This week in Barry and district, readers will examine part of the history of Merthyr Dyfan church and its well.

I can remember vividly there has always been an air of trepidation and mystery about Merthyr Dyfan church.

Merthyr Dyfan was once part of a thriving village, with a church, manor house, houses, and probably over an area of more than 500 acres a population spread out of 150 or so people.

Today all that remains above ground from that medieval village is the church. But there are the remains of buildings from the medieval village below ground; including a well.

The church was constructed from a whole array of building materials, including: red sandstone from the coast, and two types of limestone such as carboniferous and Jurassic Lias limestone. This tells us that the people who built stages of the church from at least the 1100s, wished to bring materials from across the parish to their very beloved church. All the parishioners saw the church as a central part of their lives. Even material from long abandoned Roman sites was used, as red tile has been found.

Harvest time in the medieval period in the 1300s was a time of plenty, with produce taken to the church and some offered as the yearly tithe. A real community spirit, where you may meet friends and family you may not have seen for a year. But alas this would not last.

For in the year 1349, Merthyr Dyfan was hit by the plague - like everywhere else in Wales. And up to 100 people died in Merthyr Dyfan parish that year.

Slowly but surely the village lost more and more of it’s houses and people. It is sad to think the church is so isolated today; without it’s village directly around it to keep it company. But the church is loved still and looked after, at the junction of an ancient cross roads.

The burial ground around the church was once much larger; to the north of the church eroded away by the stream. Occasionally in the stream you can find bits of medieval pottery, and when found you can think that this was last touched by someone more than 700 years ago. Wow.

I did mention the medieval well. It was excavated by Gary Tyley, Howard Thomas, and others in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but now it’s lost under undergrowth. The well was a vital part of the village. It is a place of offerings of a religious nature; even before the church.

We will be visiting Merthyr Dyfan church again in the future. But for now thanks for joining us today, and more from the Barry and district next week.

Karl-James Langford

Archaeology Cymru