Outside St John the Baptist Church

St John the Baptist Church

Cardiff


A graceful Gothic tower rises from this 15th-century church, its delicate stonework looking almost like filigree. Along with the castle keep, this is one of the few remnants of medieval Cardiff: a church has stood here since at least 1180. Inside there are regimental flags, elegant pointed arches and a spectacular Stuart-era tomb. Free half-hour concerts on the original Victorian organ featuring visiting (sometimes international) organists are held here at 1.15pm on the second Friday of each month.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cardiff attractions

1. Cardiff Story

0.06 MILES

This excellent little museum uses interactive displays, free audio guides, video footage and everyday objects to tell the story of Cardiff’s…

2. Yr Hen Lyfrgell

0.06 MILES

Croeso (welcome) to a bastion of the Welsh language in the overwhelmingly English-speaking capital. Cardiff's beautiful Old Library has been converted…

3. Cardiff Castle

0.13 MILES

There's a medieval keep at its heart, but it's the later additions to Cardiff Castle that really capture the imagination. In Victorian times, extravagant…

4. Animal Wall

0.24 MILES

This section of wall on Bute Park's southern edge is topped with stone figures of lions, seals, bears and other creatures. In the 1930s they were the…

5. Principality Stadium

0.25 MILES

Also known as Millennium Stadium ('Principality' is the current naming-rights sponsor), this spectacular venue squats like a stranded spaceship on the…

6. Gorsedd Stones

0.26 MILES

This stone circle was erected in 1978 when Cardiff hosted the National Eisteddfod. Such so-called gorsedd stones are found all over Wales where…

7. Bute Park

0.27 MILES

Flanked by the castle and the River Taff, Bute Park was donated to the city along with the castle in 1947. With Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna Fields and…

8. Blackfriars Priory

0.34 MILES

As you're walking through Bute Park, look for the outline of the foundations of 13th-century Blackfriars Priory. It was destroyed in 1404, when Owain…