Church of the Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity Church stands in the village of Marcross, part of St Donats in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The church is built of stone with a slate roof, its nave and chancel forming a single space without aisles. The main body dates from the 12th century, with a 14th-century tower added later and partly rebuilt in the 17th century. Inside, a Norman arch from about 1150 frames the entrance, and a large 12th-century font with rolled mouldings remains in place. Two trefoil windows in the chancel wall, probably from the 13th century, include a lepers’ window where sufferers could watch services without contact. The church’s history is recorded by figures such as John Capgrave, who noted a monastery established by St Cyngar, and by landowners like Sir Philip de Marcross, whose manor passed to William le Butler in the 13th century. By 1254 the church was valued at five marks, and by 1563 it had both a parson and a curate. In the late 19th century the rector led a four-year fundraiser, allowing Kempton and Fowler of Llandaff to restore the building. During the work they uncovered a 13th-century tomb, a 12th-century piscina, and a doorway to the rood loft. Visitors find a simple rectangular church with a saddleback tower and lower chancel roof. The interior holds the uncovered 13th-century tomb and the original piscina, while outside a 15th-century cross carries an 18th-century sundial. The lepers’ window and the Norman arch remain visible, and the single space of nave and chancel gives an uncluttered view of the building’s early structure. The churchyard and surrounding village centre provide a quiet setting for this Grade I-listed building.