St Mary's Church, Cardigan facts for kids
St Mary's Church is an old and important Anglican church building in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales. It became the main church for the local area, known as the parish church, in 1428. Before that, it was also a priory church, meaning it was connected to a monastery called Cardigan Priory. Today, St Mary's Church is a special building because it is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important historically and architecturally.
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A Look at St Mary's Church History
St Mary's Church has a long and interesting past. It was once both a church for the local people and a church for the Benedictine monks who lived at Cardigan Priory. It still serves as a parish church today, part of a group of churches called the Bro Teifi benefice.
How the Church Began
The church was first built around the 1100s. However, most of the building you see today was constructed in the 1300s. It has been rebuilt quite a bit since then. There's a blocked-up doorway on the south side that people think was once connected to the old priory buildings. In the 1200s, St Mary's Priory church was home to a special holy place called the shrine of Our Lady of the Taper. This shrine was sadly taken down during the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when many monasteries in England and Wales were closed.
Changes Over the Years
The church has seen many changes over the centuries. The porch, which is the covered entrance, was rebuilt in 1639. Later, in 1705, the church tower fell down! It took a long time to rebuild, finally being finished in 1748. The beautiful stained glass window in the east wall, which shows the Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and St John, was put in place in 1924. You can still see small pieces of glass from the 1400s in the upper parts of the window.
Important People Buried Here
Inside the church, there is a special memorial tablet for Dr David Rowlands. He was a surgeon who worked as an Inspector for the Royal Navy's Hospitals and Fleets. He passed away in 1846.
