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St. Michael's Churchyard Cross, Machen is a medieval stone cross standing in the churchyard of St. Michael's Church in the village of Machen, Caerphilly. The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under the reference MM305. The cross is typical of parish crosses that once served as focal points for community gatherings, markets and religious processions during the medieval period and beyond.
The cross is situated on bedrock comprising Dinantian limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks, geology that provided local building stone for the church and surrounding settlements. The limestone formed during the Mississippian period, some 320 million years ago, and the readily available material shaped the character of medieval construction throughout the area.
St. Michael's Churchyard Cross remains an important surviving example of medieval religious architecture in the parish, its presence within the consecrated churchyard reflecting the spiritual and social significance such monuments held for communities in medieval Wales. The cross contributes to the heritage landscape of Machen, standing alongside the church as a testament to the area's long occupation and ceremonial traditions.
St. Michael's Churchyard Cross, Machen is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM305. View the official record →
St. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM305.
St. Michael's Churchyard Cross, Machen 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. Michael's Churchyard Cross, Machen 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 MM305.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ruperra Castle (1.9 km), Croes Carn Einion Roman Site (3.4 km), Pen-y-Lan Camp (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St. Michael's Churchyard Cross, Machen'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. Michael's Churchyard Cross, Machen stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.