Monknash brings together the coastal landscape around Cwm Nash and traces of the medieval past in the village. This gives you two interests to consider when planning your trip: cliffs, wildlife and walking on the one hand, and Monknash Grange and the tithe barn on the other. When choosing a destination, you can first weigh up whether you are more interested in the coast and walking or in historic buildings and landscape features.
Coast, cliffs and walking
Cwm Nash Beach, also known as Monknash, lies against a dramatic backdrop of cliffs. The Monknash Coast forms an approximately 4.5-kilometre stretch of coastline between Cwm Nash and St. Donat’s Point. It is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its sequence of limestone deposits and its eroding hard coastline and cliffs. Geology and coastal erosion, as well as the beach itself, are therefore defining features of the coast.
Peregrine falcons breed on the cliffs at Cwm Nash. A burial ground for the local community and shipwreck victims from the 16th and 17th centuries is thought to lie on the cliffs west of Cwm Nash.
A tree-lined path along Nash Brook leads to the beach. The named Monknash, Lighthouse and Marcross Walk is 4 miles (6.5 kilometres) long and starts at the Plough and Harrow pub in Monknash. Monknash Car Park is an alternative starting point. The route enters a nature reserve, passing through woodland and following a stream to the beach.
The figures refer to different measurements: approximately 4.5 kilometres is the length of the stretch of coastline between Cwm Nash and St. Donat’s Point, while 6.5 kilometres is the length of the named walk. When planning, it is worth keeping the length of the coastal stretch distinct from the walking route’s distance.
Monknash Grange and other traces
Around 1130, Richard de Granville founded a Cistercian grange in Monknash, affiliated with Neath Abbey. The visible remains of Monknash Grange today include a polygonal enclosure measuring approximately 350 metres north to south by 360 metres. Terraces and earthworks define its boundaries. Its dimensions and shape describe a landscape complex, not just a single building.
The grounds of Monknash Grange also include a Grade II listed dovecote. Monknash Tithe Barn survives as the ivy-covered ruin of what was once a very large building. The historic traces differ: at the grange, the enclosure, terraces, earthworks and dovecote stand out; at the tithe barn, the ruin of the large building is the main feature.
Choosing Monknash as a destination
Monknash offers a clear choice when selecting a destination: the coastal stretch and named walk are all about nature, while the grange and tithe barn offer traces of the past.
Discover more destinations: Llantwit Major, Rhoose, Dinas Powys, Barry, Dyffryn, Wick, Peterston-super-Ely, Penarth
For the main travel overview: Vale Of Glamorgan.
