Maudlam Church dedicated to St.Mary Magdalene was built around the time of 1255 and celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2005. It is believed to have been built to serve the needs of the people of Kenfig who moved to higher ground in order to escape the effects of encroaching sand.

The story of Maudlam Church begins in the town of Kenfig with the now long forgotten St James' Church. [ St James' Church, Kenfig ]

St Mary Magdalene Church is closely linked with the borough of Kenfig and is officially described in the church records as St Mary Magdalene, Kenfig. Mawdlam or Maudlam is a corruption of Magdalene and the village name arises from the presence of the church.

The church of St Mary Magdalene is first mentioned in a deed of the mid 13th century. The precise date of origin of the church cannot be determined but three of the witnesses to the deed are known to have been active between 1245 and 1282.

Sir Stephen Glynne visited Kenfig and in his notes he described the church of St Mary Magdalene as

In 1878 a petition for faculty descibed the church as in a dilapidated condition and unfit for services. The white wash rendering was removed revealing the stone, unfortunately the loss of protective layers of lime-wash eventually permitted water to penetrate the walls.

This caused considerable damage to the structure and the interior decoration especially in the tower. Included in the changes was moving the carved Norman tub font from the south west corner of the nave to its present position to make way for 28 more worshippers.

In 1894 the chancel was completely rebuilt with funding from Miss Emily Charlotte Talbot of the Margam Estate, increasing its size and adding a vestry on the north side which in the 1930's was used, in part, to house a small wind organ.

The church has a squat perpendicular tower with a crenellated top and is decorated with gorbels on two sides. It houses a single bell cast in 1664 and embossed with the names of Edward Hopkins and Jenkin Howell, Church Wardens - it was re-hung in 1908.

The clock was installed in 1955 as a memorial to the fallen of the two world wars and was originally powered by a weight system. This has now been replaced by an electronically controlled drive. A tablet in the baptistry below the tower records the names of the fallen. The church tower is clearly visible from the sea and has served as a navigation landmark for mariners throughout the centuries and the church graveyard appears to house the village cross.

It was customary in medieval times for a cross to be erected in every village as it reminded the people of the Christian faith. The village cross enhanced the power and prestige of the church, the monks and the clergy. It was a symbol of salvation and divine guidance and was expected when decisions were made within its shadow.

The tithe map of 1841 indicates that a field located at the junction of the present Kenfig road and the old Y Lane Fach, was known as Cae'r Groes (The field of the cross).

The surviving Kenfig burgesses bitterly opposed the construction of the new church at Pyle, claiming that the one at Maudlam was older, stood within the enlarged boundary of the Borough and should therefore be accorded the status of being the parish church.

This dispute reached a climax in 1485 when the people of Pyle actually took the Burgesses to court and obtained an order forcing them to acknowledge the status of the new church.

The dispute rumbled on for centuries and in 1810 a Vicar of the parish who just happened to be a burgess and who several times held the office of Portreeve, claimed that Maudlam was his parish church and Pyle merely its chapel of ease.

The benefice of Pyle and Kenfig is a single parish benefice in the deanery of Margam - it is also known as Cynffig.

Bibliography

(1) Kenfig.org

(2) The Kenfig Society

(3) Bridgend Library & Information Services, Coed Parc, Bridgend

Webpage Author:

Mr Rob Bowen, Kenfig.org Local Community Group, 2008