Photo Album
Cowbridge
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Cowbridge is a small
market town in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 15 kms west of Cardiff.
2004 was the year that Cowbridge that celebrated 750 years
of its Charter.
The very handsome tankard made specially for the
occasion is seen here. It was made locally. Well, in Cardiff! |
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A brief history...
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The Romans built a small fort here in the 1st
century which developed into a township by the 4th century. Recent
archaeological digs have turned up many Roman relics as well as the foundations
of various Roman structures including a bath house. It is thought that Cowbridge
might have a claim to being the missing Roman fort of Bovium. [see below]
In 1254 one Sir Richard de Clare, Lord of
Glamorgan granted the town it's first charter. He had built the township more or
less as a business venture, renting out the plots of land and leasing them on
fixed rents to 'responsible' citizens for business or residential premises. The
east and west sides of the town proved quite popular and by 1266 Cowbridge had
walls around it with four gates, although the North gate appears to have been
used mainly for cattle.
Had the intrepid photographer been around in
mediaeval times, the picture below would have been obscured by the Guild Hall
which stood in the middle of the high street.
Cowbridge was the last recipient of a Royal
Charter by Queen Victoria in 1886, thus was then able to appoint its own
Councillors and Mayor. This tradition has continued in spite of the local Government
re organisation of 1974.
When the railways came to Victorian Britain,
Cowbridge did not welcome the thought of the iron way. The main line took a big
loop around the Vale to the North, roughly parallel with the M4 motorway of
today. Had it been built through the town, either very deep cuttings or a huge
viaduct would have been necessary, because of the hills that rise 100 metres on
either side of the town. That makes me think that commuters would have had a
fair way to go even to get to a station. There were two minor spur lines that
linked the town from north and south but went the way of Dr. Beeching long ago!
Several well known personalities have connections
with the town, David Lloyd George was a Freeman of the town. Iolo Morganwg,
historian and poet had a shop here. Sir Leoline Jenkins endowed the towns grammar
school and was the cause of the schools long association with Jesus College
Oxford. One Edward Stirling (The Thunderer of the Times) lived in Llanblethian
and his son, John, went to school in Cowbridge at the Eagle Academy.
Cowbridge became known for it's fairs, but by the
mid 1960's it also had the doubtful reputation of having long traffic queues,
being as it was on the main route to west Wales from Cardiff and the east. The
bypass to the north of the town put paid to all that, but for a time to the
unhappiness of local traders who feared that the town was finished. The M4
motorway has long since bypassed the area in a large loop to the North, but I
think it is fair to say that the town has maintained stability of its business
community, partly through it being popular as a dormitory for Cardiff.
In 1991 Cowbridge was twinned with CLISSON in the
department of Loire-Atlantique, near Nantes in France. Each year exchange visits
occur between various sporting, cultural and youth groups. Clisson is also a
very picturesque town, situated on the banks of the Sevre in the heart of the
Muscadet wine producing region. The tourist office at Clisson (tel:+33 40 54 02
95) will be happy to assist in enquiries about the many opportunities for holiday
activities in the area. In 2004 the town celebrated its
750th anniversary
of being granted its first charter. The chairman of the French twinning
committee was also present.
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And this is
Cowbridge. Well, the centre of the High Street with the Town Hall and War
Memorial.
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Take a look around this small town situated on the River
Thaw or check out HRH Prince Charles' visit to Cowbridge in 2004.
Or the annual Food and drink festival... |
| Below, I will list e-mails from people seeking
(or giving) information about the town and its inhabitants. If you think you can help,
please e-mail me by the link at the top of the page. Thanks. |
Hello, please forgive me if you are not the person I
should send my query! If you are not, perhaps you could point me in the
right direction???
I have in my possession a brown leather wallet which was given to me
by my mother. It was apparently given to her by her uncle when he returned
from war. He had taken it off the body of another soldier in the trenches in
France. I must assume they were friends or at least knew each other ,as they
were both from Cowbridge. My great uncle lived in Llanblethian, I believe,
at the time, I assume this was the first world war, but am not sure, he
died in 1957.
The name on the wallet, handwritten in ink, is 'J Baverstock,
Cowbridge'. No date written.
I have not given it much thought over the years, but I think
its right that if there are any remaining family members who know the
history of this person, they may like to have it. ( Quite bizarrely, I had
had the wallet in my possession for a while and was looking deep into the
little pockets one day when I came across a tiny newspaper cutting from 1959
announcing my own birth!!!!!! Possibly my great aunt had stored it in
there).
