Caerwent Parish - Churchyard - Wales, Great Britain.
N 51° 36.650 W 002° 46.121
30U E 516017 N 5717780
St. Stephen’s and St. Tathan’s - Caerwent Parish Church. Built by the Normans in Medieval times, on top of the site of a of an even older Church, with its own cemetery dating from the 5th century. Located in Caerwent, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMJ5TG
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/29/2013
Views: 2
"Caerwent Church
Home of St. Tathyw
The parish church of St. Stephen at Caerwent was originally dedicated to St. Tathyw, its founder, who was later confused with St. Tathan and then St. Stephen. Both have feast days on 26th December.
When St. Tathyw arrived in the Kingdom of Gwent in the later 5th century, King Caradog had his palace at the old Roman town of Caerwent, but he gave the whole place up to Tathyw for the foundation of a monastery. Tathyw built this in the ruins south of the old Roman basilica which may have formed Caradog's palace. He could have adapted an old Pagan temple. Although all trace of Tathyw's first church is now hidden beneath the present building, there was certainly a large Christian cemetery surrounding it from, at least, the 5th century. This was discovered through excavation in 1910." text source: (
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As you step through the porch door of this church, you will notice two stones, with latin inscriptions. The larger stone known as the Paulinus Stone, and the smaller stone, belived to be a Pagan altar.
Web site with Text from the stone: (
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"St. Stephen’s and St. Tathan’s is your local parish Church in Caerwent. We worship Christ in the Anglican tradition, welcoming members and parishioners of all ages, visitors to our historic village in south-east Monmouthshire — and those who are simply curious about the Christian faith. We are a parish in the Diocese of Monmouth (Church in Wales) and one of four in the Caerwent Parish Group. The Church is usually open from 10.00(ish) to dusk. " Text Source: (
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