In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described St Donats like this:
DONATS (St.), a parish in Bridgend district, Glamorgan; on the coast, 6 miles SW of Cowbridge r. station, and 6½ SSE of Bridgend. It has a post office under Bridgend. Acres, 1, 018; of which 90 are water. Real property, £1, 157. Pop., 126. Houses, 26. The manor belonged to the Esterlings or Stradlings; passed to the Mansels; and belongs now to T. T. Drake, Esq. St. Donat's Castle was, for seven centuries, the seat of the Stradlings; is an extensive structure, of much antique beauty; and is still parti...
ally inhabited. An ancient watch-tower, commanding a very extensive view, a large cave, said to have been the abode of St. Donat, and remains of a cromlech and an old fortalice, are near the castle. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Llandaff. Value, £131. Patron, J. W. N. Carne, Esq. The church is old, but picturesque and good; and contains monuments of the Stradlings. A very beautiful ancient cross, in a state of perfect preservation, is in the churchyard.
St Donats through time
For the best overall sense of how the area containing St Donats has changed, please see our redistricted information for the modern district of The Vale of Glamorgan. More detailed statistical data are available under Historical units & statistics for administrative units named after or covering St Donats.
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