St Mary Magdalene

This small, Grade II* listed church originally served a Cistercian monastic grange which was established when the land was given to Neath Abbey by Richard de Granville in 1129. The grange served the needs of the abbey until 1533 and the dissolution of the monasteries. The church is still surrounded by farmland, with traces of the original buildings and a Grade II listed dovecote.

The churchyard, with views across the Bristol Channel, includes the remains of crews of the many ships wrecked off the coast and of bones uncovered as a result of cliff erosion. This has been the subject of research by Cardiff University which has been covered in the BBC series ‘Digging for Britain’.

The church building consists of a chancel, nave and south porch. There is a simple Norman chancel arch. Steps from the chancel, which would have once led to a rood-loft, now provide access to a stone pulpit. The arch-braced roof of the nave is believed to date from the 16th century. The building was restored in 1890-91 under John Pritchard, the diocesan architect.

The walls are Norman , constructed from local lias limestone. From the disturbed stonework outside and the indication of an arch inside, it is clear that there was once a doorway in the north wall. This was probably sealed up after the grange ceased to operate. The porch over the south door bears the date 1638. The bell is dated 1637. There have been efforts in past centuries to stop the north wall leaning outwards, supporting it with substantial battering, and there has been recent work to prevent cracks from developing.

The church now forms part of a pilgrimage trail linking early Christian sites along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.