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.
The church is to be found at the western end of the village of Llanmadoc on the northern side of the Gower peninsular about 26 km west of the City of Swansea.
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.
The present church probably dates from the late C12, after Llanmadoc was granted by Margaret, Countess of Warwick, to the Knights Templars (1156). The round headed chancel arch suggests the C12, and when plaster was scraped off during the 1856 restoration, round-headed apertures were also noted in the north wall. The tower was probably a later mediaeval addition. It was subsequently in the possession of the Knights Hospitallers then vested in the Crown at the Dissolution. Like other Gower churches of this time the building became a sanctuary when pirates coming from the Bristol channel came ashore in search of loot and people to either ransom or use as slaves. The site is of great Christian antiquity: there is a stone of c. AD 500, to [...] son of Duectus, son of [...]guanus (or other possible readings), found when the old rectory was demolished, and two scheduled perhaps C8 inscribed pillar stones with crosses were found locally. In 1821 the church was described as being in good repair, having recently been improved by the addition of enlarged windows. It was also repaired in 1846. When seen by Glynne in 1848 there was still a low-side-window, since lost. The south porch which he mentions was no doubt the 'modern porch' which the restorers of 1856 found in such 'bad taste' that they had to rebuild it. Glynne also refers to the tower as 'low', which suggests the restorers of 1856 may not have been guilty of arbitrarily reducing its height, as has been supposed. Revd J D Davies, a pioneering high-churchman and skilled wood-carver became rector in 1860. He carved the oak altar frontal. In 1865 - 6 and he led a major restoration which he partially funded and for which the architect was John Pritchard of Llandaff. Much of the nave and chancel was rebuilt, the roofs were renewed, and the porch and the upper part of the tower rebuilt. All the windows were restored; except the eastern window to the south of the chancel which may be the old east window relocated. A proposed vestry north of the chancel was omitted from the plans. Mediaeval painted plaster destroyed during this restoration was not recorded in detail.
Reference
Cadw Listed Building Notice
Welsh History Month The Churches of Gower Dr Helen Nicholson Wales on-Line
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
Llanmadoc is the smallest church in Gower, it has a nave with west end castellated tower and chancel and open porch off the nave, and is orientated a little south of east - west. The church is built from uncoursed axe dressed red conglomerate sandstones. At the 1865 restoration parts of the old red sandstones were cut away and replaced with cut red sandstone, this was largely in the south side of the nave, upper parts of the tower, south and east walls of the chancel, evidence of this is just below the roof level when three courses of stone have clearly been added. The windows were restored in oolitic limestone. The roof is Welsh slate with limestone ridges, coped gables and gutter corbels. The tower is unusually low which suggests that it might not have been restored to its proper height. The tower roof was fitted as part of the restoration - a slate saddleback roof with crow-steppd gables to east and west and a crenellated parapet to south and north. There is an Ordnance Survey trig point on one wall close to a down pipe.
References
Cadw Listing Notice
Buildings of Wale s- Glamorgan
Quinquennial Inspection Reports
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.
A C19 porch provides an entrance to the nave through a tall door in a round - headed arch. The nave is fairly plain with pine pews it is beneath an arch braced trussed roof with posts supporting the ridges and intermediate rafters supporting horizontal boarding. There are single purlins on either side of the pitch. In the southwest corner is a baptistry with wall seating. The chancel arch inclines slightly to the south of the nave axis and may be interpreted as a rood access. In the chancel the roof is a muti-pitched boarded ceiling with segmented timber carved cornice. There is a Gothic pine pulpit to the left. A carved oak altar made by Revd J D Davies (vicar in the late 1800s) stands in the sanctuary beyond the pine communion rails with Celtic crosses in the panels and double gates, the altar frontal has four paintings representing the evangelists. Within the chancel is a bronze memorial plaque to Revd J D Davies dated 1911. Within the nave is a Norman font on a modern base wih a square bowl. The east window shows 'Christ blessing offerings of fruit, corn and fish' in detail a farmer and wife in medieval dress bringing the harvest to Christ, was made by Cletic Studios in 1950. The single bell in dated 1675 by '?RA'.
Stained Glass in Wales.
Buildings of Wales - Glamorgan
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.