Come and See!
We’re just a short walk from Cardiff Central Station between the city centre and Cardiff Bay, and we’ve got lots of stories to tell!
Standing in the old Docks area of Cardiff, our story is Cardiff’s story.
We are open daily for prayer and worship, and we are working towards being open more outside these times. If you want to make sure of a visit just get in touch. We’d love to welcome you!
The main entrance is what appears to be the rear (west end) of the church through the car park.
A Guidebook is available, and we’re happy to arrange bespoke tours of the building for small or larger groups.
Walk this Way: Below, you’ll find a number of self-guided walking tours of our community and city, highlighting the important features of faith and religion, both past and present.
Facilities: Parking is available, and we have a toilet and baby changing facilities. There is an accessible entranceway, and a loop system for the hard of hearing.
In 2021, our plans will bring a more accessible and welcoming entranceway from Bute Street which will lead through our gardens into an Display Area, sharing the story of who we are: our past and present and future, an engaging exhibition for visitors to Cardiff and local people alike.
If you want to get under the skin of Cardiff, and glimpse something of its growth into what it is today, Butetown – and St Mary’s Church – is a must!
We hope to see you soon!
Please note that visits and activities are determined by current COVID restrictions in place at the time.
WALK THIS WAY
A series of self guided walks for your smartphone, a friendly accompaniment to FAITHFUL BUTETOWN
1. Faithful Butetown
Check out the first of our series of walks beginning at Callaghan Square at the top of Bute Street, guiding you through Butetown and ending at Mount Stuart Square, and introducing you to a number of different faiths in our Multicultural community. Check out it out here
2. At the Water’s Edge
The second of our series of walks. This trail guides you along the water’s edge of Cardiff Bay, kicking up some of the secrets of Cardiff’s Faithful past and present. Check it out here
3. Prior Warnings!
The third of our series of walks as we circle the city centre. Beginning at a pub near Central Railway Station and a vanished building of the past we take you deep into the city centre as delve into a thousand years of the history of Faith in Cardiff, right up to the present day! Check it out here
Enter the Mystery
This is a walk with a difference, as we guide you through a pilgrimage within the walls of St Mary’s Church, stopping along the way to pray and reflect. Check it out here
‘If the full story of Wales is to be told…then it has to include the story of how ancient British religions, Christianity and, more recently, other world faiths have significantly influenced society in Wales’
Welsh Government’s Faith Tourism Action Plan for Wales
Fr Griffith Arthur Jones was a pioneer priest of the late nineteenth century. He was such a pioneer that his legacy lives on today, over 150 years later, not only in the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Cardiff where he was Vicar from 1872 to 1903 but across the Church in Wales at large. Take a virtual tour through Cardiff and Wales and discover more of this fascinating and important priest.
OPEN DOORS
School Visits
We love to welcome schools to St Mary’s and we have lots of activities and ideas which are of use across the curriculum. Check out our dedicated page for Children, Young People and Schools here and get in touch if you’d like to arrange and plan a visit!
Open Doors
As we slowly emerge from Lockdown restrictions, we hope to open up our gardens and Church to visitors outside of worship times. With a planned QR Code Trail both outside and inside the building, and the possibility of organising events to visitors, we look forward to welcoming you soon!
St Mary the Virgin, Cardiff 