Scheduled MonumentsWalesSt. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer
Medieval · Cross

St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer

Wales
Cadw SAM MM320
Period
Medieval
Site type
Cross
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM MM320
Authority
Cadw
Designated
2002-08-28
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer is a medieval cross standing within the churchyard of St. Mary's Church near Tregaer in Wales. The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference MM320. The cross occupies a setting rooted in Pridoli bedrock comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geological formations that have weathered across the landscape for over 400 million years and provided both building stone and soil stability to this Welsh parish.

As a churchyard cross, the monument would have served ceremonial and practical functions within the parish community during the medieval period. Such crosses commonly marked focal points for gatherings and processions and were central to the spiritual geography of the settlement. The specific form and age of this example reflect local traditions in stone working and the enduring importance of St. Mary's as a place of worship.

The cross remains in situ within its original setting, contributing to the archaeological and historical character of the churchyard. Its survival alongside the medieval church demonstrates the continuity of religious practice in this location across centuries. The monument is an important record of medieval Welsh parish life and craftsmanship.

St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM320. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer?

St. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM320.

What period does St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer date from?

St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer 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 St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer?

St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer 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 MM320.

What other scheduled monuments are near St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St. Govan's Churchyard Cross, Llangovan (6.2 km), Coed y Bwnydd Camp (6.2 km), St. John's Churchyard Cross, Llandenny (6.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer'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 St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer

St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Tregaer stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.