St Hilary's Church, St Hilary, Vale of Glamorgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Hilary |
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Church of St Hilary
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| Location | St Hilary, Vale of Glamorgan |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Founded | 14th century |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone |
The Church of St Hilary (which is Eglwys Sant Ilar in Welsh) is an old and important church located in the village of St Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church in Wales. This church is special because it's a 'Grade II* listed' building, meaning it's historically important and protected. It became a listed building on February 22, 1963. It is one of eleven churches in the area known as the Parish of Cowbridge.
Why is it Called St Hilary?
It's a bit unusual for a church in Britain to be named after Hilary of Poitiers, a French bishop and saint. People think the church might have originally been named after a different saint. It could have been Saint Ilar, a Breton missionary, or Elian, a Welsh pilgrim.
However, because these saints are not as well known, the Church in Wales decided to officially dedicate the church to Saint Hilary of Poitiers. This happened around the early 1900s.
Saint Hilary's Connection to Wales
There were some old stories that said Saint Hilary of Poitiers had a connection to Wales. Some believed he had ordained Saint Cybi as a bishop. But this is confusing because Saint Hilary and Saint Cybi lived about 200 years apart! A historian named Sabine Baring-Gould thought this confusion might have happened because Saint Elian was a relative of Saint Cybi.
The Church's Design and History
The Church of St Hilary was built in the 14th century. It has a red-tiled roof and is a large building. It was built in a style called 'later English Gothic'. The church has a main area called the nave, a side area called the south aisle, and a special part near the altar called the chancel. At the west end, there's a tall tower with a battlement (a wall with gaps for defense), which was added in the 16th century.
The nave is about 45 feet long and 33 feet wide, including the aisle. The chancel is about 22 feet long and 15 feet wide. The arch leading to the chancel is even older, from the 12th century. This shows there was likely an earlier building on this spot.
The windows are quite beautiful. The eastern window of the south aisle has a very elegant design. The chancel window has colorful stained glass that shows the family crest of the Traherne family. There's also a special tomb area for the Bassett Family, which is also a protected building. Inside the chancel, you can see a stone figure of a knight in armor. This figure is a memorial to Thomas Bassett, who passed away in 1423. In the south aisle, there's a plaque remembering Mrs. Traherne, who died in 1796, and her sister, Anna Maria Edmondes.
The church was repaired and updated between 1861 and 1862. This work was paid for by Mrs. Charlotte Traherne. The plans for the restoration were made by a famous architect named Sir George Gilbert Scott and Reverend John Montgomery Traherne. Near the church entrance, there's a memorial plaque on the lych gate (a covered gateway) that remembers the people from the village who died in World War I.
