwal-y-Filiast, St Lythan's Burial chamber lies about a mile further down the lane from Tinkinswood. This is not quite such a large site and there is just one single stone chamber remaining from what was once a much larger structure.

St. Lytham's Burial Chamber
V ale of Glamorgan

St. Lythan's is also around 6000 years old and was also covered by an earth mound.  It's size has been estimated to be around 24 X 11 metres (80 X 30ft).  The capstone here is still quite a size, but smaller than Tinkinswood weighing in at a mere 35 tons, but it still would have needed many men to place this in position. 

Human remains and pottery were discovered here during the mid to late 1800s.

So there you have it. I have visited both sites, and would highly recommend taking just a few hours to check them out. If you have a sensitivity to atmospheres and auras of ancient places, you won't be disappointed

Boverton Village & Castle

Boverton Castle Boverton Castle (Manor House)

Boverton Village, near Llantwit Major, has stood since the time of William the Conqueror (1028-1087).  The main point of interest these days is the ruins of Boverton Manor also known as Boverton Castle, that was built by Robert Fitzhamon, a 12th century Norman conqueror of Glamorganshire in South Wales.

Boverton Manor House
Overlooking
Boverton Village Square

During the reign or Richard 1st the manor house was owned by the Earl of Gloucester.  His daughter Hadwisa went on to marry Prince John and it is rumoured that this union lead to something quite sinister in the Manor that was witnessed hundreds of years later.

Boverton Manor (left and above)is rumoured to have a ghost called the "Black Lady" who terrified some workmen during the early 19th Century.  The ghost was dressed in black mourning clothes (hence the name Black Lady) and believed to be the restless spirit of Hadwisa, estranged wife of King John.  He had divorced her and banned her to exile in the Manor house.  However, still being in love with him, she lived a sad and pitiful existence there for the rest of her days, and it was her forlorn appearance made itself known to the workmen along with the sound of her mournful sobs.

It was later rebuilt in the 17th Century as a fortified manor house by Roger Seys who was the attorney general of Wales, but then fell into decay.

Boverton Manor is currently fenced off and can only be seen from the road outside, but it is well worth just standing there and soaking up some of its history. There have been no reported sightings of a ghost there in recent years, but that's not to say that the Black Lady won't appear again.

See also Ghost of Llantwit Major

Further Posts/Articles relating to Vale of Glamorgan, Wales - see archive list in right hand column or Vale of Glamorgan Page also linked at top of page

Ogmore Castle, Vale of Glamorgan.

Ogmore Castle is situated in St. Bride's Major, Vale of Glamorgan on the east bank of the River Ogmore and south of the River Ewenny.  The castle stands at what was once a strategic position to protect the towns of Bridgend and Coity situated further inland to the north and east. 

What was originally a timber fortification, Ogmore Castle was later

Old Fire Hearth, Ogmore Castle.

reinforced by stone and when looking up inside the Great Hall, the remains of the upper first floor can be seen with a large and ornate fireplace and arched windows.

The Castle is thought to date back to before the Norman Invasion but was given to William de Londres by Robert Fitzhamon who was the Norman conqueror of Glamorgan.

In 1116, whilst William was away, his butler Arnold successfully defended the Castle against a Welsh invasion, and was later knighted, Sir Arnold Butler and given Ogmore Castle along with the nearby Dunraven Manor as a reward for his bravery.

Ogmore Castle Main Entrance
(from inside the grounds)

I find that old castles are amongst my favourite places to visit in Wales, having visited many of them in my youth both alone and on our school outings. Ogmore Castle, whilst not huge, certainly captures the imagination. The tranquil peace of the area where it is situated, plays on the imagination and I can often "hear" the battles that seem to echo

Ogmore Castle, Main Entrance

around ancient walls and ruined battlements,  now silenced by the passing of the centuries.  Ogmore Castle has free admission and whilst not a large structure to explore it is a great place to visit for a picnic or to play games with the kids hopping across on the River Ogmore on the stepping stones adjacent to the Castle

The Ghost of Ogmore Castle
The legend goes that a local man once accosted the White Lady - the ghost of Lady Ogmore - demanding that she give him some gold that he knew she had hidden in the castle.  She led him upstairs into the one of the towers and beckoned him to raise a large stone slab from the floor.  There under the slab, was a container full of golden guineas. She told him that he could take half but leave the other half for her.  He accepted her offer and left with his windfall. Later on though, he was overcome by greed and couldn't see why he should not have the entire fortune. After all, what would a ghost do with such a worldly fortune anyway? So he returned to the castle get it.  As he was about to take the money, the ghost caught him in the act. He tried to talk his way out of it, saying that she was mistaken and that he was only checking on it.  But the White Lady knew that theft was in his heart and set about him, slashing deeply into his flesh with her talons.  He left Ogmore Castle bruised, bloodied and badly injured but made it home. There was a lot of questioning as to how he got these bruises and he must have confessed to the truth  just before he died of his wounds because his sickness and subsequent death was referred to as the White Lady's Revenge.

