Scheduled MonumentsWalesMerthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)
Medieval · Cross

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)

Wales
Cadw SAM GM026
Period
Medieval
Site type
Cross
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM GM026
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1956-07-04
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones is a medieval cross now housed within St Rogue's Chapel in Wales. The monument comprises carved stone fragments bearing inscriptions characteristic of medieval Welsh religious monuments. Such crosses served as focal points for worship and commemoration within early Christian communities, often marking sacred sites or commemorating significant individuals. The stones reflect the craftmanship and devotional practices of medieval Wales.

The site sits upon bedrock of the Lias Group, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone deposited during the Aalenian age. This local geology would have provided the stone from which the cross was fashioned, making use of materials readily available in the surrounding landscape. The choice of such stone was typical for medieval stonemasons working in Wales, who utilised indigenous geological resources for their religious monuments.

The inscribed stones are protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under reference GM026. This statutory protection recognises the monument's significance as evidence of medieval religious culture and Welsh cultural heritage. By remaining within the chapel structure, the stones continue to occupy their devotional setting, preserving both the physical artefact and its spiritual context for contemporary understanding.

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel) is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM026. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)?

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones is a medieval cross now housed within St Rogue's Chapel in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM026.

What period does Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel) date from?

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel) 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 Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)?

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel) 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 GM026.

What other scheduled monuments are near Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwm Bach Camps (6.7 km), Buarth-Mawr Barn (6.8 km), Cwm Nash Defended Enclosure (7.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)

Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel) stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Merthyr Mawr Inscribed Stones (now in St Rogue's Chapel)

Caerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~17.4 miles