Llanmaes has a long history for such a humble village. In fields adjacent to the coast road lie remains of a Roman fort. Much restoration work has been carried out on the church which also holds a pre-reformation mural of St George and the Dragon that has almost escaped damage but is now very faint.
Also, along this section of the village which has the oldest, most picturesque cottages and houses lie the remains of the keep to the Norman Malefant Castle, which is now a ruin and lies behind a modern house. Much of the village now consists of relatively modern detached housing along the main Llanmaes road. Thankfully the Village green has been preserved, across from the Village's only remaining pub, "The Blacksmiths Arms" - the old forge lies opposite the pub, hence the name. The original Brown Lion pub and quaint post-office/village shop building, now both private dwellings, can be seen in the older part of the village.
What ties the whole village, with its village hall and strong community spirit together, is the winding Llanmaes Brook, which flows through the heart of the village before bending East and draining away towards Eglwys Brewis.
The village has won the Vale of Glamorgan Best Kept Village competition on at least eight occasions.