Llantwit Major: Ghost Story

Llantwit Major, being one of the most ancient villages in Wales just has to have a ghost story or two.

River Ogmore & Castle Ruins

A tailor in the town had a wife called Barbara who's dying mother-in-law entrusted to her the task of distributing her wealth equally with the rest of the family. However, Barbara's head was turned by the wealth and she decided to say nothing of the inheritance and keep it for herself.  But the ghost of her husband's mother returned to exact vengeance on the woman for her dishonesty. She did this at first by constantly pinching Barbara all over her body whilst she rested in bed each night, completely depriving her of sleep. This continued until Barbara felt very ill and was covered in bruises.  At this point the ghost reappeared and ordered her to either share the money equally with the family, or throw it downstream into the River Ogmore.

Barbara, not wanting to reveal the theft to the family by sharing the wealth at this late date, decided to throw the money into the river, thinking that this would allow her to keep the respect of the family.  However, it seems that she had more trickery in mind and  did not throw it downstream as she had agreed, but upstream. I don't know why she threw it upstream, but it suggests to me that the was trying to trick the ghost and would set about retrieving it later.  But the ghost was obviously not stupid and this didn't work for the hapless Barbara and threw her into a deep whirlpool in the river.  She was found later by some villagers battered and bruised, but with no memory of what had happened.

The ghost returned again and haunted the home that she shared with her innocent husband and children with ghostly bumps and crashes for the rest of their days. The story goes  that even her children were punished. Locals were said to be "ghost ridden"

Site Navigation Page

Places in Wales
 Site Navigation Page

Please click on any links below that captures you interest.... 

Return to Home Page

Brecon Beacons The Brecon Beacons cover 1,344 sq. kms. (approx 519 sq. miles) and is mostly sparsely populated moorland grazed by ponies and sheep and are abundant in wild life, inhabited by foxes, badgers, pole cats, squirrel, and a large variety of birds.. The park is visited by huge numbers of tourists during the summer with pony trekking and hill walking a common sight.For the Railway enthusiast, the Brecon Mountain Railway.  Read more...

Caerphilly Castle  Caerphilly Castle is claimed to be one of the largest Castles in Europe, occupying a ground-space of around 30 acres(12 ha). However it is the second largest castle in Britain. Windsor Castle is the largest.Legend has it that the Castle is plagued by creature called the Gwrach-y-Rhibyn, which I think is a sort of a cross between a banshee and a ghoul. Probably female because she is known as the "night hag!  Read more...

 Cardiff City Cardiff is a very attractive city to the visitor. It is an under-statement to say the architecture is very eye-­catching, with it's Norman Castle and Edwardian civic centre, surrounded by flowering trees and ornate flower beds.The history of Cardiff Castle goes back to the eleventh century. It was built on the site of a derelict Roman fort and many non-Welsh people settled there. This brought about many attacks from the surrounding villages of the native Welsh.  Read more...

Royal Horticultural Show, Cardiff   It is generally in the month of April each year that the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) holds its first Flower Show of the year in Cardiff.What has always impressed me about the RHS Flower Show in Cardiff is the friendliness and freely-given advice by the exhibitors that attend. There are  many stalls that sell plants and flowers of all descriptions.  And the latest garden tools..  Read more...  

Kidwelly Castle  There's something magical about the ancient castle, that for me seemed to come alive with knights, swords and great battles. It is said that Kidwelly is haunted by the headless ghost of Gwenllian and in recent years that have been reports of strange sightings there. The Normans considered Gwenllian Ferch Gruffyd, wife of the Welsh prince, Gruffyd ap Rhys, seriously. Gwenllian and has often referred to a ‘Welsh Boudicca’ who caused the Norman invaders no end of problems. Her life story is fascinating…  Read more...

Swansea City  The name Swansea was derived from the original 'Sweyns-ey' or Sweyn's island. Sweyn it is believed was a Dane (probably a Viking), who built a fort there around 1000 AD in order to carry out his raids around Wales.  An island because it stood on the estuary or the River Tawe - not really an island in the conventional sense. The Welsh name for Swansea is Abertawe. Aber is a Breton word meaning for mouth of a river or estuary. Tawe being the name of the River Tawe.  Swansea has always been popular with tourists being right on the doorstep of the Gower Peninsular, famous for some of the most beautiful coast line in South Wales...  Read more... 

