Dinas Powys and the area around it have been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times, and we can still see the remains of a Romano-British homestead, a hill fort and a Norman castle. St Andrews and Michaelston-le-Pit grew up around ancient churches, still in use. For centuries Dinas Powys was the administrative centre of a lordship that extended from the River Thaw to the Taff. With political changes, Dinas Powys sank into obscurity with farming as the chief occupation. This changed with the coming of the railway in 1888 and Dinas Powys began to grow, with new industries and an increasing population. The local school became the meeting place for the clubs and societies which proliferated. Today Dinas Powys is the major settlement, though St Andrews and Michaelston-le-Pit retain their identity. This is now the dormitory area for those who commute to Cardiff, Penarth and Barry and since the end of the Second World War housing estates have spread over the farmland. Enough of the old villages remain, however, for most of the scenes in this book to be recognised. Over the years the close community life bred some remarkable characters, captured on camera by local photographers. These photographs and the accompanying commentary will evoke happy memories for those who, like the author, were brought up in Dinas Powys but they will also appeal to newcomers and visitors, who have felt the fascination of the area.
