St John the Baptist Church was founded in the late 12th century. It was sacked in 1404 and rebuilt fourty years later.
A simple internet search will tell you that there are dozens, possibly hundreds of churches in Cardiff. But amongst all, St John’s Church in Cardiff City Centre is unique in its standing.
The first recorded mention of St John the Baptist Church dates to 1180, making it the oldest church in the Welsh capital. Except for Cardiff Castle, St John’s Church is the oldest building in Cardiff.
Hannah Seal, lead evangelist at the church said St John’s has witnessed the transformation of Cardiff from a small town to a vibrant urban centre over the last seven centuries.
“While everything changed, this church remained constant,” she said.
But not everything has been the same. St John’s was sacked in 1404 and rebuilt in 1443. A few decades later, the 130-foot-high quadrangular tower was added.
Patrick O’Reilly, 80, is in Cardiff to trace his family history. He said one of his ancestors is buried under this church.
“I live in Canada, and I am here on the trail of my ancestors. I heard about one of my direct ancestors being buried here. He was a reverend, and I was looking to find something about him here, but there are no written records,” he said.
O’Reilly examined the crests in the Herbert Chapel for clues about his family.
Herbert Chapel in St John’s Church has a monument to two brothers, Sir William Herbert and Sir John Herbert. While the former was a keeper of Cardiff Castle, the latter was a private secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. The brothers died in the early 1600s.
“I am trying to find out about the Herbert family, which later became the Thomas Family. My mother belonged to this family. They were wealthy landlords in South Wales,” he said.
Seal said the church also runs a group called Good Company for people to have a chat, and coffee and maybe ask some profound questions.
“Some people want to know if hell is really filled with fire. I don’t know. It is an interesting question,” she said.
