The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to Ewenny

Ewenny Overview

Ewenny is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan that closely borders the county of Bridgend. It is known for its local pottery and the remains of a 12^th century priory and is home to Ewenny Priory House (private ownership), which is woven into the remains of Ewenny Priory and St Michael’s Church. St Michael’s Church is formed from the west side of what was Ewenny Priory Church. It became a parish church following the dissolution of the priory.

Ewenny Priory

Ewenny Priory was likely built on a pre-Norman monastic site, the church was built here between 1107 and 1134 by William de Londres who presented it to the Abbey of Gloucester.  

In the 13^th century, precinct walls were built to fortify and enclose the site. It isn’t clear why the site needed to be so heavily defended.  The walls incorporate the north transept of the priory church in one section of their circuit and four mural towers and two gatehouses were irregularly disposed around the rest of the perimeter. The two gatehouses, reconstructed around 1300, incorporate simple Norman vaulted gateways in their passages.

The whole site is a mix of old and new as the remains incorporate a working farm. What remains of Ewenny Priory is cared for by CADW and can be visited any day of the year. For visiting information click here.

St Michael’s Church

St Michael’s Church became the parish church after the dissolution of the priory. There is a large collection of medieval and post-medieval monuments, including the tomb of the founder held within the church. The font is medieval and there are traces of wall painting on the arcade between the nave and aisle. Most other internal fittings are Victorian or later. The churchyard is quadrangular, and there is no churchyard cross.

Ewenny Pottery

Ewenny pottery is a term used for pottery made in and around Ewenny by various small pottery workshops rather than a specific pottery. The reason for production in this area is linked to a nearby source of boulder clay to the north of the village. It is likely pottery has been produced in this area since Medieval times although sources relating to production only begin in the 15^th century and are really documented from the 18^th century. Today only two potteries still remain in the area, Ewenny Pottery and Claypits Pottery.

Ewenny is small but there is a local village shop and a garden center. There is a circular walk starting in St Brides Major that extends to Ewenny Priory or the Vale Millenium Heritage Trail.

If you liked learning more about the history of Ewenny why not check out The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to The Top 5 Free Archaeological Sites to Visit in the Vale of Glamorgan

For articles relating to areas near Ewenny see Ogmore-by-Sea, Merthyr Mawr and Southerndown