A Brief History
A Brief History
1126
There is documentary evidence that by 1126 there was a church somewhere in Whitchurch, probably near to a bend in the River Taff, but its exact location is unknown.
1266
In 1266 the Manor of Whitchurch was created with a castle located where Treoda flats now stand. A document of 1296 refers to a White Church within the Manor. It is probable that the castle and the church would have been built near to one another, but which was first is not known. It is reasonable to assume that a Church stood on the site of St. Mary’s Gardens in Old Church Road from the 13th century.
Compulsory worship
As a “Chapel of Ease” belonging to Llandaff Cathedral it had a limited function. On ordinary Sundays people could go there for compulsory worship conducted by a priest from the Cathedral. For major Church Festivals and for Christenings, Marriages and Burials they had to go to the Cathedral. Failure to attend church could result in a fine or even imprisonment – as happened to three Whitchurch residents in the time of Queen Elizabeth 1st.
Early 1500s
Early in the 1500s the church was reconstructed on the same site and was known by the predominantly Welsh-speaking residents as Eglwys Newydd. From time to time there were complaints that the priests sent from the Cathedral were unable “to officiate in the Welsh tongue”. In 1678, for example, eighty-four Whitchurch residents signed a petition about this.
1616
In 1616 St. Mary’s Church was licensed for Christenings, Marriages and Burials. A yew tree planted about 30 years later still stands in the churchyard today. In 1973 when archaeologists examined the remains of the church they found the bones of hundreds of people who had been buried under the floor of the church, presumably prior to 1616.
1785
By 1785 the population of Whitchurch had increased to such an extent it became necessary to build a gallery inside the church to enable it to accommodate larger congregations. In 1845 Whitchurch was upgraded to an Ecclesiastical Parish with a resident priest and St. Mary’s became the Parish Church. It was abandoned in 1885 when a new St. Mary’s Church in Penlline Road was opened. Left to decay, the old St. Mary’s was demolished in 1904.
1970s
The overgrown churchyard with its leaning gravestones became an increasing problem as time went by. Eventually, in 1972 it was taken over by Cardiff City Council. By 1974 the Parks Department had transformed it into a prize-winning Garden, essentially creating a miniature arboretum under-planted with shrubs. To read more about this transformation and for photos of the old church click here. Whilst on the page that appears, if you click on 1973 excavation report from the list on the left, pages 2 & 3 of the report give some more details of the history and the burials inside the church. For photos of some of the features in the churchyard, click this link:
2010s
About the Friends & Volunteers. The Cardiff Parks website mentions that by 2016 the Gardens had become badly overgrown. In 2017 members of the Whitchurch WI became so concerned about their condition that with the consent of the Parks Department they formed a group of Volunteers, including men, to work under the direction of a Community Park Ranger. Meeting on a monthly basis they made a noticeable impact until in March 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown put a stop to their activities. The Volunteers were able to resume their meetings in September 2021. If you would be interested in becoming a Volunteer or in joining the Friends of St. Mary’s Gardens, which developed from the Volunteers’ Group, click on this link for more information: