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St Mary, Margam Abbey

Name:

The name or dedication of the church.

St Mary, Margam Abbey
Record Type:

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.

Parish Church
Church code:

A unique identification number given to every church.

4041
Diocese:

The name of the diocese in which the church is located.

Llandaff
Archdeaconry:

The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.

Margam
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

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.

This is a Grade I Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

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 is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

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. 

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.

The church is in a Conservation Area

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Buildings At Risk Status

On Buildings At Risk Register?

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. 

This church is not on the Buildings at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

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).

Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

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.

St Mary’s church is the remains of the great Margam Abbey, founded as a Cistercian Abbey by Robert of Gloucester in 1147. It became closely associated with Welsh culture such that the White Book of Hergest was copied there. It is set close to the Margam stone Museum, a collection of inscribed stones. Reference The Encyclopaedia of Wales

Visiting and Facilities

Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc. 

The church is open for worship.
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Church Website

Church Website:

If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.

http://www.margamabbey.co.uk/

Sources and Further Information

Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).

View information on worship and access at this church on the Church In Wales web site
RCAHMW (2004) Coflein http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/302498/details/ [Digital Archive/Document]
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/
GGAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://www.cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?prn=GGAT00770w [Digital Archive/Data]
http://www.ggat.org.uk/her/her.html

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.

Grid Reference: SS 801 862

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Church address

Address
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
St Mary Margam Abbey PORT TALBOT SA13 2TA

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.

Castell-nedd Port Talbot - Neath Port Talbot

Location and Setting

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.

Margam is to be found 7km south east of Port talbot via Harbour Way and the A4241 and the A48, the church it at the  end of a short lane running north east off the A48 and the stones Museum is within the churchyard.

Reference
AA Route Planner 
OS Map 170
Cadw Listing notice 14148

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

This is a description of the ground plan of the church.

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Dimensions

If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.

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Description of Archaeology and History

A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.

An early Christian Centre as evidenced by the collection of early inscribed stones housed in the stone museum.  A Cistercian Abbey was founded here in 1147 by Robert of Gloucester, Earl of Glamorgan. It is C12 nave of the Abbey which now forms the Parish church.  Most of the rest of the Abbey is now ruinous following the visit of Henry VIII’s commissioners in 1536-7.  Restoration took place in 1805 when the north and south aisles were rebuilt under the direction of Charles Wallis, an architect from Swansea.  The work altered the external appearance markedly, the Norman windows were rebuilt, the roof was lowered and the bellcote replaced by a modern gable.  The buttresses were extended upwards and capped by Italianate campaniles.  The cost was £6490. 5. 11d.  Further restoration took place in 1872-3 at the inspiration of the church warden Theodore Talbot.  He was a man strongly influenced by the Tractarian Movement and who had been engaged social work with the incumbent of St Alban’s church in Holborn London.  This resulted in new seats, ceiling and pulpit.  When work began, Theodore remarked ‘Let us begin by demolishing the Squire’s and the Parson’s pews; there must be no vested interests here’. The roof of the church was repaired in 1899 at a cost of £1000.

Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Cadw Listing notice 14148
Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
Coflein NPRN 302498

Exterior Description

A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.

A nave and chancel in one with flanking lean-to aisles.  It was built from Sutton stone and has renewed slate covered roofs.  The west front retains its Norman style while the remainder of the church is Romanesque.  The result is much elaborate intricate architectural embellishment. The south gable has a cross finial.

Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Cadw Listing notice 14148
Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004
Stained Glass in Wales
Coflein NPRN 159

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.

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Building Fabric and Features

Information about any important features and building fabric.

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Building Materials

If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.

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Interior Image

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Interior Description

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.

Beside the nave are six-bay Norman arcades with plain cruciform piers and round arches which have chamfered impost bands and relieving arches.  There are C19 quadripartite vaulted roofs in each bay.  Above the nave and chancel is a shallow pitched timber-panelled ceiling supported on a corbel table.  Two steps up lead from the nave into the chancel and there are ornate iron railings with scrollwork and large fleur-de-lys finials.  The reredos is of pink marble with a blind arcade of round arches.  Dividing the chancel from the chapels, at the east end of the aisles are half-glazed Gothic screens with intersecting tracery.  The font, dating from the restoration of 1810 is pink-grey marble from Caen, the bowl has a dog-tooth frieze to the rim, a pink marble stem and a tiered stone base.  A second font dating from the 1872 restoration is a highly polished one of crinoid limestone it to be found at the end of the south aisle. (Has it replaced the other font?)   The polygonal pulpit is also Caen stone dating to the restoration of 1872, it is decorated with blind round arches and coloured marble inlay and has a red marble stem.  The ornately carved mahogany choir stalls have Romanesque detail including arcades and are the work of William Clarke of Llandaff in 1904.  The seven lamps positioned before the altar are replicas of those in St Alban’s Church Holborn (note that church was destroyed by enemy action.)  The stained glass: ‘Virgin and Child with St Bernard and St David’, designed by Edward Coley Burne-Jones for Morris, Marshall, Falkner & Co, 1873 -the figures are set against pale quarry backgrounds – in  his account book Burne-Jones called the cartoons for the figures of the saint’s of colossal size and excellence – entirely priceless- I make no charge  for the genius displayed in this work but the trouble of lifting the cartoon about during the work - £15; ‘Christ in Majesty with Angels’, designed by William Aikman for James Powell & Sons, 1904; ‘I am the Bread of Life’, Frank Roper, 1970s or 1980s; ‘Christ with Mary of Bethany, Clayton & Bell, 1864.

Reference
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Cadw Listing notice 14148
Stained Glass in Wales   
Church Building and Restoration in Victorian Glamorgan Geoffrey R Orrin 2004

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings. 

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Portable Furnishings and Artworks

Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.

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Ecology

A description of the ecology of the churchyard.

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Ecological Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

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Burial and War Grave Information

Records whether the church has been consecrated.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.

It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.

It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.

The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Parish Church

Churchyard Structures

Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Setting Significance Description:

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.

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Fabric Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Fabric Significance Description:

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.

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Interior Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Interior Significance Description:

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.

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Community Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

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Community Significance Description:

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. 

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Church Renewables

Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.

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Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

"Seek Advice" Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Parish Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Parish Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Parish Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Parish Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionThu 24 Mar 2022 16:35:10
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Exterior DescriptionThu 24 Mar 2022 16:34:29
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Archaeology and History DescriptionThu 24 Mar 2022 16:34:03
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Location and Setting DescriptionThu 24 Mar 2022 16:33:27
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionThu 24 Mar 2022 16:33:01
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Approximate DateThu 24 Mar 2022 16:32:53
Paul BakerModified the Grid ReferenceThu 24 Mar 2022 09:56:40
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Asset AddressThu 24 Mar 2022 09:55:39
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationThu 24 Mar 2022 09:54:39
Sarah PeronsAdded QI inspectionThu 16 Dec 2021 16:26:11
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