Church of St Michael and All Angels

St Michael and All Angels is an Anglican church in the village of Tongwynlais, South Wales. It stands on a site donated by Henry Lewis in 1875 and was built in red and grey sandstone. The church opened in 1877 and served as a chapel of ease to St Mary’s Church in Whitchurch for 44 years. Its rood screen was given by Herbert Cory after the First World War. The building is Grade II listed and has seen changes to its parish boundaries over the decades. The church became the centre of its own parish in 1921 after the formation of the Church in Wales. It absorbed two nearby churches, St James’ in Taff’s Well and St Mary’s in Nantgarw, though St Mary’s later closed in 1983. The graveyard was reduced in 1950 for a road-widening scheme. Today the parish is led by Rev’d Sandra Birdsall, who also oversees the wider Garth Ministry Area. The church’s listed status was confirmed in 1977. Inside, the church has a rood screen donated in thanksgiving for the safe return of villagers from the First World War. The building retains its original sandstone walls and simple furnishings. Outside, the churchyard holds gravestones dating from its early years. A war memorial in the sister church at Taff’s Well remembers local people lost in both world wars. The village setting, surrounded by hills, adds to the quiet atmosphere of the place.