St Mary Magdalene
Monknash, Glamorgan
Peaceful country church where once there were monks and which remains a place of pilgrimage today.
Awarded a grant to fund repairs to the roof which will to ensure that the building remains usable by the worshipping congregation and the wider community and create a welcoming environment. This will be particularly important as many new people are expected to use the church as a result of a new housing development.
The parish church of Wick is dedicated to St James the Great and dates from the 12th century. The church is built in the Early English style, although the oldest parts of the structure such as the chancel arch, the south door, and a small window in the chancel, all date from the 12th century. The altar has unusual niches on either side, which probably contained statues of St James and the Blessed Virgin Mary in centuries past.
The village school and playgroup are regular users of the church, which also hosts visits from inner-city schools from nearby Cardiff who come to Wick to learn about village life.
The church porch houses a defibrillator which the entire village can use, as Wick cannot be reached within NHS target response times. St James' was the first church in Wales to have such a facility.