Ewenny Priory - Bell Tower - Ewenny, Bridgend, Wales,
N 51° 29.329 W 003° 34.084
30U E 460559 N 5704338
Ewenny Priory Church of St Michael & All Angels - One of the most complete Norman Churches in Wales. A monastery of the Benedictine order, founded in the 12th century. The Priory Church in Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMTGD1
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/21/2016
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Ewenny Priory Church, St Michael and All Angels,
There is a single bell in the tower, made in Gloucester in 1800.
"The most atmospheric Romanesque space in Wales" (T J Hughes, Wales's Best One Hundred Churches). Ewenny Priory is the most complete and impressive Norman church in South Wales and one of the finest examples of a fortified church building in Europe. It was completed by 1126; in 1141 it became a Priory of the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter, Gloucester. The nave of the Priory, with its rounded arches and thick pillars, is in use as the parish church. The Pulpitum Screen, dividing the two parts of the church, is the work of Alexander Beleschenko, and was installed in July 2006. The eastern or monastic end contains the tombs of the de Londres family, a medieval altar and a reproduction of the watercolour of the Priory painted by J.P.W. Turner in 1795. Much of the Priory's outer defensive walls and towers remain. Not only did they protect the Priory, but played a part in the Norman subjection of South Wales." Text source, The Church in Wales Web Site: (
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"The priory was unusual in having military-style defences and is widely regarded as one of the finest fortified religious buildings in Britain. Over the centuries the priory has sustained some damage, and following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, was, like many of its kind, converted into a private house, which is still inhabited by its current owners, the Turbervill family. The priory is not open to the public but the attached Church is still in use and restoration work has recently been carried out by Cadw." Text Source: (
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