Cosmeston Lakes
About the Park
The country park has a variety of habitats covering over 100
hectares of land and water, some 46ha being designated a S.S.S.I
(Site of Special Scientific Interest) protecting the rare and
diverse plant and animal species.
Cosmeston offers a fine introduction into the countryside and is
open all year round. The park has been designed to enable people of
all abilities to discover and enjoy the countryside found within
the Vale of Glamorgan.
The Park is also home to Cosmeston Medieval Village which is a Heritage
Project that is unique in Britain. The reconstructed 14th Century
village is on it's original site and consists of medieval
buildings, gardens, rare breeds and a small museum. Tours of the
village are by costumed villagers. Special events take place
throughout the year such as jousting, medieval combat, archery,
crafts, Halloween events and Summer Festivals.
Park History
Cosmeston lakes country park had its origins with the advent of
limestone quarrying in the early 1890s. The quarrying ceased in
1970 and this saw one of the quarry sites being used for landfill.
Underground springs flooded parts of the quarried area creating
lakes. The quarry spoil areas were landscaped and together with the
lakes form the main features of the park which we can see today
giving access to over of 100 hectares of woodland, calcareous
grassland and wetlands.