Britain’s first Christian churches

South Wales may be the site of Britain’s first Christian church, established by St. Ilid who  in 37AD fled from the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire, which had not yet ventured north into Britain. The church was open-air and round, much like a Druidic meeting-place. The men would file into the circle and the women would gather outside. Ilid would then have preached from the centre. Naturally, this is difficult to prove and there are conflicting stories, including one that claims St. Ilid was actually Joseph of Arimathea.

For hard evidence of the first churches, it is Northumberland which seems to yield the most relevant archaeological finds and in 2020 the fragments of a chalice etched with Christian symbols was unearthed at a Romano-British fort at Hadrian’s Wall, to much excitement.

However, the oldest surviving (though modified) church is in Canterbury, Kent. St. Martin’s Church dates from around 590 and functioned initially as a private Christian chapel for King Ethelbert’s wife, Queen Bertha. The missionary, St. Augustine, is also said to have worshipped there on his arrival in 597, before the King allowed him to add a cathedral and an abbey, with all three buildings now classified as World Heritage Sites.

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