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St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn is a medieval cross standing within the churchyard at Llanfair Cilgedyn in Wales. The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference MM326. Such churchyard crosses are characteristic features of Welsh medieval religious sites, typically serving as focal points for outdoor worship and processions.
The cross rises from bedrock composed of Pridoli rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations dating to the Pridoli period. This durable geology provided stable ground for the monument's foundations and reflects the geological character of the surrounding landscape in this region of Wales. The cross would have been a significant local landmark, visible within the settled area around the church.
As a surviving example of medieval Welsh ecclesiastical architecture, the cross represents the religious and social structures of its period. Its continued presence within the churchyard demonstrates its enduring importance to the community of Llanfair Cilgedyn and its value as a record of medieval Welsh religious practice and material culture.
St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM326. View the official record →
St. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM326.
St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn 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. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn 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 MM326.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Mary's Yard Castle Mound (1.8 km), Coed y Bwnydd Camp (2.1 km), Bettws Newydd Churchyard Cross-Base (2.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn'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. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.