The Heritage Hiker’s Guide to St Nicholas

Where is St Nicholas?

St. Nicholas – Sain Nicolas is a small village near Wenvoe in the Vale of Glamorgan. How the village got its name is unclear, but it may well be after Saint Nicholas, the saint who was born in a former Greek area of southern Turkey. The same Saint Nicholas was known as a protector of children and has merged to form the modern interpretation of Christmas and Father Christmas who gives gifts to children.

Parish Church of St Nicholas

The church of St Nicholas is first mentioned between 1153 and 1183. There is no evidence to suggest anything earlier than this existed on or near the site. The earliest part of the church is said to be the north wall of the nave and chancel, It predates the chancel and tower arches, which are from the late 13th century or early 14th century.  The lower rood stair door, the belfry and the arch into the south aisle are believed to date to the 16th century. The vestry door appears to have been the door to the rood stair, of which no further traces remain. The church retains a medieval font and its sanctus bell, but all other internal fittings are Victorian or later. The whole church was heavily restored during the Victorian period (1859-60) and forms much of what is seen today. The churchyard cross does not survive.

The village of St. Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorgan is home to the nearby prehistoric St Lythan burial tomb.

St Lythans Burial Tomb

St Lythans Burial tomb is a long cairn/barrow. It is a big stone structure composed of a ‘cove’ of three uprights, open to a presumed forecourt to the east, capped by a large stone. Conservation was carried out on the badly eroded tomb in the early 1990s with soil and turf replaced to cover the exposed areas.

Human remains and coarse pottery were found in 1875, in the soil thrown out from the interior. Severe erosion by cattle in 1992 lead to the exposure of sub-soil cairn material within the chamber and on the north side and the discovery of a fragment of polished stone axe and several flint flakes. These finds join a leaf-shaped flint arrowhead found on its own and all are stored at the National Museum Wales, Cardiff.

Tinkinswood Burial Chamber

Tinkinswood is another long cairn/barrow and just like St Lythans above, it was constructed using large stones. Its purpose was to act as a large grave for our Neolithic ancestors. Excavated in 1914 Iron Age material was found which indicates the site was in use long after the original burials. There are a number of large stones located nearby that could have once been another cairn.

Walks

Vale Trail 7 takes you past both Tinkinswood and St Lythans forming a 7.5 mile circular route. There is a shorter route also taking you past Dyffryn House for access to toilets and facilities.

For articles that cover areas near St Nicholas see Wenvoe and Bonvilston