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.
