Church of St Cadoc - Llancarfan - Vale of Glamorgan, Wales - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

St. Cadoc's Medieval Church is open daily to visitors during daylight hours.
The Church is said to be the site of the most exciting discovery of British Medieval wall paintings of the 21st Century.

"Built on the site of a 7th century monastery and founded around 1200, St Cadoc's in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan is, from the outside, just another beautiful small Welsh village church.

But inside, conservators have uncovered some stunning 15th century wall paintings to the delight of locals, visitors and experts alike.

After the discovery of a thin red line of paint on the wall, a team of experts were brought in to investigate what else was lurking behind the 20 layers of limewash added over five centuries.

Now, after five years of restoration work, the church is revealing its treasures: startlingly bold images of the seven deadly sins, a royal family, a ghoulish death figure - and what has been described as one of the largest and most spectacular tableaux of St George and the Dragon ever seen in a British church." Text source: (visit link)

"The Vale of Glamorgan was an important centre of Christianity in Britain. There was a monastery here from at least 650 AD, founded by St. Cadoc or Cadog. By the 9th century Llancarfan was a flourishing centre of learning, with the main monastic buildings just south of today's church, in Culvery Fields.

Despite destruction by the Danes, Llancarfan monastery proved 'the most powerful ecclesiastical community in Glamorgan'. It did not, however, survive the Norman invasion, and after this early dissolution, responsibility passed to the Abbey of St. Peter's, Gloucester. St. Cadoc retained his presence in the parish church, where our simple chancel arch suggests a foundation of about 1200.

The next 800 years have seen our distinctively-shaped church serving its community, and surviving the traumas of reformation and restoration. A Baptist and a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel nearby have come and gone, but St. Cadoc's continues to refocus its role across the parish, reaching out to share its cultural and spiritual relevance to visitors, villagers, and all who treasure the heritage that shaped our history." Text Source: (visit link)

A uTube/BBC link about the discovery: (visit link)

News Update 26 Dec 2013:
"Over the last six years, renowned conservators Ann Ballantyne and Jane Rutherfoord have revealed a number of highly-significant schemes, including Death and the Gallant, St George and the Dragon, and the Seven Deadly Sins." Text Source: (visit link)

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1188 Age of Church building determined by?: Historical Society If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Church in Wales - Episcopal. If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: From: 9:00 AM To: 4:00 PM If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 11:00 AM Street address of Church: St Cadocs Church, LLancarfan, Barry,, Vale of Glamorgan Wales. Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   01/01/2014 veritas vita visited it