Tintern Abbey  Tintern Abbey is quite an awesome structure and was built in the early 12th century. In 1348 the Black Death visited the area and many of the monks at Tintern perished. The Abbey then stood for a few hundred years until the 16th century when Henry VIII ordered its destruction... There have been reports that Tintern Abbey has its ghosts... Read more

Vale of Glamorgan   The Vale of Glamorgan is at the southern-most tip of South Wales and had a host of places to visit in Wales such as villages, hamlets, historical buildings and sites. The Vale runs from Penarth (nr Cardiff) in the East to Ogmore-By-Sea in the west.   Read more of places to visit in the vale through these links...  Old Beaupré Castle,   Dyffryn House & Gardens,   Llantwit Major,  Llantwit Major Beach,   Ogmore Castle,  Boverton Village & Castle,   Neolithic Tinkinswood & St Lythan Burial Chamber.

Cefn Cribwr Iron Works Ruins In 1770 an industrialist named John Bedford from Birmingham came to South Wales with a dream of creating the greatest iron works in South Wales, and built a blast furnace in Cefn Criwbr, a small village near the town of Bridgend.  The site he purchased was "2 miles in length,  and is now known as Bedford Park which occupies 40 acres  of land...  Read more...

Some Welsh Stories and Legends

Welsh Legends: Merlin & Vortigern  King Vortigern was a warlord that lived in the 5th century AD just after the Romans had left the British Isle to fight invaders back in Europe. It is suggested that he historically existed, but that Votigern was his title rather than his name. What follows in this story has not been proven as historical fact so considered to be a legend of betrayal and sorcery involving the greatest magician ever, Merlin!   Read more...

The Welsh in America (pt.1) We can go back as far as medieval times to find a Welsh connection to America, albeit by a  legend of a Welsh Prince who discovered America. This was claimed to be in the year 1170, some three centuries before Columbus first landed on American shores...   Read more...

 The Welsh in America (pt.2)   Around the end of the 18^th century, one of the first Welsh colonies of Baptists was established in Cambria, Pennsylvania and the Welsh culture and Baptist religion was established there by one Morgan John Rhys, an evangelical Baptist minister from South Wales. The Welsh language was used and adhered to by the inhabitants. Pennsylvania was originally called New Wales, but the King renamed it Pennsylvania – Pen means ‘head’ in Welsh. Cambria is the Latin word for Wales, and was derived from the Welsh word Cymru, also meaning Wales...  Read more... 

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.  

Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan

Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan is a fascinating, and one of the most historically-rich places to visit in South Wales.

With a population of around 14,500, Llantwit Major is a small rural town, but to those who live in the area, it is often referred to as "the village" as its shopping centre consists of just one main street (Boverton Road) but does in fact reveal a surprise for the visitor...

By road, there are several routes from the west, north and east into Llantwit Major. In this article, I will describe the route from the east - that is, you would travel west from Cardiff past Cardiff (Wales) Airport.. and then following the road, through St. Athan and eventually into Llantwit Major via the village of Boverton, and a mile or so along Boverton road and find yourself adjacent to the town shopping centre laid out on the right hand side of the road. You could be forgiven at this point, for thinking that Llantwit Major is a modern town, but if you were to travel a few hundred yards more, the road would narrow and twist and you would enter "old Llantwit" with a much more medieval feel as the buildings you can see there scan back up to 1500 years.

What's in a Name?

In Welsh Llantwit Major becomes Llanilltud. 'Llan" can be translated as "church" and "Illtud" refers to St. Illtud , the name of an early Celtic Monk who arrived from Brittany and established a monastic school for his followers around the 5th Century. The school went on to become famous and gave Llantwit Major the reputation of famous religious centre in the Celtic Church.The church building remains to this day,and is thought to be one of the oldest parish churches in Wales. A must visit, because inside the church with its crooked walls, is to be found ancient stone carvings dating back to its beginnings.

Llantwit Major Town Hall

Llantwit Major Town Hall originates from the 13th Century,but was ransacked by Owen Glyndwrduring his rebellion in the 1400s against the rule of Henry IV of England. But Owen Glyndwr's rebellion was later overthrown by the superior resources of the English. In the 15 century the Town Hall was rebuilt.

In the turret of the Llantwit Town Hall hangs a bell bearing a Latin inscription "Sancte Iltute, ora pro nobis" that translates as "St. Illtud, pray for us"

Throughout its history, the Town Hall has held all sort of events up to modern times when there is a Victorian Fair held in the grounds during the summer months.

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.  

Old Beaupré Castle

Old Beaupré Castle is situated in the Vale of Glamorgan, in the Valley of the River Thaw near the village of St. Hilary, near Cowbridge.

