St John the Baptist, Danescourt
St John the Baptist, Danescourt
St John's is a Grade II Church in Wales parish church at Danescourt, Cardiff, in the Diocese of Llandaff: one of the few churches in Cardiff with surviving medieval fabric, restored by John Prichard in 1869-70.
- Location
- Danescourt, City of Cardiff
- Country
- Wales
- County
- City of Cardiff
- City / town
- Danescourt
- Address
- Rachel Close, Danescourt, City of Cardiff, CF5 2SH
- Postcode
- CF5 2SH
- Built
- Probably C14; restored 1869-70; vestry work 1897-98
- Architect
- John Prichard (restoration 1869-70); George E Halliday (1897-98)
- Denomination
- Church in Wales
- Dedication
- John the Baptist
- Diocese
- Llandaff
- Parish
- Radyr
- Grade
- II
- Style
- Medieval with Victorian restoration; Perpendicular details
- Materials
- Polychromatic random rubble; stone bellcote
- Opening hours
- Open everyday.
- Access
- Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby
Overview
Cadw lists the Church of St John the Baptist (reference 13780, designated 19 May 1975), in the north-western corner of Llandaff Community where it abuts Radyr. Cadw and Coflein describe a medieval church, probably fourteenth-century, whose exterior was considerably altered around 1865-70, probably by John Prichard. The nave and chancel are probably medieval in origin; the porch and vestry are wholly late nineteenth-century. Coflein records polychromatic random rubble, mostly a refacing or rebuilding of the original walls, a south porch, north vestry with a tall cylindrical chimney, and a stone bellcote at the west end with pairs of trefoil-headed openings. Internally a possibly late-fourteenth-century chancel arch and a medieval limestone font survive.
The Church in Wales heritage record states that Prichard restored the church in 1869-70, renewing the nave and chancel roofs, substituting a new east window, removing a three-decker pulpit and providing new pitch-pine benches, at a cost of 1,050 pounds. George E. Halliday carried out further work in 1897-98, extending the vestry and lining the west wall; the bishop required the medieval chancel arch to remain. The church is recorded in 1254. The parents of Roald Dahl are buried in the churchyard. The parish is Radyr, now served with neighbouring churches in the Garth Ministry Area.