The Church
Actually there are in fact two churches here (but only one cache!) The current church, built in 1870 by the Crawshays of ironworking fame is dedicated to St. Gwynno, and is the one by the car parking, but before this there were two incarnations further to the west and where this cache is placed. The first was built around either 714 or 874 (records seem to vary) but was burnt down during the Battle of Maesvaynor in 1291 (Battle of Maesvaynor) so another was built on the same site but became dilapidated by 1867 (this is the building you are close to now) and replaced, as mentioned by the Crawshays.
This church has a great feel to it when the weather is right, creating a very spooky sort of air!
The new church is probably best known for the grave of Robert Crawshay in the graveyard which has a huge 10-ton slab on top. Despite his early success and his well known name of the 'Iron King of Wales' he ended up closing Clyfartha Ironworks due to it's lack of profit - partially due to the falling price of iron and partially due to the union demands of the day, making hundreds of workers jobless and him a most unpopular man of the time. Thus the story goes that the slab was placed on top of his grave to make sure he never got out again! The inscription 'God Forgive Me' on his grave is often cited to prove his guilt but this was actually quite a common inscription on Victorian graves.
The Cache
A small-sized cache just outside the church grounds placed for an easy find.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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Many thanks to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council for giving permission for the placement of this cache.