What’s been happening in Cowbridge this season?

Cowbridge church premiers new opera

Cowbridge’s Holy Cross Church recently premiered An Act of Piracy, a new Welsh opera exploring the historical links between Trinidad and Wales. The production drew strong local interest and highlighted the church’s growing role as a cultural venue. The performance brought together community musicians and showcased the Vale of Glamorgan’s commitment to supporting new Welsh creative work. The production is led by Welsh singer Richard Parry and Trinidadian artist Mary-Anne Roberts, blending classical British sea songs with traditional and modern calypso music. The opera tells the dramatic story of a man from West Wales who is captured by pirates in the 1790s and taken to Trinidad. Parry describes the work as a “bold adventure that celebrates both cultures through a mix of classical and Caribbean musical traditions.” The performance marks a vibrant cultural moment for Cowbridge, bringing an original piece of Welsh-Caribbean storytelling to a local stage.

Penllyn Estate Loop added to Great Glamorgan Way

A new countryside route has been launched as part of the expanding Great Glamorgan Way network, offering riders, cyclists and walkers a scenic circular route through the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Penllyn Estate Loop winds through the gently rolling countryside around Penllyn, near Cowbridge. Designed primarily for horse riding and cycling, the route is also suitable for walkers and showcases some of the Vale’s most picturesque rural landscapes, including farm lanes, estate tracks, woodland edges and open fields.

The route can be enjoyed as a stand-alone outing, but it also links with other sections of the Great Glamorgan Way. Positioned near several existing routes, the loop can act as a useful connector, detour or natural break point for those planning a longer day out across the Vale.

Penllyn Estate itself provides a welcoming hub for visitors, offering café and restaurant options, parking, toilets and spaces suitable for bikes and horses to rest, regroup and re-mount before continuing their journey.

Users are advised to take particular care when crossing the busy A48 near Taskforce. Find out more at www.greatglamorganway.co.uk.