Tresilian Bay

Last updated October 21, 2022

Tresilian Bay, also Tresillian Bay, is a bay in southeast Wales, west of Llantwit Major's Collugh beach and east of St Donats, on the Bristol Channel. The beach at the bay lies in front of a valley in which the Nant Tresilian flows and empties in the sea. It lies along a stretch of coast and cliff path under protection by the Glamorgan Heritage Coast,^[1] characterised by limestone cliffs with many caves and several bays/valleys.^[2] There is a distinctive white house, Tresilian House, located at Tresilian Bay at the end of the valley in front of the pebble beach and a pill box on the cliff nearby. The cove of Col Huw is located nearby.^[3]

History

Tresilian Bay takes its name from Prince Silian who is reputed to have kept court there in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The bay once had an inn which was frequented by smugglers and pirates. The cliffs in the area are said to contain many secret passages and tunnels which they used.^[4] Legend has it that in the mid 15th century, a Breton pirate called Peter was drowned in a cave to the west of the bay by Sir Henry Stradling (1423–1476), seeking revenge after Peter had previously kidnapped him.^[5] On winter nights under a full moon his cries can reputedly be heard in the wind.^[5] However, George Yates' map of 1799 does not show a building here, but it appears in records from soon afterwards.^[6] A lease was granted in 1800 by the owner of the St Donats estate and after functioning for a period as a hotel it became a private residence, most tenants being gentry and farmers.^[6] At one time, Tresilian House was lived in by Owen Crawshay, son of Tudor Crawshay, Deputy Lieutenant of Glamorgan and vicar’s warden of St. Illtud’s Church, who lived at nearby Dimlands.^[7] In 1862, Dr. John Whitlock Nicholl Carne, owner of the St Donats estate, closed the drive to the public.^[6] There is also a cave nearby which has an arched roof known as the "bow of destiny" which is visited by couples who throw pebbles; however many attempts it takes to strike the rock is taken as the number of years they should wait to marry.^[5]

Related Research Articles

The Vale of Glamorgan, often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol Channel to the south. With an economy based largely on agriculture and chemicals, it is the southernmost unitary authority in Wales. Attractions include Barry Island Pleasure Park, the Barry Tourist Railway, Medieval wall paintings in St Cadoc's Church, Llancarfan, Porthkerry Park, St Donat's Castle, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park and Cosmeston Medieval Village. The largest town is Barry. Other towns include Penarth, Llantwit Major, and Cowbridge. There are many villages in the county borough.

Glamorgan, or sometimes Glamorganshire, is one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales and a former administrative county of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying boundaries known in Welsh as the Kingdom of Morgannwg, which was then invaded and taken over by the Normans as the Lordship of Glamorgan. The area that became known as Glamorgan was both a rural, pastoral area, and a conflict point between the Norman lords and the Welsh princes. It was defined by a large concentration of castles.

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St Donat's Castle, St Donats, Wales, is a medieval castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, about 16 miles (26 km) to the west of Cardiff, and about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) to the west of Llantwit Major. Positioned on cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel, the site has been occupied since the Iron Age, and was by tradition the home of the Celtic chieftain Caradog. The present castle's origins date from the 12th century when the de Haweys and later Peter de Stradling began its development. The Stradlings held the castle for four hundred years, until the death of Sir Thomas Stradling in a duel in 1738.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southerndown</span>

Southerndown is a village in southern Wales to the southwest of Bridgend, in St Brides Major community, close to Llantwit Major and Ogmore-by-Sea. It is mostly known for its beach which backs Dunraven Bay, which is a popular tourist destination during the summer months and since 1972 has been part of a Heritage Coast and is part of the Southerndown Coast SSSI. When the tide is out there is an expanse of sand and pools. The cliffs are an obvious example of sedimentary rock.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nash Point</span> Lighthouse

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southerndown Coast</span>

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The Afon Col-huw is a very short river in Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. It is an exceptionally short river, with a length of only 1 mile/1.6 kilometres long. It is formed when two rivers, the Ogney Brook and the Hoddnant converge south of Llantwit Major. Its valley, the Cwm Col-huw, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument - it was used in the Dig for Victory campaign in World War II.

Dimlands was a small scale, gentry house on the north side of St Donats Road about 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, southeast Wales. Built like a small Tudor castle, it is situated about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) back from the clifftops of the Bristol Channel between Llantwit Major and St Donats. The main house was demolished after a fire in 1948, but its lodge, in a similar castellated style, survives and became a Grade II listed building on 9 October 1982.

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A bibliography of books related to the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales.

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References

↑ Merrill, John N. (1979). Turn right at Land's End: John Merrill, the story of his 7000 mile British coastal walk. Oxford Illustrated Press. p. 48. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
↑ "Tresilian Bay Beach Details". Coast Radar. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
↑ Parker, Mike; Whitfield, Paul (September 2003). Rough guide to Wales. Rough Guides. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-84353-120-3 . Retrieved 27 January 2012.
↑ Thomas, Ruth (1977). South Wales . Arco Pub. Co. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-668-04239-0 . Retrieved 27 January 2012.
1 2 3 Hamilton, Dorothy (March 2002). Best tea shop walks in South and West Wales. Sigma Leisure. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-85058-764-4 . Retrieved 27 January 2012.
1 2 3 Glamorgan History Society (1 January 2001). Morgannwg: transactions of the Glamorgan History Society. pp. 140–1. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
↑ "Names associated with Llantwit Major". Llantwit Major Local History Society. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.

Coordinates: 51°23′55″N3°30′51″W / 51.39861°N 3.51417°W / 51.39861; -3.51417

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[Merrill1979-1] Merrill, John N. (1979). Turn right at Land's End: John Merrill, the story of his 7000 mile British coastal walk. Oxford Illustrated Press. p. 48. Retrieved 27 January 2012.

[2] "Tresilian Bay Beach Details". Coast Radar. Retrieved 27 January 2012.

[ParkerWhitfield2003-3] Parker, Mike; Whitfield, Paul (September 2003). Rough guide to Wales. Rough Guides. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-84353-120-3 . Retrieved 27 January 2012.

[Thomas1977-4] Thomas, Ruth (1977). South Wales . Arco Pub. Co. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-668-04239-0 . Retrieved 27 January 2012.

[Hamilton2002-5] 1 2 3 Hamilton, Dorothy (March 2002). Best tea shop walks in South and West Wales. Sigma Leisure. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-85058-764-4 . Retrieved 27 January 2012.

[Society2001-6] 1 2 3 Glamorgan History Society (1 January 2001). Morgannwg: transactions of the Glamorgan History Society. pp. 140–1. Retrieved 27 January 2012.

[LMH-7] "Names associated with Llantwit Major". Llantwit Major Local History Society. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.

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