Llantrisant

Llantrisant is a small town in Glamorgan, South Wales. Llantrisant is a hilltop settlement, at an altitude of 174 m (565 ft) above sea level. The town is home to the Royal Mint.

Understand
Llantrisant (the "Parish of the Three Saints") is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the town's name are Illtyd, Gwynno, and Dyfodwg.

History
There is evidence for settlements in and around Llantrisant stretching back over three millennia. Two Bronze Age burial mounds are on Mynydd Garthmaelwg, the opposite side of the Ely Valley. A 1.05 metres (3 ft) tall, by 1.68 metres (6 ft) wide, possibly Bronze Age, standing stone, was discovered in Miskin during excavations prior to the M4 motorway construction. An Iron Age hillfort stands on Rhiwsaeson Hill. The enclosure, now known as Caerau Hillfort, measures 230 metres (755 ft) by 180 metres (591 ft).

A settlement has existed on this site from at least the beginning of the 6th century, when the poet Aneurin wrote of 'the white houses of Glamorgan' when referring to Llantrisant. It was seized around 1246 by Richard de Clare who built Llantrisant Castle. It is thought that de Clare established the borough of Llantrisant though the exact charter occurred in 1346.

In 1346, Llantrisant was granted a Royal Charter months before the archers from the town helped Edward, the Black Prince, win a victory against the French army at the Battle of Crécy. The Llantrisant longbow men were pivotal in the adoption of the English longbow as the missile weapon of choice for the English crown during the Middle Ages.

Llantrisant was one of the eight boroughs constituting the Glamorgan county following the Act of Union, a status it held until 1918.

Culture
An ancient tradition called the Beating the Bounds, where local children are bounced by elders on to the boundary stones of the old borough, still occurs every seven years and has its roots set as far back as the 14th century. The rite was intended as a reminder to each generation of the importance of the borough boundaries. The children in question are held under the arms and the legs, and their backside is bounced on each of the stones of the old borough. It is believed that the Beating of the Bounds started in 1346, when Llantrisant was awarded its Royal Charter. This allowed them the freedom to trade without paying tolls within the boundaries of the former borough. The last occasion of this event was in June 2017, but the event is now seen as a purely historic tradition and social community event.

Get in
On the intersection of the A473 (Bridgend - Pontypridd) and the A4119 (6 miles north of the M4 junction 34)

See
The focal point of the town is the Bull Ring, a commercial square in the centre of the town that was used for bull-baiting, until it was disallowed in 1827 due to unruly crowds. The square contains a statue of Dr William Price a pioneer of cremation. The second religious building in Llantrisant is Tabor Baptist Chapel, built in 1828. It is in on an elevated site next to Llantrisant Castle, accessed by steps from the High Street.
 * Llantrisant Common and Pastures, a 113-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is home to several rare plants.
 * Llantrisant Common and Pastures, a 113-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is home to several rare plants.
 * Llantrisant Common and Pastures, a 113-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is home to several rare plants.
 * Llantrisant Common and Pastures, a 113-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is home to several rare plants.
 * Y Billy Wynt: At the highest point of Y Graig is a stone tower known locally as “Billy Wynt”. It is said to have been used as an auxiliary tower. By the early 19th century the tower was in ruins, and in 1890, it was restored as a folly by the Llantrisant town trust.
 * Y Pwysty, the weighing house, was located on this site since medieval times. Once known as the Angel Inn, it was at Y Pwysty that the weight of goods were regulated at the markets and fairs held in the town.
 * At nearby Tarren Deusant is a spring with unusual petrosomatoglyph carvings of two faces, two saints (1696), but now six are present (Sharp 1979).

Do

 * Golf: Vale Resort is a hotel with a championship golf course south of Pontyclun and M4. White tees 5897 yards, par 71.

Drink
Llantrisant is known for its pub culture with a number of venues including The New Inn, the Wheatsheaf and the Cross Keys Hotel.

There's a vineyard at Llanerch Hotel, see Sleep.

Go next

 * Cowbridge
 * Caerphilly
 * Cardiff