Roman times The town lies on the site of a
Roman settlement identified by some scholars as the
fort of
Bovium (cow-place). Recent excavations have revealed extensive Roman settlement; the town lies alongside a
Roman road.
Middle Ages The town centre is arranged on its
medieval plan, with one long street divided into "
burgage plots". It is one of very few medieval
walled towns in Wales, and substantial portions of the walls, together with the south gate, are still standing. On 13 March 1254, Cowbridge received its first borough charter from
Richard de Clare, the Lord of Glamorgan. Richard de Clare was one of the most powerful Barons of the day, having huge estates stretching across much of south Wales and also lands in southeast England. The
town walls were built sometime in the latter half of the 13th century. From 1243, de Clare was actively extending his authority in Glamorgan. In 1245, he seized the manors of Llanblethian, Ruthin and Talyfan from Richard Siward, and the lordships of
Miskin and Glynrhondda from Hywel ap Maredudd. In Llanblethian he founded the town of Cowbridge and in Miskin he founded the castle and town of
Llantrisant. The largely medieval church of the Holy Cross was initially a
chapel of ease to the parish church at Llanblethian. In 1307
Earl Gilbert de Clare, grandson of Richard de Clare, began work on the stone fortifications of
St Quintins Castle in Llanblethian. The
Battle of Stalling Down was fought near Cowbridge between an English army, serving
Henry IV of England and a combined force of French and Welsh soldiers under
Owain Glyndŵr in 1403. Details of the battle, its exact site and its outcome are scant, but the site has been recognised by
Cadw for possible inclusion in a Register of Historic Battlefields in Wales.
Georgian times in 1836 The 18th century
antiquary,
Iolo Morganwg, inventor of the present-day rituals of the
National Eisteddfod of Wales, kept a bookshop in the High Street, the location of which is now marked with a plaque inscribed with the words
Y Gwir yn erbyn y Byd ("Truth against the world") in
Roman and
Coelbren y Beirdd script. It was just outside the town that he held the first meeting of the
Gorsedd, an assembly of bards, in 1795.
Cowbridge Grammar School was founded in 1608 and had close links with
Jesus College, Oxford through its later benefactor, Dr
Leoline Jenkins. Its famous pupils included the poet
Alun Lewis and the actor Sir
Anthony Hopkins. The old
grammar school eventually merged with Cowbridge High School for Girls to become a
comprehensive school, and the original buildings, having for some time lain derelict, have been converted into private accommodation.
Notable buildings The present
Cowbridge Town Hall, a building whose foundations date back perhaps as far as the
Elizabethan era, served as a prison until 1830, when it was converted into a town hall to replace the former
guildhall, demolished at that date. The conversion was completed in 1830 by Isaiah Verity of Ash Hall who in gratitude was made a Freeman of Cowbridge. Eight of the original prison cells are still intact, six of which house the exhibits of Cowbridge Museum. The remainder of the building is used by the town council and for public events. The museum holds archaeological finds from Cowbridge and district, as well as displays on the later history of the town, including industrial and domestic artefacts, a photographic collection, and a small historical costume collection. The main street contains a number of
Georgian houses, including the former town houses of important local families such as the Edmondes and Carnes. The Carnes' town house is known as Great House, a Grade II* listed property of Medieval origin.
Modern times Cowbridge contains the following
inns: the Bear Hotel, the Horse and Groom, the Edmondes Arms, the Duke of Wellington and the Vale of Glamorgan. The latter is located at the premises of the former Vale of Glamorgan Brewery. Closely attached to the town of Cowbridge is the village of Aberthin. Aberthin contains two inns; The Hare and Hounds and The Farmers Arms. Cowbridge once had a railway station, which opened in 1865 and closed in 1951. On the 21 March 1950 a
Bristol Freighter (Registration: G-AHJJ) on a test flight took off from
Bristol Filton Airport. The aircraft crashed near Cowbridge after a structural failure of the fuselage. It caused the aircraft to enter spin and crash. The accident killed all four passengers and crew on board. Cowbridge was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017. ==Schools==