St Cattwg's - Bell Tower - Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
N 51° 24.908 W 003° 28.030
30U E 467512 N 5696094
The medieval Church of St Cattwg (sometime called St Cadoc ) Has a bell Tower with a ring of 3 bells. The oldest from the 14th Century. St Cattwg is the parish church of the village of Llanmaes in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMJXVE
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/13/2014
Views: 3
"There are three bells in the tower, the first and oldest bearing the inscription "Sancta Maria ora pro nobis" - (St Mary, pray for us). It was cast in the Bristol Medieval Foundry sometime in the 14th century and was the only bell in the old belfry. This bell is thought to be one of the oldest in the Diocese. The other two are of a date later than the new tower (1632)
The second bears the inscription "Exultemus nomen Domini" (Let us praise the name of the Lord) and has the name Thomas Stone (1637) on it.
The third bears the inscription, "Let my sound move ye to God's glory." Alexander Plaisteed, Churchwarden. (William Bilbie of Chewslake, Somerset, 1777).
The original wooden stays which hold the bells in place were investigated in 2008 and found to be too worn to allow for the bells to be rung. Following the recent restoration the bells have been removed from their stays and bell frame and stored in the tower.
The tower has been strengthened to allow for the bells to be re-hung in a new and more appropriate position should the funding become available. We are advised that there is space for three extra bells to be added." Text Source: (
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Llanmaes Parish Church is one of eight medieval churches, in the The Rectorial Benefice of Llantwit Major, the dioceses of Llandaff.
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"The Church of St Cattwg, Llanmaes, dates to 13th century and was built on Celtic foundation. The church features a wooden rood screen, three bells, medieval wall paintings, and a Norman font.
The present building is first mentioned in a document of 1254, although it is believed to be a much earlier Celtic foundation. It is a Grade 2* listed building and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a western tower, added in 1632, containing three bells.
Pre-reformation murals that have escaped damage were recently exposed during renovations. A wooden screen, the surviving part of the original wooden rood screen, divides the chancel and nave. The church holds a massive Norman stone font, tub-shaped with roll mountings on the rim.
The Churchyard holds a stone cross of circa.15th Century. It is a stone Calvary or churchyard cross base, made up of four steps similar in nature to crosses found in other churchyards across the Vale of Glamorgan. A modern cross is set in the original socket stone." Text Source: (visit link)
Church in Wales Web Site: (visit link)