History in Structure

Church of St John the Baptist

A Grade I Listed Building in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan

More Photos »
Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

Coordinates

Latitude: 51.4561 / 51°27'21"N

Longitude: -3.4622 / 3°27'43"W

OS Eastings: 298501

OS Northings: 174028

OS Grid: SS985740

Mapcode National: GBR HK.MFTV

Mapcode Global: VH5HS.YN0M

Plus Code: 9C3RFG4Q+C4

Entry Name: Church of St John the Baptist

Listing Date: 22 February 1963

Last Amended: 21 June 2001

Grade: I

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 13144

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

ID on this website: 300013144

Location: To N and above village in large churchyard.

County: Vale of Glamorgan

Community: Cowbridge with Llanblethian (Y Bont-faen a Llanfleiddan)

Community: Cowbridge with Llanblethian

Locality: Llanblethian

Built-Up Area: Cowbridge

Traditional County: Glamorgan

Tagged with: Church building Medieval architecture

Find accommodation in
Cowbridge

History

The earliest documentary evidence for the church is a charter of the mid C12 when the church was a possession of Tewkesbury Abbey. Evidence in the fabric of C12 origins, and work of C14. Tower said to have been built at expense of Anne Neville, wife of Richard III, 1477, and has stylistic links with Devon or Somerset. Extensive restoration by C B Fowler, of Cardiff, 1896/7, included removal of coved ceilings and restoration of re-exposed late Medieval roofs, new chancel arch, opening out of entrance to S chapel. Tower restored 1907.

Exterior

Local stone, slate roofs. Chancel, aisleless nave, S chapel with adjacent S porch, W tower. Decorated and Perpendicular styles. Tower of two stages with stepped diagonal buttresses and polygonal NE stair turret, crenellated parapet with corner pinnacles, 3-light bell-chamber openings, 3-light Perp window over W doorway. Two-light window to L of gabled S porch in ashlar, doorway with hoodmould flanked by head corbels, old memorials set above stone benches; inner doorway offset to L. Three-light Dec window to S chapel which has 2-light window to E, with sundial over. Trefoil lancets to S wall of chancel. 3-light Perp E window. Two 2-light windows to N side of nave.

Interior

Late medieval Nave roof (restored) with arch-braces, wind-braces, collar purlin. In N wall, doorway to (removed) rood loft has old (C15?) door. Screen with organ to S chapel (which has vaulted crypt, once used as ossuary); mutilated effigy in Gothic-arched recess. Low chancel, late C19 chancel arch and roof; C20 reredos of Supper at Emmaus. Tall tower arch, inner chamfer on figured corbels. Medieval tub font; memorials arranged beneath tower. Tablet to parents of Sir Leoline Jenkins (erected 1763)

Reasons for Listing

Graded I as Medieval parish church with much surviving detail and fine tower.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

Other nearby listed buildings

BritishListedBuildings.co.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact BritishListedBuildings.co.uk for any queries related to any individual listed building, planning permission related to listed buildings or the listing process itself.

British Listed Buildings is a Good Stuff website.