Early Christianity Gazetteer

Ffynnon Fair is a holy well situated outside the village of Llwyn-y-pia. The well is the oldest recorded Christian site in the Rhondda. Some historians date the site back further, and it could be pagan in origin. The water from the well is reputed to cure ailments, especially rheumatism and poor eyesight. Rhisiart ap Rhys wrote: Read More »

Ireland has a history of early Christian settlement dating as far back as the 6th century when monastic settlements were developed as bastions of the faith in the remote Irish countryside. Gallarus Oratory is the oldest and best preserved example of an early church that served one of these small settlements, and is probably one of the oldest intact buildings in Ireland. Read More »

Glastonbury has been identified with the mysterious Isle of Avalon from the twelfth century, its past has become steeped in myth and legend, and it is probably most famous for its Arthurian and early Christian traditions. Read More »

This is a reproduction of the cross said to have been found in Arthur's grave at Glastonbury Abbey. The actual grave seems to have been a very early burial but the Arthur link is tenuous. The actual cross disappeared many years ago and the only depiction is from a drawing by William Camden in 1607, from which this picture has been redrawn. Read More »

I have visited Glastonbury many times over the last few decades, but only got around to visiting the Holy Thron on Wearyall Hill for the first time in September 2011. Unfortunately it was in a poor state after being vandalised the previous December and then apparently further damaged by souvenir hunters. Read More »

The Tor has been associated with magic and mystery for thousands of years. It seems likely that early man used the tor for rituals, and maze like path has been identified spiralling around the tor seven times. Professor Philip Rahtz dated the terraces to the Neolithic period, and concluded that they may have been part of a maze. Read More »

This must have been an important place of worship to the Norse invaders, and to later generations judging by the wealth of important early Christian relics here. The actual church has been renovated several times and much of the older structure has been destroyed. Read More »

The island was said to be the home of St Molaise who is reputed to have been born in Ireland in 570AD. He came to Holy Island to live as a hermit and Molaise's cave is one of his reputed abodes. Read More »

The healing waters of St Winifred’s (Winifride) Holy Well have attracted pilgrims for over 1300 years and the crypt in which the well lies was stacked with crutches left by the cured invalids until some time in the 1960’s, though can still be seen on display. Read More »

Situated on an island in the middle of Lake Menteith, the only 'Lake' in Scotland, Inchmahome Priory is a ruined Augustine (The Black Cannons) priory founded in 1238 by Walter Comyn, who was the Earl of Menteith. The Earl is likely to have founded the monastery for the good of his soul, and to show of his status as an important landowner. Read More »

There are two Celtic Crosses in Irton Churchyard, one is truly ancient and the other is a copy of the former incorporated into more modern grave. The ancient cross is thought to date from the early ninth century, before the Norsemen invaded the area. Read More »

Kilmichael is possibly the oldest house on the Isle of Arran and is associated with the Fullerton family who were one of the two major landowners on the island. The name itself indicates the location of the house may be on the site of an early Christian cell dedicated to St Michael. An apparition of a Grey Lady supposedly haunts the hotel.

Two granite slabs carved with latin inscriptions and intricate patterns, lie near the edge of Bodmin Moor.The stones are the remains of crosses, and are associated with King Doniert (Durngarth) of Cornwall who drowned in AD 875 in the river Fowey. Read More »

La Hogue Bie is a major Neolitic ritual site dating back to 3500BC and one of the best preserved cruciform passage graves in Europe. Its passage is twenty meters long and is covered by a 12.2 meter high earth mound. The mound istelf is 58 meters in diameter and covers an area of 2400 square meters. Read More »

Llangelynin church is one of the oldest and remotest churches in Wales; it dates from the 12th Century. Saint Celynin might have erected a religious edifice on the site in the 6th Century since St. Celynin’s well is in the corner of the church yard. The well is a small rectangular pool with stone seats and stone walls. It was reputedly famous for its ability to cure sick children. Read More »

This island is connected by a sandy beach to Anglesey, and was home in the Dark Ages to a religious community, founded by the female Saint Dwynwen. St Dwynwen is a patron saint of Welsh lovers, and after her death the island became an important place of pilgrimage. Read More »

Mullenakill is just one of several places that claim to be the birth place of St Moling. Read More »

Rosslyn Chapel is touted as being one of the most mysterious places in Scotland, especially with the current gloat of books purporting to show how hidden secrets lurk within every crack of stone at this venerated place. Anybody who has ever visited the chapel may feel that it deserves its current status, and I must confess the atmosphere even on a busy day is something to be experienced. Read More »

Underneath the streets of Royston, below the ancient Icknield way lies a secret cave, rediscovered in 1702 and dating back perhaps a thousand years. The cave, which is a bell shaped hole carved from the solid chalk, has a multitude of early Christian carvings depicting saints and religious scenes. Read More »

