It is just outside the ancient market town of Cowbridge, near to
the remains of the Roman road known as Route XII, which linked
together a string of forts across South Wales from Caerleon (Isca)
to Carmarthen. Stalling Down itself was the site of a battle where
the forces of Owain Glyndwr defeated an English army during the
15th century Welsh revolt against King Henry IV.
The identifiable stand of trees at the crown of the hill was the
site of the town’s gallows in the Eighteenth century, and
before.
“When found guilty of stealing sheep or other capital
offences, prisoners were transported to their execution up the
steep, stony Roman road on the east of the town known as Primrose
Hill to Stalling Down. They travelled by horse and cart with the
noose already around their necks. Here, close to the grove of trees
that stands at the top of the southern part of the Downs today,
prisoners would have had their last view of life across the green
fields to the Bristol Channel and the hills of Exmoor in the
distance. Prisoners were hung from the branch of a tree of their
choice alongside the main road, and tradition has it that anyone
alive after hanging for an hour would be set free, because by that
time they had proved their innocence.”
From “Aspects of Cowbridge”; A. Leijerstam; Profile
Publishing; (1992); ISBN 0 9519213 0 4.