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Legends of the Vale of Glamorgan and Heritage Coast
The village of Merthyr Mawr (meaning great martyr) which stands near the estuary of the River Ogmore or Ogwr was named thus because the body of the dying King Arthur was brought up the river and buried in the mountains above. At the entrance to the village is the 'Dipping Bridge' built in 15th Century with holes in the parapets through which farmers pushed reluctant sheep into the river Ogmore for their annual dip. At the side of the bridge there once stood an inn where the landlord would rob and murder travellers en route to St. David's shrine. Search for the remains of Candleston Castle on the edge of the Sahara like dunes (parts of Lawrence of Arabia were filmed here). The castle was the centre point of the lost village of Treganlaw buried beneath the ever shifting sands.
Dunraven Castle at Southerndown (now ruined) was the home of the Vaughan family in the 17th Century. The last Vaughan to live there had a son who had been at sea for many years. His father's greed led him into the evil pursuit of wrecking, which is enticing ships on stormy nights by the use lights on the clifftops (their captains believing the lights were a harbour) to rocks such as the Witch's Nose on Dunraven Head and their doom. Vaughan and his helpers then plundered their rich cargos from distant lands. On one occasion one of his helpers who was known as Matt of the Iron Hand (as his hand had been removed as a punishment for piracy and replaced by an iron hook), found the body of the captain of the latest wreck washed up on the beach. He was unable to remove the captain's ring and so cut off his hand and gave it to his master who screamed loudly as he recognised it to be the hand of his son returning at last to his family. Vaughan sold Dunraven shortly afterwards and subsequently turned mad.
Plas Llanmihangel is an Elizabethian Manor House standing on the outskirts of Cowbridge and opposite a medieval church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. Elenor Thee, heiress of the Thomas family and owners of Plas Llanmihangel was said to have magical powers-some said she was a witch. She often appeared in a frenzied state and because of this was tethered by and iron ring attached to her wrist and was known as the Lady of the Ring. She met a mysterious death by drowning in the pool next to the church. Her ghost is said to appear from the mist in the valley at twilight.
St. Donats Castle is said to have many ghosts including that of Sir Thomas Strading a descendant of the first Norman conquerors. Strading is said to have engaged in piracy and smuggling, sailing directly from the castle own quay. During a storm in the reign of Elizabeth I, Sir Thomas found the image of a cross in a tree struck by lightening. This led to him being imprisoned on suspicion of being a Catholic, something not tolerated in that time of religious persecution. Later another member of the Strading family founded Cowbridge School.
Near Duffryn Gardens lie Tinkinswood and St. Lythans Burial chambers, said to have existed for 7000 years and dating back to the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The mounds have been destroyed over the years but the stones remain. The capstone of St. Lythans is said to rise once a year and turn three times before returning to it's original position.
Llangynwyd (which has the oldest thatched inn in Wales) is the birthplace of Celtic poet Wil Hopkin whose tragic love of a local girl Ann Thomas is remembered in the Welsh legend the Maid of Cefn Ydfa- both are buried at Llangynwyd church. Llangynwyd is also famous for the Mari Llwyd (the Grey Mare) an ancient Celtic custom practised at Christmas time.
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