My great uncles name was Thomas David ( I believe the David surname
was quite well-known in Cowbridge) he had a sister called Florence David and
he married Annie James.
We have a very strange family history originating from Cowbridge. My
mother was brought up to believe Tom and Annie were her natural parents. The
night before her wedding to my dad she was told she was actually the
daughter of Tom's sister , Florence! Family story goes that Florrie ( I
remember her as being a little simple-minded) was made pregnant by her
employer ( she was possibly a servant) in a 'big house' in Cowbridge.
Banished ,she gave birth and the child (my mum) was placed in the workhouse.
Tom David and Annie thought they couldn't have children themselves ( they
eventually did - 3 or 4 infants are buried somewhere in Llanblethian
graveyard) and so they took Tom's sisters child ( my mum) and brought her
up as their own.
I was not told any of this tale until my great aunt died about twenty
years ago. I was also brought up to believe she was my natural grandmother-
she lies now in Radyr churchyard and my natural grandmother Florence lies a
little distance away. What a shame we never knew who my mums father was! My
mother never had a birth certificate( she's now 80) until I managed to track
it down on the Ancestry site. I ordered a copy but was extremely
disappointed to see there was a gap for the father!!
Anyway, I digress. I wonder if you could tell me where to start
looking for any family connections to J Baverstock??? Perhaps you have come
across any of these names somewhere?? |
Helen Boland |
| Could Dean Yorweth please e-mail me [use
contact me button above] as Steven [below] has information about his family
that may be of interest? |
Mike Baker |
| Officially the lost Roman Fort of Bovium should be
somewhere between Cardiff and Bridgend along or near the Roman road,
understandably people are saying Cowbridge as the road runs through the town
and there has been a vast amount of Roman coins and artefacts found over the
years, but i am sure the site is just outside Llysworney as there is a very
large Roman site here which covers 4 fields and is very close to the Roman
road at Pentremeyrick, this site has never been excavated due to the
Landowner refusing permission due to his distrust of archaeologists, a local
Metal detecting club has detected this site for years and uncovered a mass
of Roman coins and artefacts, myself and a friend have also found Roman
military items including part of a Roman officers Sword, all of our finds
have been recorded with the museum to further our knowledge of the liocal
history.
One side of the site has rows of what look to be small buildings, when
checked with our metal detectors these have produced lots of iron and pieces
of lead which seem to point to workshops.
There is also what looks like a gully running up the field which when looked
at from a distance looks like a track or entrance into the possible fort, it
is also set on a natural hill which is perfect to view the surrounding area.
There is a spring on the site which still runs all year round, there is just
too much evidence here, this must be the site, i will keep searching here
until i find something to prove the validity of this important piece of our
history.
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Steven |
I was interested to read the comment on the
following
It is thought that Cowbridge might have a
claim to being the missing Roman fort of Bovium.
thought it might be of interest to you that
the Roman fort of Bovium was at Boverton. Llantwit Major (Bovium being
Latin for Boverton) as supported by the
Swansea Museum and other sources, please see link
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Kind Regards
Russell Downe
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My grandfather, TJ Yorwerth, was, I am given to
understand, Mayor of the Borough on more occasions than anyone. It was he
who presented Lloyd George with the Freedom and he himself, was a recipient
of that honour. I have a framed photograph of the presentation to Lloyd
George and the actual scroll received by my relative.
I was only young when my grandfather died, so would be most grateful for any
information you may have about him. I am aware that following his death, my
father and aunt, established the TJ Yorwerth Memorial challenge Bowl for the
best dairy cow at The Cowbridge Show. Does this still take place? [Now the
Vale of Glamorgan Show]
My uncle, the Rev. WM Yorwerth, also lived in Cowbridge. He was a Cahlian
[captain?] to the Navy and in 1936 was presented with a bust of Nelson, made
from copper from Nelson's flagships, for charitable work by the British
Sailors Association. This, I now own. |
Dean Yorwerth |
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I looked at your site and enjoyed it very
much. I used to visit Cowbridge as a child. We had relatives who had a
small grocers shop in the town. I believe that back in the early 1900s it
was owned by David Hopkin Davies and his wife Lydia. Later I think their
daughter Mabel married a George Caines and took over the shop. I think at
one time George Caines was involved in the local council and served a year
as Mayor.
I would like to ask a favour. You are
knowledgeable about Cowbridge so could you suggest someone I could contact
to make enquiries about the Davies / Caines families.
Many thanks.
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Alwyn Martin |
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