Picture perfect Welsh town with bustling high street and 'beautiful' gardens

Cowbridge, a town in South Wales about 30 minutes from Cardiff, was named the Sunday Times’ best place to live in Wales in 2017 and continues to draw attention for its high street and gardens. The town’s weekly farmers’ market runs every Saturday at Arthur John’s car park, with stalls selling produce that organizers say is grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the vendors themselves. Cowbridge is also known for independent shops and charity retailers, including No39 and Stwff-Stuff. A key attraction is the Physic Garden, a half-acre site restored by the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust and formally opened in 2008 by Queen Camilla (then Duchess of Cornwall). Dining options include The Bear Hotel (2025 TripAdvisor award), Penny Farthing (2024 Travellers’ Choice) and Bib Gourmand-holder Hare and Hounds.