Replacing the abandoned church located on Penmaen Burrows (which was besanded in the early 14th Century), Penmaen Church is a small building with a correspondingly tiny churchyard. Dedicated to John the Baptist, there is a fine stained glass window depicting the saint in the north wall of teh north aisle. A second accompanying stained glass window shows St. Paul. Both these windows were installed in memory of E.K. James, the Rector of the church from 1850-95 and were paid for by friends and parishioners of the Rector.
Little remains of the church’s original building after some rather hefty and intrusive restoration work was carried out in 1854-55. During this work, a gravestone dated 1623 was discovered beneath the church altar. It reads:
‘here resteth the body of David the sonne of David the sonne of Richard the sonne of Nicholas the sonne of Rys teh sonne of Leison teh sonne of Rys the sonne of Morgan Ychan the sonne of Morgan the sonne of Cradocke the sonne of Iustin ap Gwrgan Sometime Lord of Glamorgan interred the 21 day of August in the year of our blessed redemption 1623. In this bit of earth likewise reposeth the body of Jane his wife deceased the 23 of Febr. 1631 whome God consorts in sacred rites and love death canot seperate marrow from the dove.’
This, the earliest relic within the church, is now positioned on the chancel’s north wall.
Unfortunately, Penmaen Church is usually kept locked outside of service hours.
