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History It has been assumed that St. John The Baptist Church, Glyncorrwg, is a medieval foundation. The old church, demolished in 1905 was clearly of medieval workmanship. The thirteenth century chancel arch did not survive the re-building , but a fifteenth century east window, a holy water stoup and the font were all incorporated into the new building. An unpublished paper by Cadrawd mentions an unused bell, that was given to the church by the monks at Margam, who had taken it from some shipwreck. some consider therefore, that the church's foundation is directly linked to the Cistercian Abbey of Margam, suggesting that the Monks built the church as a chapel for their members engaged in sheep farming at Glyncorrwg, as they had done at their grange in Resolven. Local tradition has even asserted that the Glyncorrwg 'Station' was regarded as a suitable place for "Naughty" Monks to perform their penances!
There is evidence to suggest that the foundation of Glyncorrwg church dates back far beyond medieval times, and into the age of the saints, the fifth and sixth centuries. Sian Victory, in her book "The Celtic Church In Wales", suggests that the Celtic churches can be recognized by several particular features:
These features described, are typical of the church grounds in Glyncorrwg and it is Suggested that the church name may have been changed by the Normans from a local welsh saint to its current dedication to St. John The Baptist.
The present church at Glyncorrwg was consecrated in March 1907
The Restoration Of The Church In 2000, a memorial plaque fell from the wall of the church, which was an indication that immediate restoration work was needed inside the church. The cost of the restoration would cost £15,000. The Welsh Church Act Fund, Diocesan Churches and Pastoral Committee gave grants totaling £2000, but the rest of the money needed to be raised locally. The community rallied round and through a series of events, most of the sum needed was raised. A 'Stars In Their Eyes' performance took place in The Rugby Club and the 'Bar Boys' organized a quiz night. The restoration work took 4 months to complete and on Advent Sunday 2002 we moved back into the church. An open day was held and among the visitors was Dr Hywel Francis MP for Aberavon. He commended the church for having faith in the future of Glyncorrwg. A service of thanksgiving for the restoration of the church took place on Sunday 26th January 2003, at which the preacher was Bishop Barry Morgan, the church was full and amongst the guests were The MP for Aberavon (Dr. Hywel Francis) The Mayor of Neath Port Talbot (Councilor Colin Morgan) and Diocesan Officers.
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