famous road
Porlock Hill
Britain's steepest A-road, where the A39 climbs out of Porlock onto Exmoor at gradients up to 1-in-4 with two severe hairpins. A scenic Victorian toll road offers a gentler coastal alternative.
24 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Llantwit Major
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Llantwit Major
Llantwit Major works well as a base: 10 minutes from Wick, 24km from Porlock Hill.
Llantwit Major is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 14,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Wick, about 5 km away.
Llantwit Major (Welsh: Llanilltud Fawr) is a town and community in Wales on the Bristol Channel coast. It is one of four towns in the Vale of Glamorgan, with the third largest population (13,366 in 2001) after Barry and Penarth, and ahead of Cowbridge. It is 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) from Cowbridge, 9 miles (14 km) fromRead more
Bridgend, 10 miles (16 km) from Barry, and 15 miles (24 km) from Cardiff. It had a population of 9,530 in 2021.
Llanilltud Fawr, named for the Llan (land) of Saint Illtud, was home to the Monastery of Illtud and the college known as Bangor Illtyd. It became one of the most esteemed centres of Christian culture in the Celtic world. At its peak it had over 2,000 students, including princes, eminent clergymen, and revered saints. The institutions were destroyed by the raiding Vikings in 987, but Normans rebuilt the monastery in 1111 and it continued to be a centre of learning until it was disbanded in 1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries. The 13th-century St Illtyd's Church, near the ancient monastery, is a Grade I listed building and one of Wales's oldest parish churches.
In the 20th century, the modern town developed rapidly to accommodate Royal Air Force personnel from the St Athan base. Remnants of the medieval cobbled streets can be seen adjacent to the 12th-century Old Swan Inn, and numerous buildings of the 15th and 16th centuries remain.
Colhugh Beach is a popular surfing venue and has the remnants of an Iron Age fort and some of Wales' finest examples of Jurassic fossils. The pebble beach and its clifftops are protected as part of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, which stretches for 14 miles (23 km) from Gileston to the east to Southerndown and Newton Point to the west.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Llantwit Major?
Within an hour or so of Llantwit Major: Porlock Hill (24 km), Porlock Hill (A39) (25 km), Dunkery Beacon (29 km), Countisbury Hill (30 km).
Are there any good drives near Llantwit Major?
The nearest famous roads are Porlock Hill, Countisbury Hill and Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135).
Where is Llantwit Major?
Llantwit Major is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Wick.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 14,384
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.4107, -3.4863
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Llantwit Major
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
famous road
Porlock Hill (A39)
One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
25 km · about 30 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Dunkery Beacon
The highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset at 519 m, with views to the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor on clear days.
29 km · about 35 min drive
famous road
Countisbury Hill
A long 1-in-4 climb on the A39 out of Lynmouth onto Exmoor, with sweeping views over the Bristol Channel.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Lynmouth
A harbour village where the East and West Lyn rivers meet the sea, rebuilt after the catastrophic flood of 1952.
31 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway
A water-powered funicular opened in 1890, climbing 152 m of 1-in-1.75 cliff between the two villages.
31 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Watersmeet
A wooded gorge where Hoar Oak Water joins the East Lyn, with a National Trust tea garden in a former fishing lodge.
31 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Valley of Rocks, Exmoor
A dry U-shaped valley of rock towers above the sea near Lynton, grazed by feral goats.
32 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Llantwit Major
- 24 kmPorlock HillBritain's steepest A-road, where the A39 climbs out of Porlock onto Exmoor at gradients up to 1-in-4 with two severe hairpins. A scenic Victorian toll road offers a gentler coastal alternative.
- 25 kmPorlock Hill (A39)One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
- 29 kmDunkery BeaconThe highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset at 519 m, with views to the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor on clear days.
- 30 kmCountisbury HillA long 1-in-4 climb on the A39 out of Lynmouth onto Exmoor, with sweeping views over the Bristol Channel.
- 38 kmTarr StepsA 17-span prehistoric-style clapper bridge across the River Barle on Exmoor, repeatedly rebuilt after floods.
- 52 kmCheddar Gorge ViewpointEngland's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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