|
The Wreckers
of Wick along these cliffs.
The
coastline to the south and west of Wick is formed of rocks
of the Lower Lias series that display horizontal stratification
and are fossil bearing. It is from the top of these cliffs
that, according to local folklore, the 'Wreckers of Wick'
would, in the times before modern navigation, lure ships
onto the rocks by showing false lights and then plunder
the cargo. It is recorded that the bodies of drowned sailors
were recovered from the beaches by Monks from the monastic
grange at nearby Monknash and taken to what is now the Plough
& Harrow Inn where they were prepared for burial. Historically
this stretch of coastline has one of the highest instances
of shipwrecks in Wales, its exposure to the Atlantic swell,
south-westerly winds and shallow reefs making it treacherous
to shipping. More recently the coastline has become popular
for surfing and fishing.
The
parish church of Wick is dedicated to Saint James the Great,
and like many of the other churches in the parish dates
from the twelfth century. It began as a chapel, but was
later gifted to Ewenny Priory. It is a Grade 2* listed building
and consists of a chancel, nave, south porch and western
'saddle back' tower. The church is built in the Early English
Period style, although the oldest parts of the structure
such as the chancel arch, the south door and a small window
in the chancel, all date from the 12th century. The church
has a medieval stone mensa (rectangular) altar, views of
which are provided through the 'squints' (hagioscopes) from
the nave. The altar has unusual niches on either side, which
probably contained statues of St James and the Blessed Virgin
in centuries past. St James' was the subject of a major
Victorian restoration 125 years ago and further additions
have been made since then. The registers date from 1813.
Wick also has a Unitarian and General Baptist Chapel that
has held regular services since 1792.
Approximately
1 mile to the west of the village is Monks Wood, a 10 acre
plantation of mixed native woodland species managed by the
Woodland Trust and the Monks Wood Committee. The wood was
planted with native broadleaved trees and shrubs by villagers
from Wick in November 2000. A wide mown path follows a circular
route through the site and there is an information display
for visitors. Another area of ecological importance is Clemenstone
Meadows, directly to the north of the village, comprising
2 traditionally managed meadows on either side of a brook
that support a number of rare plant species.
The
village was the birthplace of Sir Keith Thomas in 1933 and
is now home to the family of the Olympic gold medallist
and World Champion cyclist Nicole Cooke.
Sports
clubs in the village include Wick Rugby union Club and the
Wick & District Cricket Club.
On November
28 2006, the village of Wick became the first community
in the UK to be switched over to British Telecom's "21st
Century Network" (21CN); an advanced high-speed broadband
network that will be rolled out throughout the UK over the
coming years, replacing all of BT's existing networks. Laura
Wess, 11, made the first call using the system from Wick
and Marcross Primary School to the Right Reverend John Stewart
Davies, bishop of St Asaph, in North Wales.
The
village won the South Wales Region Award for the 2008 Calor
Village of the Year.
|