The cross is thought to date back to the late seventh century, an early period in the development of Christianity in the area, which spread here from Northumberland. It has been recognised as one of the most important early Christian crosses in Britain. Read More »

Almost two miles north of Barmouth on the A496 is the parish of Llanaber, and the not to be missed, Llanaber church. It dates from the early 13th Century, and is dedicated to St. Bodfan with a later dedication to the Virgin Mary. Read More »

Spynie Palace was the seat of the bishops of Moray for over 500 years; the atmospheric ruins now a shell of its former glory. The Palace - like many old historical buildings - has its share of traditions and ghost stories. Read More »

Located in the village of Llanaelhaearn, the church is named after Aelhaearn, a disciple of Saint Beuno who travelled to the area in the 5th and 6th Centuries. In Wales this period was known as the ‘Age of Saints’ but in England, as ‘The Dark Ages’. Read More »

This well can be found on the outskirts of the village of Llanaelhaearn, on the left hand side of the road as you ascend the (B4417) out of the village. It is enclosed in a locked stone structure which was constructed in 1900, and it is in front of a house called Bryn Iddon. Read More »

St Albans has a multitude of ghosts and strange stories, many of which are attached to the magnificent abbey. St Albans has been occupied from very early in its history, the Roman town of Verulamium once stood in the valley, in the area where the public park now lies. Read More »

St Alkeda was a chaste Saxon maiden, sometimes described as a princess, noble woman or a nun. On 28th March 800AD, somewhere close to the site of St Mary’s and St Alkelda’s Church, she was strangled to death for her faith by two Danish women involved in a Viking raid. It has been suggested that they killed her by twisting a napkin around her neck. Read More »

Kilrimont changed its name to St Andrews when relics of the saint were brought here by Bishop Acca of Hexam in 732AD, although there is a folklore tradition that suggests the relics found there way to Read More »

All the following details were made available on the information board inside the burial ground situated above St Augustine's Well; Read More »

St Barruc is said to have been buried on Barry Island, possibly at the chapel which was dedicated to him. The ruins of this chapel are on Friar’s Road overlooking Jackson Bay. Read More »

The atmospheric church at St Bees is all that remains of a small Benedictine monastery closed down during the reformation. The priory is associated with the legend of St Bega, who is said to have fled here to escape an arranged marriage in Ireland. Read More »

In Clynnog Fawr, the shrine to Saint Bueno is a disproportionately large church for the size of the village, it dominates the area, and it’s probably one of the most important churches in North Wales. Read More »

This gloomy atmospheric church, dating from the sixteenth century, is dedicated to St Clement, who was a bishop of Dunblane parish. Read More »

Around 794AD, the pagan King Offa of Mercia demanded the head of the Christian King Ethelbert of East Anglia whilst he was making arrangements to marry Offa's daughter. Not far from the location of Marden Church the young king was assassinated and his body hidden. After rumours of Ethelbert's ghost being seen in the marden area, Offa asked the Pope for absolution. Read More »

Today St George’s Day is not celebrated in England with anywhere near the vigour it was in past centuries, and is actually celebrated more in other countries that share his patronage, with traditions that have not been broken for hundreds of years. Read More »

This tiny chapel hidden in a deep ravine in the rocks dates from the thirteenth century. There may have been a chapel or religious structure here in the fifth century making it one of the earliest places of Christian worship. It has been suggested that the chapel was part of a larger Hermitage but its history is unclear. Read More »

St Lewina was a young British virgin who was martyred by Saxons on 24 July 687AD (whilst Theodore was 7th Archbishop of Canterbury). Following her death she was buried at Seaford, near Lewes in East Sussex. Read More »

Still referred to as a Cathedral, St Machar's has not held a Bishop's seat since the Reformation and is in reality a high kirk. Legend has it that St Machar was informed by God to find a place where a river bends like a bishops crozier and then to establish a church there. Hence in 580 St Machar founded his church in Aberdeen where the River Don flows upon such a route. Read More »

The church of St Mary’s on Church Hill in Barnetby-le-Wold dates from Saxon times though the current building is rebuilt during the Norman era. The church was actually declared redundant and closed in 1972 soo you cannot visit it without making special arrangements. One special item of note regarding St Mary’s was its lead font which dated from the early 12th century. Read More »

St Michael's Mount is a picturesque rocky island that has been described as the 'Jewel in Cornwall's crown' - perhaps a reason for its popularity with visitors. Read More »

According to tradition, St Moling was descended from Catahair Már (a Prince of Leinster) and was born in Sliabh Luachra, County Kerry in 614AD. Read More »