Old Courtyard

Getting to Old Beaupré involves a bit of walking across some fields, but in my opinion it is well worth it. There is a small area to park at the edge of a style that leads across some fields to the building. 

 On our last visit we encountered some young Welsh Black cattle who whilst quite harmless, were very playful and were bounding around us, that unnerved my wife a little.  Fortunately, I grew up around farms and dealt with cattle and just gave a sharp clap of my hands that sent the cattle cavorting in the opposite direction leaping in the air playfully.

If you like old buildings that have a history, then the ruins of this

little publicized old mansion house will be sure to impress with it grand Tudor-styled stonework.  To me, its a peaceful setting next to the River Thaw and a "must-visit" for tourists interesting in seeking places in Wales that are off the beaten track. Another favourite of my places to visit in Wales.

Well, a picture paints a thousand words, and I took several on my visit, so the pictures below that give a better idea of what there is to see should you choose to visit Old Beaupré  Castle on your visit to Wales.

Main Gate	Coat of Arms
	Further Posts/Articles relating to Vale of Glamorgan, Wales - see archive list in right hand column or Vale of Glamorgan Page for list of further posts in the area..  Please feel free leave comments.

Places in Wales: Dyffryn House and Gardens.

Dyffryn House and Garden is currently a work in progress carried out by the National Trust...

The Dyffryn Estate dates back to 640 A.D. when it was then known as the Manor of Worleton. The manor, which included St Lythans and St Nicholas, was granted to Oudoceus Bishop of Llandaff in Cardiff.

In the 18th century the Dyffryn Estate was sold to Thomas Pryce, who created the first building to be known as Dyffryn House in 1749. There was no extensive work carried out on the gardens, but Pryce did construct the walled garden, and a few other features and did some ornamental planting.

It was in 1891 that a wealthy industrialist named John Cory bought Dyffryn Estate who commissioned Thomas Mawson, a well-known landscape architect who created the wonderful garden that is still enjoyed by many visitors today. Mawson was the first president of the of the Institute of Landscape Architecture (London).
 Work began around 1894 and wasn't completed until 15 years later. John Cory's died in 1910, and his third son, Reginald, had inherited the estate. A fitting choice for Dyffryn it seems as Reginald Cory was keen horticulturist and plant collector and leading member Royal Horticultural Society https://www.rhs.org.uk/. During the early 20th Century Reginald sponsored several expeditions hunting out plants all over the world. Many which can be seen on display at Dyffryn.

Reginald died in 1934 and his sister Florence took over the house until her death in 1937 when it was owned by Sir Cennydd Traherne who two years later leased the property to Glamorgan County Council on a 999-year lease. 1972 saw the dissolution of Glamorgan County Council. In 1995 Sir Cennydd Traherne died, and responsibility for the estate went to his nephew Councillor Rhodri Traherne who sold the freehold of Dyffryn House and Gardens to the Vale of Glamorgan.
Come forward to 2000...  Cadw, a Welsh Government historic buildings and heritage environment protection service, awarded Dyffryn a Grade I status in its register of historic landscapes, parks and gardens in Wales.
In January 2013, the National Trust took a 50-year lease over the care of Dyffryn House and Gardens from the Vale of Glamorgan Council and is currently bringing the house back to it's original grandeur which at the time of writing is currently being carried on. For more information on visiting times and enter visit their website here - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dyffryn-gardens/


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

Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales

Post Links to Places to Visit in Vale of Glamorgan

Old Beaupré Castle  :     Dyffryn House & Gardens :      Llantwit Major      Llantwit Major Beach  : Llantwit Major Ghost Story :    Ogmore Castle Boverton Village & Castle : Neolithic Tinkinswood & St Lythan Burial Chamber.

The Vale of Glamorgan is at the southern-most tip of South Wales and had a host of places to visit in Wales such as villages, hamlets, historical buildings and sites. The Vale runs from Penarth (nr Cardiff) in the East to Ogmore-By-Sea in the west.  At the northern boundary runs the M4 motorway that marks the border with the county of Rhondda Cynon Taff - to the west is County of Bridgend and to the east the County of Cardiff.  Running right through the centre of the Vale of Glamorgan is the A48 trunk road, that at one time was the main trunk road connecting South Wales to London -  a trip that I frequently made in my youth which back then was considered a busy, but "good" road, due to the centre lane for over-taking. But the road could be used by traffic travelling in both directions!  Needless to say, there were many bad head-on collisions but nowadays the overtaking central lane is gone and the A48 is relatively quiet, unless there is some mishap that blocks the motorway and then it becomes grid-locked!  But back to the Vale of Glamorgan.

Further Posts/Articles relating to Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, see archive list in right hand column or for convenience, use links at top of this post.  Please feel free leave comments.