Ruins of St Baglan's Church

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a small church probably dating to the medieval period. It is small, single-celled and no longer has its roof. It is orientated north-east by south-west and has stone and mortar walls 0.8m thick splayed at the footings. The western half is believed to date from the 12th century and the eastern half to the 14th century.

According to a writer of about 1690 Baglan Church ‘was by some of former days thought more than ordinary sacred’ and it still possessed both the brass head of its patron’s crozier and a late medieval lection (life) for his feast day. It was the principal church of the Cantref and later Lordship of Afan, whose castle of Plas Baglan was 200 metres to the east, across the steep valley on the crest of which the church is sited. The church has produced a 9th-century cross-slab of Irish affinity with fine interlace ornament and an 11th century grave marker. There is thus strong circumstantial evidence that it was a small pre-Norman minster.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of the organisation and practice of medieval Christianity. The site forms an important element within the wider medieval landscape. The site is well preserved and retains considerable archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of evidence relating to chronology, layout, building techniques and functional detail. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them which related evidence may be expected to survive.