© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
St Bride's Major Churchyard Cross is a medieval stone cross standing in the churchyard of St Bride's Major in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The monument rises from bedrock of Dinantian limestone interspersed with sandstone and mudstone, geology that has provided both the stone for the cross and the stable foundation beneath the churchyard. The cross is protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference GM174, reflecting its significance as a surviving example of medieval church furnishings in Wales.
Medieval churchyard crosses served multiple functions within parish life, marking the sacred precinct and serving as focal points for gatherings and processions. The limestone bedrock underlying this site would have made stone quarrying practical for local masons, allowing the cross to be fashioned from locally available material rather than transported from distant sources.
This monument demonstrates the continuity of Christian practice in the Vale of Glamorgan from the medieval period onwards, with the cross remaining in its original churchyard setting. Its survival through centuries of weathering on the Dinantian limestone foundation testifies to the durability of both stone and Christian tradition in this part of South Wales.
St Bride's Major Churchyard Cross is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM174. View the official record →
St Bride's Major Churchyard Cross is a medieval stone cross standing in the churchyard of St Bride's Major in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM174.
St Bride's Major 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.
St Bride's Major 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 GM174.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwm Bach Camps (3.5 km), Cwm Nash Defended Enclosure (4.8 km), Tithe Barn, Dovecot & Remains of Other Buildings (5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St Bride's Major Churchyard Cross's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
St Bride's Major Churchyard Cross stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.