Gower
St Cattwg's Church, Port Eynon
Hospitaller
A 12th-century church at the south-western tip of Gower, whose advowson was given to the Knights Hospitaller of Slebech by Robert de Mare in 1165.
St Cattwg's at Port Eynon stands close to the seafront at the south-western corner of the Gower peninsula. Tradition places an earlier Celtic foundation on the site by St Cenydd in the 6th century; the first stone church was built in the later 12th century.
In 1165 Robert de Mare granted the advowson to the Knights Hospitaller of St John at Slebech, tying the parish to the commandery's network of coastal Gower churches — a chain of Hospitaller livings running from Port Eynon through Rhossili and Llanmadoc.
The church has been much restored, but the medieval plan and the memory of its Hospitaller patronage survive. The churchyard also holds the well-known Lifeboatmen's Memorial, a reminder that this remained a working coastal parish long after the knights had gone.
Visiting
Port Eynon is at the end of the A4118 on south Gower. The church is a short walk up from the beach car park.
Coordinates: 51.5450°N, 4.2103°W
