Wick, Vale of Glamorgan
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Wick (Welsh: Y Wig) is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, situated about 2 miles from the coast. The closest towns are Bridgend, Cowbridge, and Llantwit Major.
The village has 2 charming little pubs, a shop and a school. There are plenty of places to walk or cycle in the beautiful countryside surrounding the village. Visitors to Wick can also walk to the spectacular local beaches, Traeth Bach and Traeth Mawr, via the Cwm Nash footpath at Monknash or from Dunraven Bay at Southerndown. These beaches and cliffs form part of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast (SSSI).
Archaeological evidence suggests that there was settlement in Wick from around 1600BC when a small proto-Celtic community may have developed, farming the surrounding land on a subsidence basis. In later times Wick possibly formed part of an ancient drovers route, by-passing the toll road through nearby Cowbridge. There are some interesting historical features in the village (the most obvious being the remnants of a windmill) and some of the buildings in the village are known to be several hundred years old. The remains of a beacon tower lie just north-west of the village and to the south-west, on the cliff edge at Whitmore Stairs, is the earthworks of an Iron Age univallate fort, part of an ancient monument known as the Cwm Bach Camps. It is thought possible that the larger of the forts that make up this monument, situated approximately 1.5 miles away on the Trwyn y Witch headland, was at one time occupied by Caratacus (who lead the Silures in resistance to the Roman occupation). Given its proximity to Tusker Rock it is likely that Wick was a focus for Viking attacks on the south Wales coast. Local folklore suggests that beacons were lit on high ground around the village to warn of such raids and that attacks were fiercely resisted. It is thought that the village eventually came under Norman control in around 1097AD. Other scheduled ancient monuments in Wick include Buarth Mawr Barn and Rhyle round barrow. Various archaeological finds have been made in Wick, including the discovery of a hoard of five Late Bronze Age socketed axes by Mr. Adrian Jones.
The coastline to the south and west of Wick is formed of rocks of the Lower Lias series that display horizontal stratification. It is from the top of these cliffs that, according to local folklore, the 'Wreckers of Wick' would lure ships onto the rocks by lighting beacons in the times before modern navigation. It is suggested that after the cargo had been plundered from the ships the bodies of the sailors would be recovered from the beach by the Monks from the monastic grange at nearby Monknash and taken to what is now the Plough & Harrow Inn where they were prepared for burial. Historically this stretch of coastline has one of the highest instances of shipwrecks in Wales, its exposure to the Atlantic swell, south-westerly winds and shallow reefs making it treacherous to shipping. More recently the coastline has become popular with surfers, with beach breaks and reef breaks catering for a range of abilities.
The parish church of Wick is dedicated to Saint James the Great, and like many of the other churches in the parish dates from the 12th century. It began as a chapel, but was later gifted to Ewenny Priory. It is a Grade 2* listed building and consists of a chancel, nave, south porch and western 'saddle back' tower. The church is built in the Early English Period style, although the oldest parts of the structure such as the chancel arch, the south door and a small window in the chancel, all date from the 12th century. The church has a medieval stone mensa (rectangular) altar, views of which are provided through the 'squints' (hagioscopes) from the nave. The altar has unusual niches on either side, which probably contained statues of St James and the Blessed Virgin in centuries past. St James' was the subject of a major Victorian restoration 125 years ago and further additions have been made since then. The registers date from 1813. Wick also has a Unitarian and General Baptist Chapel that has held regular services since 1792.
Approximately 1 mile to the west of the village is Monks Wood, a 10 acre plantation of mixed native species managed by the Woodland Trust and the Monks Wood Committee. The wood was planted with native broadleaved trees and shrubs by villagers from Wick in November 2000. A wide mown path follows a circular route through the site and there is an information display for visitors. Another area of ecological importance is Clemenstone Meadows, directly to the north of the village, comprising 2 traditionally managed meadows on either side of a brook that support a number of rare plant species.
Wick is home to the Wick Rugby Club and the Wick & District Cricket Club. The village is also home to the champion international cyclist Nicole Cooke.
On November 28, 2006, the village of Wick became the first community in the UK to be switched over to British Telecom's "21st Century Network" (21CN); an advanced high-speed broadband network that will be rolled out throughout the UK over the coming years, replacing all of BT's existing networks. Laura Wess, 11, made the first call using the system from Wick and Marcross Primary School to the Right Reverend John Davies, bishop of St Asaph in north Wales.
