St. Mary's Church - Tower Chimney - Rhossili - Wales, Great Britain.
N 51° 34.156 W 004° 17.162
30U E 410870 N 5713916
The medieval church of St. Mary - has a rare sight - A bell tower with a chimney pot - The Church is located in the small village of Rhossili, on the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMJ3DQ
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/16/2013
Views: 2
The present church is of traditional 13th century Norman original with late 19th Century renovations. Set against the towering backdrop of Rhossili Downs the distinctive, Saint Mary's Church which has a saddle-back bell tower with a chimney. The tower was once used as a landmark by passing ships; it is the only one in Gower not to have a masking parapet or battlements.
For a church tower to have a chimney pot is indeed very rare. The chimney was added in the 1891 refurbishment of the church when a coal fired boiler and under-floor heating was installed.
The chimney pot can only be seen on the tower as you enter the churchyard, from the East.
"The original church at Rhossili spent its early days at the foot of Rhossili Downs known today as the Warren. The church here, possibly dedicated to a St. Sulien or St. Sili, with a history stretching back to the 6th Century, was further built upon by the Anglo-Norman settlers some time before 1150. There is even exists some documentation in early charters that Rhossili was the site of an even earlier monastic settlement dedicated to St. Cynwal. However, it is claimed that during the 13th century, huge storms erupted which lashed the west coast of Gower with forceful winds and rain, engulfing both village and church with a mountain of sand.
During the early 13th century, the new church and village was built upon the clifftop to avoid the neverending threat of wind, sea and sand." Text Source: (
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