St James - Churchyard Cross - Pyle, Bridgend District, Wales, Great Britain.
N 51° 31.824 W 003° 41.673
30U E 451821 N 5709038
St James church serves the parish of Pyle and Kenfig, an area of great antiquity. The church was built in 1471, on the remains of a smaller older church. A preaching cross features prominently in the churchyard. Located in Pyle, Bridgend, Wales, UK.
Waymark Code: WMKCQ0
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/21/2014
Views: 2
The parish church of St James, Pyle, stands in its own large churchyard North of the village centre.
The Cross in the churchyard, has four steps, often known as a Preaching cross, Calvary Cross or Wayside cross. The Cross was probably used to hold memorial services at burials in the churchyard before headstones came into popular use.
"Administrative and biographical history: Pyle and Kenfig is an ancient parish situated north of Porthcawl in the hundred of Newcastle. Originally, the parish church, which was built in the mid-12th century and dedicated to St. James the Apostle, was situated in the medieval borough of Kenfig. However, Maudlam church, a chapel of ease, was built on higher ground in Kenfig around 1255 and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, apparently to serve the needs to the people who were trying to escape the effects of the encroaching sand dunes. Eventually, the site of St. James' church in Kenfig had to be abandoned and the building was demolished and much of the building material encorporated into a new church, also dedicated to St. James, in Pyle. This became the parish church in 1485, despite Maudlam church being 200 years older." Text Source: (
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Church in Wales - Llandaff Diocese: (
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