Cosmeston Medieval Village
During the development of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park in 1978,
excavations uncovered the remains of a community over 600 years
old, and so began a unique archaeological project to restore the
village of Cosmeston.
It was during the development of Cosmeston
Lakes Country Park in 1978 that excavation work undertaken by
Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust revealed the remains of
13th -14th century stone buildings which led
to a long term research programme being commissioned.
The Trust uncovered the remains of a community
over 600 years old, and so began a unique archaeological project to
restore the medieval village of Cosmeston. The importance of the
medieval village at Cosmeston lies in its scale as most other
excavations have been limited in both size and duration.
At Cosmeston the archaeologists have had the
opportunity to excavate over long periods of time and these
excavations have led to the full-scale reconstruction of a medieval
village on its original site and foundations.
The excavations have been interpreted and
presented by archaeologists and the Vale of Glamorgan Council to
provide an authentic picture of the settlement discovered at
Cosmeston.
The medieval village seen today is fully accessible to
visitors and set in the year 1350. It was a fascinating time in
history as the village had been given a new boost of life by the de
Cavershams
There were plenty of exciting things happening
- King Edward III ruled a land at war with the conflict with France
(the Hundred Years War) in its twelfth year and Britain was slowly
recovering from the Black Death of 1348, which killed almost half
the population.
To view a map of Cosmeston
Medieval Village, open the Medieval
village map