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Locked within the airfield at St Athan is a tiny, decaying church.
It dates to the 13th century, but now it’s tangled in barbed wire, its roof is sheeted in tin, binbags flap over the broken windows.
Inside, it crumbles.
#thread
It dates to the 13th century, but now it’s tangled in barbed wire, its roof is sheeted in tin, binbags flap over the broken windows.
Inside, it crumbles.
#thread
The origins of the church are in the 1200s – the tub font dates from this time. It was enlarged in the 15th century. But the most important part of this church are the post-Reformation wall-paintings. As well as texts and prayers, there is layer after layer of coats of arms.
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The list description tells us there’s the Royal Arms of Charles I, Charles II and George, pre-Civil War Stuart heraldry which was expunged, then replaced with the post-Restoration Stuart arms. This was later appropriated to Hanover by adding G [R].
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: (c) @RCAHMWales
![The list description tells us there’s the Royal Arms of Charles I, Charles II and George, pre-Civil War Stuart heraldry which was expunged, then replaced with the post-Restoration Stuart arms. This was later appropriated to Hanover by adding G [R].3/7: (c) @RCAHMWales](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZKXvoGUYAAX9BH.jpg "The list description tells us there’s the Royal Arms of Charles I, Charles II and George, pre-Civil War Stuart heraldry which was expunged, then replaced with the post-Restoration Stuart arms. This was later appropriated to Hanover by adding G [R].3/7: (c) @RCAHMWales")
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: (c) @RCAHMWales
But the significance of St Brise goes further.
In 1901, on the brink of dereliction, it became the first church in Wales to be rescued by @SPAB1877. A society established by William Morris and Philip Webb in 1877 that set out a new philosophy for repairing old buildings.
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In 1901, on the brink of dereliction, it became the first church in Wales to be rescued by @SPAB1877. A society established by William Morris and Philip Webb in 1877 that set out a new philosophy for repairing old buildings.
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In 1939, the RAF station was created at St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan. In 1998, the MOD bought the church, impounding it. They had plans to use it as a ‘chapel of contemplation’ for a Defence Training Academy. Neither the academy nor the chapel ever materialised.
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The church has languished for the past twenty years. We’ve been working with a local group to find a way to release the church from the airfield. We seemed to be on the brink of a breakthrough in 2018… but plans fell through and we are now, sadly, back to square one.
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The Royal Commission website has excellent information and images on the church. Do take a look: https://coflein.gov.uk/en/site/400102/details/st-brewiss-church-eglwysbrewis
Hopefully, St Brise's fortunes will change soon.
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Hopefully, St Brise's fortunes will change soon.
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