St Mary the Virgin Church

Back in 1979, I walked hand in hand in love with a girl called Hillary across green fields to this church which was still complete. I haven't been back since. Since that romantic walk, they've built the A4232 Cardiff Bay link road and this medieval church has fallen into ruin by vandalism.

Today, I managed to find this beautiful place after driving through a housing estate and a walk up a footpath. It is on top of a Bronze Age Hillfort on which 'Time Team' have done a programme.

St Mary the Virgin ruins stand on the site of Caerau Hillfort on a natural plateau at the Caerau end of a hill range extending from Leckwith to Caerau. The church is first mentioned in the Taxatio Ecclesiasticus of Pope Nicholas IV in 1291 and was probably built in 1260. Since then it has undergone many repairs and alterations. Archaeologia Cambrensis in 1901 describes its 1848 state as "a small church on an abrupt eminence, where was a Roman encampment." It was substantially rebuilt by the Reverend Victor Jones in 1960-61. In 1973 it was closed and deconsecrated and it has subsequently deteriorated into a ruin. Since 1999 a group of former and current parishioners, the Friends of St. Mary’s Church at Caerau, have been campaigning to preserve and commemorate the remains of the church.
The building became Grade II listed in 1980

I did take a stunning mono of it but as it's Wide Angle Wednesday I've chosen this aerial view. You can see the Bay link Road they've built since my last visit nearly 40 years ago.