History

The parish church of the parish of Llandyfodwg is believed to have been founded by St Tyfodwg ap Gwilfyw, a Breton disciple of St Illtyd, in the C6 on a pilgrimage route from the E of Wales leading to St Davids. Medieval structure survives in the W tower, and parts of the N nave wall, and was extensively altered or rebuilt by J Pritchard in the 1870's, and the chancel S and E walls rebuilt by G E Halliday in 1893-4 at the behest of Miss Olive Talbot of Margam Castle.

Exterior

Tower and N wall of uncoursed rubble; the rebuilt S nave wall and chancel are coursed, with limestone dressings. Slate roof. The building comprises a chancel, nave with W tower, and S porch. Two and 3-light trefoil-headed windows to the nave; large moulded S door to the chancel, with a 2-light 'low-side' window and cusped windows, but a well-detailed Perpendicular style 3-light E window. A blocked arch appears on the S side of the nave at the E end. Tall W tower with deep crenellated parapet set out on a corbel table. Depressed headed W door, and 2-light windows with labels. Over the tall slightly chamfered outer arch of the porch is an inscribed sundial of 1769 with an iron gnomon. Built into the external wall are 2 monuments, (a) round topped, to John William of .... Glynogwr, d. 1797, and (b) a second taller slab, illegible but for the date of death 1728.

Interior

The walls rendered in the C19. Three sided boarded timber vault. Narrow chancel of 3 bays, all C19 arch-braced trusses with carved square bosses. On the E wall a narrow niche on the left with the nimbed figure of St Tyfodwg holding a pastoral staff and model of the church. The E window has an internal hood mould on male and female corbel heads. Pulpit, octagonal, of carved softwood. Organ, originally a barrel organ, by J W Walker of London, brought from Ystrad Mynach.

Font, by the entrance, octagonal bowl set low on a broached base, probably C14. Bells: three bells of 1720 by Evan Evans of Chepstow, hung in the original frame.

Monuments: (a) Set in the chancel floor, on the S side of the altar, a remarkable boldly carved effigy in relief of a pilgrim carrying his staff and purse, with symbols of his journeys to the Holy Land, to Rome and to Compostella. Possibly C13-14. Tradition claims that he was from the Abbey of Penrhys. (b) Slate tablet with oval plaque to Mary Tudor of Pantyveed, d.1813, husband and his later wife added. On the N wall, (c) Two-part limestone tablet with arched top, having a well lettered inscription to Elizabeth William, d 1723. In the nave, (d) Limestone tablet inset into the E wall, to Evan Richard, d.1693; (e) Monument to Thomas Rees Pritchard of Inisybwt House, Blackmill, d 1918, and (f) A draped urn over a white marble plaque to William Tudor, d 1841.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a basically medieval church, but included at Grade II* on account of the outstanding monument in the chancel, which is of national importance in Britain to the iconography and understanding of medieval art and universal practice of pilgrimage.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17739097

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)