Scheduled MonumentsWalesCorwen Churchyard Cross
Medieval · Cross

Corwen Churchyard Cross

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME052
Period
Medieval
Site type
Cross
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Corwen Churchyard Cross is a medieval stone cross located in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference ME052. The monument stands on bedrock of Ashgill age, comprising mudstones, siltstones and sandstones that underlie the churchyard and have shaped the local landscape since the Ordovician period. These sedimentary rocks provided the stone from which many of the region's medieval structures were fashioned.

The cross represents the type of religious monument commonly erected in Welsh churchyards during the medieval period, serving both spiritual and communal functions. Such crosses typically marked sacred ground and were focal points for religious observance and gathering. The survival of Corwen's example demonstrates the durability of locally quarried stone, even as the geological foundations beneath have weathered millennia.

The monument's preservation and scheduling reflect its significance as a physical record of medieval Welsh religious practice and stone-working traditions. Its presence within the churchyard connects it to continuous patterns of worship and community use, anchoring the site within layers of local historical continuity that extend from the medieval period to the present day.

Corwen Churchyard Cross is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME052. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Corwen Churchyard Cross?

Corwen Churchyard Cross is a medieval stone cross located in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference ME052.

What period does Corwen Churchyard Cross date from?

Corwen Churchyard Cross dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a cross. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Corwen Churchyard Cross?

Corwen Churchyard Cross is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is ME052.

What other scheduled monuments are near Corwen Churchyard Cross?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gwern Wynodl Hafod (8.6 km), Cader Bronwen Round Barrow (8.7 km), Platform Settlement by Clochnant E of Cadwst (8.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Corwen Churchyard Cross

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Corwen Churchyard Cross's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Corwen Churchyard Cross

Corwen Churchyard Cross stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.