Cowbridge was voted the best place to live in Wales by the Sunday Times in 2017 and sits just 30 minutes from Cardiff
Ella Kipling GAU Writer and Jane Lavender
08:00, 17 Dec 2025Updated 08:12, 17 Dec 2025
Independent shops outnumber chains in Cowbridge(Image: John Myers)
A quaint market town just a half-hour drive from Cardiff has been lauded for its beautiful gardens, award-winning pubs and charming high street.
Cowbridge, located in south Wales, was named the best place to live in Wales by the Sunday Times in 2017. It boasts a plethora of independent shops, restaurants, and a weekly farmers’ market.
Every Saturday, visitors can delve into the farmer’s market at Arthur John’s car park, offering a variety of artisanal produce including meats, cheeses, plants, herbs and fresh fish.
The organisers emphasise that all products available at the market have been “grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed” by the stallholders themselves.
Cowbridge Physic Garden(Image: Google Maps)
For those who love shopping, there are several charity shops as well as independent retailers such as No39, which offers furniture and gifts, and Stwff-Stuff, where you can discover a range of delightful items like bags, jewellery, and trinkets.
The Happy Days Vintage Home Store is perfect for a leisurely perusal, where you can search for unique, vintage furniture and household items. They offer everything from nostalgic toys, records, clothes, postcards, and retro signs – and there’s even a cafe nestled amongst the eclectic assortment of items.
Among Cowbridge’s premier attractions is the Physic Garden, a peaceful sanctuary perfect for unwinding, wandering, and reflection. The garden showcases a “glorious array of medicinal plants and herbs”, with its half-acre site containing species historically employed for therapeutic and culinary uses.
The Welsh Historic Gardens Trust oversaw the garden’s transformation several years back, and it was formally opened by Queen Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, in 2008.
Queen Camilla visiting Cowbridge(Image: Getty Images)
Those who’ve visited have called the gardens a “tranquil haven”. One guest said: “An absolute haven in the centre of town. Have been here many times when we’ve needed an uplift. Volunteers are helpful and really well informed about what is growing.”
Another added: “A little oasis of calm…we recently met a friend for lunch in Cowbridge and we got there early so we decided to spend some time walking around the Physic gardens…it was so calm and peaceful.”
The town’s dining and drinking establishments include The Bear Hotel, which has received a 2025 TripAdvisor award, and the Penny Farthing, holder of a 2024 Travellers’ Choice award. The nearby Hare and Hounds appears in the Michelin Guide and has earned a Bib Gourmand for “good quality, good value cooking”.
Food lovers should explore the Elephant and Bun delicatessen, which stocks a range of charcuterie and cheeses, wines and cider, whilst the award-winning ice cream parlour, Fablas, is essential viewing. The town is also home to parks and a plethora of walking trails for outdoor enthusiasts.
Nearby attractions include the Hensol Castle Distillery, the Vale Resort Golf Club, St Hilary Vineyard, and Warren Mill Farm.
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