Llanmaes
| Llanmaes | |
 Llanmaes from the west |
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  Llanmaes |
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| Principal area | Vale of Glamorgan |
|---|---|
| Ceremonial county | South Glamorgan |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | CF |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | South Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Vale of Glamorgan |
| Welsh Assembly | Vale of Glamorgan |
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Coordinates: 51°25′00″N 3°28′00″W / 51.416667°N 3.466667°W
Llanmaes or Llanfaes is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan near the market town of Llantwit Major.
Amenities
It has an old attractive public house called the Blacksmith's Arms. It has one long road going through the middle of the village, linking Llantwit with Cowbridge and passing through the village of St Mary Church.
Llanmaes has a long history for such a humble village. In fields adjacent to the coast road lie remains of a Roman fort. Much restoration work has been carried out on the church which also holds a pre-reformation mural of St George and the Dragon that has almost escaped damage but is now very faint.
Also, along this section of the village which has the oldest, most picturesque cottages and houses lie the remains of the keep to the Norman Malefant Castle, which is now a ruin and lies behind a modern house. Much of the village now consists of relatively modern detached housing along the main Llanmaes road. Thankfully the Village green has been preserved, across from the Village's only remaining pub, "The Blacksmiths Arms" - the old forge lies opposite the pub, hence the name. The original Brown Lion pub and quaint post-office/village shop building, now both private dwellings, can be seen in the older part of the village.
What ties the whole village, with its village hall and strong community spirit together, is the winding Llanmaes Brook, which flows through the heart of the village before bending East and draining away towards Eglwys Brewis.
Finally, Llanmaes House is a large, lime washed Elizabethan building sited opposite the church, communal playing fields and children's playground and is of much historical interest.
The village has won the Vale of Glamorgan Best Kept Village competition on at least eight occasions.[1]
Proposed Retail Development
In early 2014 J Sainsbury plc applied for planning permission to build a large supermarket (30,000 square meters) on green fields in Llanmaes. The proposed retail development (which is almost half the size of the village) is opposed by the majority of local residents who believe that the resulting traffic, pollution and noise will have a negative impact on the peace, tranquility and charm of their village.
If planning permission is granted, the supermarket will effectively destroy the green belt separating Llanmaes from Llantwit Major, thereby stripping Llanmaes of its rural village identity forever.
References
Llanmaes Online Website
