The Village of Colwinston lies
on the western edge of the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Vale of Glamorgan is a county and is part of South Wales. Wales lies on the western side of the Great Britain.

Our school can be seen in the top left part of this photograph, between the two groups of houses.

The History of the Colwinston
The ancient village of Colwinston lies within the Vale of Glamorgan, approximately one mile to the South of the A48 between the urbanisation of Bridgend and the market town of Cowbridge. Earliest records refer to the "Manor of Colwinston" from which the present name and village have evolved. Over the years, the name has variously been spelt as 'Colwinston' and 'Colwinstone'. Indeed, beautifully hand-written village records, dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have been known to use both variations on the same page.

The Golden Mile
The section of the A48 outside of the village is known locally as "Golden Mile". It is said that a regiment of Cromwellian troops lined up here to be paid off at the end of their duties, with each man receiving a golden coin. There is also a legend of a gypsy curse afflicting the road nearby. Agatha Christie frequently visited her family at the manor house of "Pwllywrach" and was so impressed with the tale that she later used it as a basis for one of her thrillers: "The Hollow".

Colwinston's Oldest Building
Colwinston's oldest building is the Norman church of St. Michael and All Angels, which dates from the year 1111 AD. The inheritance of St. Michael's is the product of the twists and machinations of a chequered history. There are examples of architectural inspiration to balance other instances of institutional vandalism. Regrettably the central feature of the 'rood loft' was stripped out when subjected to the mistaken zeal of 16th.century reformers and later, when parliamentary troops made havoc of much of the medieval adornment of village churches. To mark the passage into the third millennium, the problems arising from natural deterioration and the failure of the structure to meet the requirements of today's accepted levels of accommodation and comfort are being addressed. This priceless heritage, with careful nurturing, will come to maturity in a sensitive marriage of contemporary and medieval architectural arts and skills.

Two World Wars
During the First World War twenty-three men from the village joined the forces in the service of their country. Those who were left behind devoted themselves to collecting money to provide a few luxuries for those in the trenches. However, being of a cautious disposition, they retained some of this cash for the purpose of erecting a memorial at the time of the armistice to those who died. As it happened, all twenty-three returned safely and those worthy denizens found themselves with the problem of what to do with the funds they had held back. Inspiration soon brought the solution and a marble plaque was purchased and placed in the church porch: "IN HONOUR OF THE MEN OF THE PARISH WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 -1918."

The men from Colwinston who served during the Second World War also returned safely, with one exception. Major H.D.B. Prichard of Pwllywrach was killed in France in 1944. The electric lighting in the church was installed to commemorate his sacrifice and a brass plate on the south wall records his life and service.

Formerly there were three chapels in the village. The latest survivor was de-consecrated in 1997 and is currently being converted into a dwelling, to follow the destiny of the other two into secular usage.

Changing Times
Like so many other villages within range of the cities where most people find their employment, Colwinston has a commuter element to its social mix, but it remains essentially a farming community. Modern methods and conditions have 'combined' (pardon the pun) to squeeze out the smaller holdings and several former farmhouses have, over the years, become luxury homes. The farmland is now concentrated into larger units in the stewardship of those who continue the traditions of the rural way of life. One of these former houses was, at one time, occupied by the 'Arthur' family of farmers, of whom the actor Richard Burton was a descendant.

In some respects facilities in the village are limited: for example there is no longer a post office. On the other hand there is a public house, 'The Sycamore Tree Inn' and the village shop remains open for custom. Recently, bus services through the village have been much improved to provide public transport to the towns. From Bridgend there is a direct train service to Cardiff, Bristol and London. Considering that the village consists of no more than approximately 150 houses, on the whole the villagers are well served.

Social Activity
The centre of social activity is the Village Hall set in the playing field. This belongs to the Local Authority, but it is placed in the care of trustees. An energetic social committee runs the premises for the benefit of local clubs and associations and also organises several social events throughout the year. The Playgroup, Youth Club, Brownies, Guides, Over 60's and W.I. are regular users of the hall. Occasional users are the Young Farmers, St. David's School and the Caravan Club. Outside facilities include a tennis court for the Tennis Club, which also organises coaching for the youngsters; the Cricket Club (a centre of village good humour) maintains a passable 'square' for its matches with neighbouring villages.

St. David's School & Friends
The village is very proud of the achievements of the children of St. David's school, which was opened in new buildings in 1970, replacing three former schools, which closed at that time. It serves the three villages of Llysworney, Llandow and Colwinston, but children from farther afield sometimes enrol. Like some of the former farmhouses, the old village school has been restored as a dwelling, but remains as a reminder of former times when the school population was so small. Today there are 120 children attending St. David's.

When the new school was being planned, there was a strong lobby to site it in the neighbouring village of Llandow. Somewhere along the line, an ace card was played and the alternative lobby capitulated to accept the site at the heart of Colwinston where the school now stands.

Because it is a Church-in-Wales school there is a close association with St. Michael's and the Rector, who is a governor of the school is also a frequent visitor to speak to the children. "The Friends of St. David's" constitute a P.T.A. - of exceptional enterprise and fund-raising achievement, enabling the school to enhance its provision - even to the extent of financing new classrooms.

The Colwinston News
Communications in the village are maintained through the pages of 'The Colwinston News' a monthly paper now into its sixth year. Published by Colwinston Community Association and sponsored by Colwinston Community Association it is photocopied in the school for distribution to each house. St. David's school is a regular contributor, with both children's work and reports of school activities may be found there. The editor is a retired teacher and a governor of the school. There is never a shortage of news and views as the lively nature of the personality of the village is mirrored to indicate the bustling good nature of this Glamorgan village.