A special church in the Vale of Glamorgan

How do I choose where to visit?  Sometimes it’s sparked by something I’ve read; other times, it’s prompted by a tour enquiry. I  had been asked to plan a two day tour for an American couple who would be staying in Cardiff but wanted to visit places which are off the beaten track and were especially interested in churches.

In Wales we have no shortage of such places and the Vale of Glamorgan is particularly rich in interesting religious sites.  So I headed down to South Wales for a recce of St Cadoc’s church at Llancarfan.

The life and legacy of St Cadoc

If you’re not from Wales you may never have heard of St Cadoc but he was one of many 5th/6th century saints and possibly descended from the prolific King Brychan of Brycheiniog.  Traditions says (as it often does) that his birth was heralded by ‘omens of greatness’ and his baptism by the springing up of a holy well. Consequently, he received a religious education, studying under the Irish monk St Tathai at Caerwent before heading to Ireland to continue his learning. As was common with monks at this time, he later spent time in Brittany.

In the 6th century, Irish Celtic monasticism was heavily interwoven with the type of Christianity which was taking place in Wales and England at that time.  It would be another 100 years before St Augustine arrived to take up his position as Archbishop of Canterbury in 597 AD and 60 years after that when the Synod of Whitby chose Roman Christianity over Celtic.

So St Cadoc was following the pattern set by his teachers and his exposure to Irish monasticism had a profound influence on his approach to leadership and the Christian way of life.  When he returned to Wales he established a monastic community at the place which became called Llancarfan.  This developed into one of the most influence religious centres in the region.

Llancarfan:  the monastic settlement

Llancarfan means “Church of the Stags” - legend has it that stags helped him to re-build his monastery. In most cases settlements are named after the saint who founded them.  The word “llan” means a religious enclosure so the village of Llanigon is the settlement founded by St Eigon for example.

The monastery became known for the quality of its scribes and manuscript production and produced several well-known saints and scholars.  The most prominent of these was St Gildas, a theologian and historian.  His work De Excidio et Conquesto Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain) is one of our few near-contemporary sources for the period after the Romans left Britain and before the Saxons fully established their rule.

The Church of St Cadoc at Llancarfan

The monastic settlement eventually declined but a church remained on the site, dedicated to St Cadoc.  The current church dates mainly from the medieval period with the earliest parts from the 12th and 13th centuries. It is likely that there was a wooden church here before this stone one which has, in turn, undergone multiple renovations.

The church itself is of standard design - a strong tower, a nave, north aisle and chancel. No transepts as befits a rural church serving a relatively small community. It is thought that the north aisle stands on the footprint of the original church whilst the south aisle (with the paintings) dates from the 15th century.

St Cadoc’s Church, Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan

The Wall Paintings

What I had really come to see were these wall paintings.  It’s not easy to find churches with intact medieval wall paintings and these are some of the best examples in the country.  Originally, almost all churches would have been covered with decorative and instructive art work. If they weren’t covered up in the Reformation of the 16th century, the Puritans of the 17th century ensured that they all disappeared from view.  Thankfully however, most of them were just covered in lime wash rather than being scraped off (far too much work!) and so, very occasionally, they are revealed.  It wasn’t until the early 21st century that restoration work in the church led to the discovery of a magnificent set of murals.

Stepping through the door is very much a ‘wow’ moment!  It’s so rare for us to see churches as they were first intended: bright and colourful places of inspiration.  It’s easy to imagine the impact that these pictures would have had on a population who were mostly illiterate and saw no art other than that in the church.  Nowadays we look to vibrant stained glass windows to tell the religious stories as walls are either bare stone or whitewashed but paint was much cheaper than glass so smaller churches which couldn’t afford glorious painted windows could depict the Bible stories on the walls instead.

The most famous painting depicts the legend of St George and the Dragon and is one of the best-preserved medieval wall paintings in Britain.  The irony of having the patron saint of England on a wall on a church in Wales isn’t lost on me.  However, this didn’t happen until the 14th century so, at this time, he is very much up for grabs!  And of course, dragons are very strongly associated with Wales….

St George and the Dragon

All the paintings show saints, biblical scenes or tell moral tales intended to educate and inspire the congregation.  They were also a source of reassurance for people in a time of uncertainty.

Glimpse into the Past: St Teilo’s at St Fagans

If you want to see what medieval churches really looked like in their full glory, a visit to the reconstructed Church of St Teilo at St Fagan’s National Museum of History is well worth it. Unlike St Cadoc’s, where the wall paintings have been carefully revealed and conserved in situ, St Teilo’s has been recreated with its original, vibrant decoration fully restored. The entire interior is ablaze with colour—saints, angels, biblical scenes and intricate patterns covering every available surface. It’s a striking contrast to how we imagine medieval churches today.

St Teilo’s Church at St Fagan’s National Museum of History, near Cardiff

The paintings in St Cadoc’s are precious because they are authentic medieval survivals, hidden for centuries and only recently uncovered. At St Teilo’s, we can see a faithful reconstruction of how such paintings would have originally looked, giving us an even better sense of the impact they would have had. Together, these two churches—one preserving fragments of the past, the other bringing the past vividly to life—tell an incredible story of medieval religious art in Wales.

Pilgrimage and spiritual significance

St Cadoc’s influence extended beyond his lifetime and his feast day (24 January) is still recognised in Wales and Brittany.  Pilgrims visit the church to connect with his legacy as well as experience a site which has been sacred for hundreds of years.

This continues today as St Cadoc’s still serves the community as its parish church. An unbroken tradition of providing spiritual nourishment from the 6th century to the 21st.

Wider importance

Beyond its continued use as a place of worship, St Cadoc’s is also of great historical importance.  It helps to tell the story of the monastic life in Wales, religious art and medieval architecture.  The paintings have been conserved and display boards help to interpret them for visitors. There is also a digital display which shows the conservation process - very interesting.

Conclusion

This is a very special church with its long tradition of worship, learning and service to the community.  It’s easy to be ‘wowed’ by the paintings but if you visit, pause for a moment.  Sit in the quiet, take in the colours and history around you and think of all those who have worshipped here over the centuries - monks, pilgrims, villagers, visitors - each leaving their own imprint on this sacred space.