St Nicholas ( Welsh: Sain Nicolas) is a village situated in the

Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( ), locally referred to as ''The Vale'', is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf t ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It lies 6 miles east of

Cowbridge Cowbridge () is a market town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately west of the centre of Cardiff. The Cowbridge with Llanblethian community and civil parish elect a town council. A Cowbridge electoral ward exists for elections to ...

, the local

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

, and near to

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of Wales. According to the 2021 census, the village had a population of 654 residents. St Nicholas forms part of the larger community of

St Nicholas and Bonvilston St Nicholas and Bonvilston is a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Formed in 1982, it includes the villages of St Nicholas, Bonvilston, and four properties in Dyffryn. In August 2020, St Nicholas had 294 dwellings and 451 electors. ...

. The village is bisected by the

A48 A48 may refer to: * A48 motorway (France), a road connecting the A43 and Grenoble * A48 road (Great Britain), a road connecting Gloucester, England and Carmarthen, Wales * Autovía A-48, a motorway under construction connecting Cadiz and Algecira ...

road, with notable landmarks such as the parish church and a primary school situated to the north of the road. The surrounding area consists largely of agricultural fields and lies within the Dyffryn Basin and Ridge Slopes Special Landscape Area.

Amenities

St Nicholas has no shops or pubs; the nearest amenities can be found in the local market town,

, and

Culverhouse Cross Culverhouse Cross () is a district straddling the boundary between Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in the Community (Wales), community of Wenvoe. The district is centred on a major traffic roundabout that links West Cardiff to the M4 m ...

. The village has a primary school and lies in the catchment of Cowbridge School. The village is located approximately a 10-minute drive from the market town of Cowbridge to the west and 20 minutes from Cardiff to the east.https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=fossgis_osrm_car&route=51.46072%2C-3.31132%3B51.46169%2C-3.44727 It is also connected to Barry via the A4226, commonly known as Five Mile Lane, which branches off from the A48. Public transport services the village through the X2 route, with eastbound destinations including

, Canton, and

Cardiff city centre Cardiff city centre () is the city centre and central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bound by the River Taff to the west, the Civic Centre to the north and railway lines and two railway stations – Cardiff Cen ...

, and westbound destinations such as

Bonvilston Bonvilston () is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village is situated on the A48 road, A48 about four miles east of Cowbridge and near the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The population in 2011 was 392. History It is named after ...

Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...

, and

Porthcawl Porthcawl () is a town and community in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales. It is located on the south coast, west of Cardiff and south-east of Swansea. Historically part of Glamorgan and situated on a low limestone headland on the South ...

History

Evidence of human settlement in St. Nicholas dates back to Neolithic times, with significant archaeological findings at

Tinkinswood Tinkinswood or its full name Tinkinswood Burial Chamber (), also known as Castell Carreg, Llech-y-Filiast and Maes-y-Filiast, is a megalithic Chamber tomb, burial chamber, built around 4000 BC, during the Neolithic period, in the Vale of Glamo ...

, located less than a mile to the south. The modern village has evolved from an agricultural community, with land historically divided among three prominent families: the Earl of Pembroke, Miles Button of Dyffryn, and Rice Meyrick of Cottrell. This division is still reflected in the village's layout today. During the 20th century, the village saw considerable development, particularly to the south by the Cardiff Rural District Council. The growth of

and the construction of the A4232 link road increased St. Nicholas's appeal as a commuter village. On 6 October 2016, a controversial planning application by Redrow Homes was approved, permitting the construction of 100 new homes. An additional 17 homes were later included by Waterstone Homes, with construction beginning in the summer of 2017. The development effectively doubled the village's size. That same year, the village church hall was sold.

Gallery

File:St Nicholas Vale of Glamorgan 2.jpg, Presbyterian church File:The Three Tuns, St Nicholas, January 2021 1.jpg, The former pub, The Three Tuns File:St Nicholas Vale of Glamorgan 5.jpg, Primary school File:St Nicholas Vale of Glamorgan 6.jpg, St Nicholas War Memorial St Nicholas Church Hall, St Nicholas, January 2021.jpg, The former church hall, now Church Hall House and Tinkinswood Hall File:Cory family tomb, Church of St Nicholas, January 2021 05.jpg, The Cory family tomb in St Nicholas churchyard File:3 Smith's Row, St Nicholas, January 2021 1.jpg, Smith's Row of thatched cottages

References

External links

St Nicholas Village WebsiteSt Nicholas Church in Wales Primary SchoolPhotos of St Nicholas and the surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
Villages in the Vale of Glamorgan {{ValeofGlamorgan-geo-stub