The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Merthyr Mawr is 4.5km southwest of Bridgend on a minor road south off thew A48, the church is on the north side of the road between the village and Merthyr Mawr Warren.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 170 Cadw Listing Notice 11242
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
The memorial stones and pillar suggest a very early date for a church on this site. The present church was built in 1849-51 by Benjamin Ferrey, Pugin’s fellow pupil and biographer. In getting the work done Ferrey was assisted by John Prichard who remarked that he would not usually undertake to deal with another’s work but ‘I look upon myself as a humble imitator of your work. The foundation stone was laid on 13th November 1849 (this entry in Church Heritage Cymru was also done, by chance on 13th November 2022). The new church provide seating of 100 worshippers, it was consecrated in June 1851. The contractor was William Parry of Cowbridge and the cost was £1,167. A vestry was added in 1963
Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Historic Wales Listing notice 11242 Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
‘Here is a Puginian vision.’ John Newman’. The Victorian church was built in the Early English style to conform to the tide of the Oxford movement in Wales view on how the church architecture should be related to church services. The church has a nave with a west bellcote and south porch with a lower and narrower chancel with a mid C20 vestry. It was built with snecked limestone with sandstone dressings beneath steep slate roofs with coped gables. The 4-bay nave has stepped buttresses with gablets, a moulded corbel table and lancets with sill and impost bands. The porch is left of centre and a doorway of one order of attached shafts with stiff leaf capitals and a hood mould with head stops. The chancel is of 2-bays with stepped buttresses, to the left is a priest’s door with a ribbed door with strap hinges. Above the doorway is a stone sundial dated 1720 now carried on corbels dated 1923. The vestry, a lean-to building on the west side has steps down to the vestry undercroft. The vestry door is medieval brought from St Illtyd’s church Bridgend in 1963. The western gable supports an octagonal bell turret which was constructed from local Pennant sandstone with Doulting stone dressings and carries an open bell frame which has two bells. Above is a dog-tooth frieze with an octagonal spirelet crowned with a gilded weather vane. (This was probably inspired by the medieval bellcote at St Nicholas church Biddestone, Wiltshire.)
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The nave has a pointed arch-braced roof with a single tier of wind braces, wall shafts with stylised stiff-leaf corbels support the roof. The chancel arch has polygonal responds with stiff leaf capitals and a hollow-chamfered two-centred arch. The chancel roof is similar to that of the nave but with two tiers of wind-braces on shorter wall shafts. Minton patterned tiles cover the floor. There is a C13 plain tub font of octagonal shape on a square base and mounted on a stepped plinth with blue patterned tiles, the work dating to c1851, next to it is a Medieval Holy water stoop. The circular pulpit is a lavish affair, of circular stone on a thin pedestal with many black marble shafts and much stiff leaf foliage. There is a handsome brass lectern of High Victorian design. The stained glass: in the chancel - east window, ‘The Resurrection’ note the startled soldier, north and south window, ‘The Miracles of Christ’, all by William Wailes, contemporary with the building of the church. In the west window ‘St Teilo and St Dewi. In the north nave window, a glass memorial commemorating the 1914-18 war by A J Davies of the Bromsgrove Guild and by Jones and Willis, 1925. The two bells were cast in 1856 by C & G Mears.
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001 Historic Wales Listing notice 11242 Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004 A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.