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.
Rhossili is a small village at the very western end of the Gower penisula, some 28 km south south east of Swansea City Centre. The village is at the southern end of Rhossili Down and located within the wider Gower Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty. In medieval times it was one of two villages. The lower village on the Down was inundated with sand and in modern photgraphs of the Down the building shown prominently under the Down was the vicarage until at least Victorian Times.
The name/dedication of the church to which the plan refers.
A brief description of the plan. eg. who created it and where it came from.
The date the plan was created.
The details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who inputted the plan.
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.
A much restored church of the C14, unexpectedly incorporating a fine Norman south doorway of the C12. St. Mary's church probably consisted originally of nave and chancel only. Early mediaeval features include a low-side-window and the slight inclination south of the axis of the chancel. The tower is evidently an addition, blocking an earlier high level west window. It has a transverse saddleback roof of unknown date.The very fine Norman entrance arch, unique in Gower, is unlikely to be in situ, as the hilltop situation of the church suggests a post-Norman foundation. In mediaeval Rhossili there were two village settlements, the older one below the Down with the old church (SAM 414) and the newer village on the hilltop, with this church. The two settlements and their churches appear to have coexisted until the late middle ages. There is a theory (supported by local tradition) that the arch came from the older church below the Down, and an excavation in 1980 has confirmed that dressed stonework appears to be missing from the chancel wall of the older church. Furthermore, the arch in its present position appears to have been rebuilt with poorer craftsmanship. It may therefore have been salvaged and inserted at the time of the abandonment of the older church. A finger sundial scratched on the left column cap of the Norman arch shows it was at one period an external door. St. Mary's church was much restored in the C19 in both 1855-6 under the Revd J Ponsonby Lucas at a cost of £500 and by Ewan Christian, architect, H Rosser contractor, in 1890-1, the cost then being £905 and paid for by Miss Talbot of Penrice. A drawing in 1855 by Caroline Lucas suggests considerable dilapidation. Glynne in 1847 refers to the east window as 'modern pointed'. This may have been a first improvement. The floor was bare clay and the roof was much lower than at present. The fact that there is a church of this quality in Gower is something of a mystery
References
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 2001
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The original church had a nave and chancel, and a tower was added later all now in a Victorian Gothic style, it was built from rubble local limestone with some axe dressed red sandstone, under a Welsh slate roof with ridge tiles. The coped gables of the nave are in sandstone while the windows and coped gable of the chancel are in oolitic limestone The tower is low with a saddleback roof without parapets, it has a single slit belfry light to the north and south and a round chimney.
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.
Within the porch is a splendid late Norman doorway which it is generally agreed to be the chancel arch removed from the church on the Warren (Down). Keeled side shafts with deleicately carved scallop capitals, outward pointing zig-zaground the arch. The hood mould is made from runs of dogtooth and rests on worn headstops. This description suggests a date late in C12 which corresponds to the date of the missing church but leads to the question as to why such fine work is to be found on Gower. There is a scratch sundial above the left capital which further suggests that this is a outside part of a wall - all evidence of the Early English Deorated style of architecture from between c1290 and c1350. Within the sancturay which has a trefoil-headed recess. Dating from Ewan Christion's restoration is a carved Gothic oak reredos which stands behind the altar which was donated by a Miss Talbot in 1891. In the nave there is an oak pulpit, carved in Gothic style on stone plinth with 3 steps. There is a mediaeval font on a slightly tapering cube on a very short round pillar, square plinth plus C19 lower plinth and step, rough tooling marks. In the tower are seven bells by Eijsbouts cast in 1995 and three bells by Abel Rudhall cast in 1745.
There is a monument in releif illustating Scott's ill-fated expedition to the South Pole, in which Petty Officer Edgar Evans, a native of Rhossili lost his life. There is a statue to him in the village.
Buildings of Wales – Glamorgan 20015
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.