Mara

Jan 11, 2008
Llantwit Major Impression

Mara reporting from Llantwit Major, a small town, what I first thought of as a village, about a 40-minute train ride from Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Out of all of our stops along this trip, this one has definitely been unique and has given me an opportunity to gain a different and more personal perspective on the Welsh way of life.

We are spread across many different bed and breakfasts throughout the town. I have been given the privilege to stay at the largest of the B & Bs, known as “The Curriers.” The central part of the B & B was built about 1730. Sally, the owner of the B&B, told me that a “Currier” is a person who deals with leather after it has been tanned. This was once a very profitable trade in this small farming community.  In 1830, the name changed to ‘”Currier’s Arms,” and the business was a very profitable pub for many years. In 1920, the pub was discontinued and the history of the building is a little hazy.

Sally, the owner of the pub and a former nurse, took over in 1999 and transformed the building into the B & B it is today. The original name has stuck throughout all these years. Business is good, with the growing population of the town, and Sally informed us that her business is full most the time. Every morning we are greeted with a smile and are given a HUGE traditional English breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and hash browns. Let’s just say lunch is very rarely needed.

Along with the home-style atmosphere of the B & Bs and town, Llantwit Major offers unique, but muddy, coastal walks. On Saturday, most of the group took about a mile walk down to the beach from the center of town and from there proceeded on a walk atop the bluffs along the coast with the goal of reaching the castle, which was barely in view.  It was a beautiful walk with lots of interesting farms, houses and sheep along the way. Llantwit Major has been an excellent stop along our journey and it has helped in rounding out my views on the Welsh way of life.