History in Structure

Church of St John the Baptist

A Grade II Listed Building in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.4076 / 51°24'27"N

Longitude: -3.2217 / 3°13'18"W

OS Eastings: 315121

OS Northings: 168331

OS Grid: ST151683

Mapcode National: GBR HW.QGBV

Mapcode Global: VH6FL.3WN8

Plus Code: 9C3RCQ5H+38

Entry Name: Church of St John the Baptist

Listing Date: 28 January 1963

Last Amended: 25 September 2002

Grade: II

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 13638

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

ID on this website: 300013638

Location: At the W end of the C20 urban development of Sully, the core of the former village, in a large roughly triangular churchyard on a corner site with Cog Road.

County: Vale of Glamorgan

Community: Sully and Lavernock (Sili a Larnog)

Community: Sully

Built-Up Area: Barry

Traditional County: Glamorgan

Tagged with: Church building

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History

Reputedly founded by Reginald de Sully 1093 and a Norman chancel arch is reported to have existed until 1830. List of vicars from 1242. Chancel originally C13 and tower probably C14. A remodelling is recorded in 1701. Revd W Conybeare, a South Wales coalfield pioneer, who later became Dean of Llandaff, instituted a major restoration in first half of C19 which involved building a new chancel arch and lengthening the chancel. The S aisle wall was demolished and the existing windows re-set in its replacement, the present S nave wall. Conybeare promoted the change of services in Welsh to English; he was also a friend of the author Charles Kingsley. Further restoration from 1848 under Revd George Wood with box pews removed 1874; he became chancellor of Llandaff cathedral. Restoration 1895 by Seddon and Carter included new roofs. Font of 1851, designed and made by J Castle of Oxford, was in the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace and was given to the church in memory of John Evans manager of Dowlais Ironworks who lived at Sully House. E window of 1874, stained glass by A Wilkinson 1949, N aisle windows 1927. SW nave window has stained glass of 1933 designed by Isaac John Williams Keeper of Art at the National Museum of Wales. Bells from 1558, though the earliest now remaining is of 1758; restored 1880. Churchyard cross restored 1927 to commemorate 7 sailors who drowned off the nearby coast; stone used from N wall where windows were inserted.

Exterior

Small medieval parish church. Plan of nave, chancel, square unbuttressed west tower unusually incorporating main entrance in S wall, vestry extension at NE. Of stone rubble with remnants of lime render, some ashlar dressings, part roughcast; Welsh slate roof with corbelled eaves. Tower has embattled parapet on corbels, 2 tiers of single slit openings to tower chambers, pointed chamfered arched S doorway of 2 orders, battered plinth. Two 3-light square headed windows to S nave with ogee-arched lights under hood-mould, polycarbonate external glazing; stepped buttress at SE nave. Chancel has pointed-arched S priests' door with hood with head stops and 2-light Perpendicular-style SE window with cusped heads to lights; E C19 window is pointed-arched, 3-light with roll-moulding to mullions; voussoirs. E end all of coursed-rockfaced sandstone. Flat roofed vestry wing. N side is roughcast with 2 3-light C19 windows.

Interior

Entrance is through S door of tower. Interior is mainly rendered with exposed dressings, exposed rubble masonry on W wall; roofs are boarded, the nave with 3 deep arch-braced trusses with king posts and moulded tie beams, deep wallplate, all in dark-stained wood. Pointed chancel arch with no capitals. Two fonts: one of mid-C19 date is very elaborate of Caen stone with carved angels in Decorated foliage; the other is small, of wood and in an unusual capstan-shape on a stone plinth, probably C18. Chancel has C13 trefoil-headed piscina with 2 roll-mouldings.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a medieval church with an interesting history of adaptations and containing 2 notable fonts.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Limekiln
    In a private garden, close to the lane, a cul-de-sac, on the slope S of Cog Road.
  • II Hayes Farm Windmill
    Between the road and the industrial estate, opposite the farmhouse, to the north of Sully Hospital; in a fenced enclosure.
  • II Nicells
    At the northern end of Swanbridge Road at the junction with Cog Road and Sully Road, on the western side overlooking the complex of Cog Farm.
  • II Planned group of farmyard buildings at Cog Farm
    Cog Farm lies W of the T-junction in Cog, NE of Sully village; the farmyards and farm ranges are to W of the farmhouse.
  • II Cog House
    Forming the E range of the farm complex set back behind wall with iron railings, just W of the T-junction with Swanbridge Road and Sully Road, NE of Sully village.
  • II Eight rickstands to N side of Cog Farm
    Cog Farm lies to W of the T-junction in Cog, N of Sully Village; the rickstands are situated at the NE edge of the former rickyard bordering the fields and to the rear of the farmyard buildings which
  • II Former Lodge and Screen walls flanking the driveway entrance to Sully Hospital
    Set back from the byroad (about 1 1/2 kms from B4267) and close to W side of main driveway to Sully Hospital.
  • II* Sully Hospital
    Reached along a byroad one-and-a-half kms SW from B4267 near W outskirts of Sully. The hospital is sited in extensive, wooded grounds at Hayes Point overlooking the Bristol Channel.

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