England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Gileston St Giles

The Parish

The parish of Gileston lies in the extreme south of Glamorgan forming a stretch of the county's Outer Bristol Channel coastline. Gileston is located roughly 6 miles southeast of the market town of Cowbridge and stands a quarter mile to the south of the coastal B4265 which connects Llantwit Major through towards Barry. Gileston is a tiny place, little more than a hamlet gathered around the 18th century manor, now a 5* hotel, and church in their combined grounds. Gileston would have been a closed parish with all land held by single landholder who decline inbound migration thus no formal village was created. The parish, despite being coastal, was almost totally farmed with roughly equal proportions of arable and pastoral. The parish is perhaps most visited these days as part of the recently created Wales Coastal Path, albeit somewhat marred by the presence of the ruined site of Aberthaw Cement & Lime Works which lies to the east of Gileston, better to admire the fine views of Somerset and Exmoor opposite across the channel. Modern developments have come to the parish, the railway line hugging the coast from Barry to Bridgend passing through the north of the parish. The River Thaw takes the parish water to the nearby coast, a short journey. Gileston is sited at around 20 metres in gentle terrain that rises steadily inland to around 70 metres by St Mary Church. Gileston parish was perhaps the smallest in the county covering only 343 acres and supporting fewer than 50 parishioners. Like most of Wales Gileston is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Giles' church sits alongside the hotel within their common joint grounds west of Gileston Road. The church is largely a product of the 14th centuries and shows both styles pertaining to that century. Both Decorated and Perpendicular  motifs abound, Pevsner believes, however, this to be an effect of a prolonged single build rather than two phases. The build appears to progress from east to west with the chancel even showing lancets, a throw-back to earlier styles, whilst further east Perpendicular styling predominates. Crowning the western end is the curious turret/tower which rises from the end of the nave like a bell-turret but has dimensions like those of a tower, a curious feature. Restoration came late to St Giles with the main campaign being from 1903, besides the normal restoration that work also replaced the chancel arch. The hotel's car park suffices for the church, too. Entry from the road is possible through a narrow metal gate but also directly from the car park. The church sits cheek-by-jowl with the former manor removing western views and those from the south are compromised by close tree-beset edging to the churchyard making for a challenge to the photographer.