Lost Churches of Wales - Knelston and Rhossili Old Church

St Mary's Church in Knelston and Rhossili Old Church are personal favorites of mine because they are in my opinion the most unusual and prolific examples of the spirit of the old Gower.

St Mary's Church, Knelston

This church has been known as St. Maurice's and St. Mary's, but it was originally called Llan y Tair Mair, which is Welsh for the church of the three Mary's.
It was so named for the three daughters of Anne, who was the mother of the Virgin Mary. It is said that say Anne married three times, and to each of her husbands she bore a daughter that was named Mary.

The true age of the church is unknown and very little remains of it except the foundations. It is thought that the church was in ruins during the reign of Charles I and nothing was done to save the structure. A well dedicated to St. Mary is said to be located near the church ruins, but the site has never been found.

Rhossili Old Church

The remains of a tiny village surround the site of the Old Rhossili Church at the end of a rocky promontory. This area is one of the most beautiful on the Gower, with stunning views of the sea and coastline, while nestled amongst the sea grasses.

The past meets the present at Rhossili. A Iron Age fort peers down from the cliff tops upon the well preserved 'strip fields' all within the view of the of the a new church and settlement.

The old Rhossili stood in a glen below the new settlement, but time, and the elements have eroded the site. The foundations of some of the village homes can be seen and a large mound of sand marks the spot of the church. The church was exposed from its sandy grave a number of years go by an archaeological trust.

The outline of the building was found and mapped out, and painted wall decorations were documented that were several centuries old. The sand of time allowed a brief peak at the past and then swallowed it back up again.

Something that must be viewed is at the small parish church on the hill above the old village. A significantly and beautifully decorated 12th century Norman doorway, which is thought to have formed the chancel arch of the old church, is in remarkably good condition for such an old piece of history.

This is the last article in my series about the lost churches and chapels of the Gower peninsula. During the research of these articles I found myself quite moved by what these places must have meant to the people of the villages and outlaying areas they served. These holy places served not only as houses of worship, but sites of community gathering and sharing, to mourn lives lost and to celebrate lives newly created.

I am not a tremendously spiritual person, but this research has given me the opportunity to delve not only into the past, but into my future as well. I hope you enjoy the last of this series, and thanks for reading!