Llanmaes - St Cattwg
The dedication of the 13th century church at Llanmaes to St Cadoc suggests that there was an earlier Celtic church here, perhaps founded by a monk from Llancarfan, St Cadoc’s [Cattwg] monastery. The church consists of tower, nave, south porch, chancel, and vestry.
The only evidence of a Norman church on this site is the large font with typical roll-mouldings at its top and bottom. The Sutton stone on the pointed chancel arch may have belonged to an earlier round Norman arch. The tower was added 400 years after the present church was built; an inscription above the west door shows that it was erected in 1632, paid for by the parish and friends. It replaced a ruined belfry that stood on the north side of the chancel. The porch was added in the 19th century.
That the church would have originally been covered with wall-paintings is shown by traces on the western part of the north wall of the nave. These are believed to depict St George slaying the dragon, though only details of the horse and the princess can be identified.
In the north wall of the nave is a doorway which leads to the staircase by which the former rood-loft was entered. A medieval carved wooden screen, dividing the nave from the chancel, remains from the rood screen below the former loft. The timbered roof of the nave is pre-19th century.
On the chancel floor is one of the earliest tombstones in the Vale of Glamorgan, that of Margaret Towgood, the wife of William Towgood, ‘Practitioner of Physic and Chryrurgery’ and dating from the 16th century.
St Cattwg’s Church is listed Grade II* ‘as a medieval church which, despite much rebuilding, has retained its character’.
Ordnance Survey Grid Reference: SS 98070 69474
Post-code (for Sat Nav): CF61 2XR
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Times of services: 11.00a.m. 2nd and 4th Sundays