England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Merthyr Mawr St Teilo

The Parish

The parish of Merthyr Mawr lies in southern Glamorgan forming a stretch of the county's coastline with the outer Bristol Channel. Merthy Mawr is located about 2 miles southwest of the industrial town of Bridgendand sits just over a mile south of the A48 road which connects Cardiff with Swansea. Merthyr Mawr is a small place little more than a hamlet which sits on the western banks of the Afon Ogwr close to where it reaches the sea. Merthyr Mawr's claim to fame is its extensive stretch of sand dunes, Merthyr Mawr Warren which stretch for over 2 miles along the coast westwards from the mouth of the Ogwr, haven for wildlife and a joy for coastal strollers. In land not inundated by sand there was a typical pastoral economy exploiting the salt-tolerant coastal grazing, supplemented by the usual coastal activities of fishing, shell-fishing and wildfowling. The Ogwr head the short distance to drain the parish to the nearby outer Bristol Channel. Merthyr Mawr is sited at just 10 metres above the sea, land rises inland to reach just over 80 metres to the west of Bridgend. Containing as its does the Warren, the parish acreage was fairly large for a lowland Glamorgan parish, covering close to 2,600 acres it would have supported a population of around 150 parishioners. Like most of Wales Merthyr Mawt is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area. 

The Church

Merthyrmawr Road is a narrow lane winding through the hamlet to a car park on the edge of the Warren, St Teilo's church sits on its northern side. Sadly this is not the venue for the marriages listed here as it was built between 1849 and 1851 as a replacement church. Designed by a fellow-pupil to Pugin in an Early English Gothic style it is typical of that school's design work presenting the Gothic as the style of choice for religious buildings. A simple church of nave & chancel topped by a western bellcote, the latter carrying a spirelet it is traditional looking but modern at the same time. Despite the lane being narrow there is a half-circle parking area to the east of the site allowing visitors to get off-road adequately and from where a shady lychgate leads to the churchyard. The site has a few trees scattered about but these can be easily avoided by the photographer.