Parish Church of St Illtyd

Cadw's description

Location

In an irregular churchyard between Llantwit Road and the Neath Canal by Llantwit Cemetery.

History

C13 or earlier with retoration of 1859.

Exterior

Defensible medieval W tower, largely rebuilt aisle-less nave with S porch, N vestry and narrower chancel. Random rubble masonry, C19 snecked and coursed work. Gabled slate roofs, lower with steeper pitch to chancel. Raking gable parapets on kneelers.
Three stage W tower. Crenellated parapet on corbels, later copings to merlons. One light bellstage openings, arched stone lintels, chamfered reveals. Slit-like openings to first floor, string course. Splayed ground floor. Early C16 window to W. Two rounded lights, central mullion flanked by wheel motif and Tudor rose below drop ended label. Broad W door, 2 order depressed arch with hoodmould. Slit-like window to vice in splayed wall linking nave to tower on N. Three by nave, raised eaves. C19 gabled S porch, cross finial, clasping buttresses. Moulded round arched doorway, hoodmould, heads to stops. Caernarfon arch under pointed tympanum to inner doorway. Welsh inscription of 1859 commemorating rebuilding. Two round arched nave windows, hoodmoulds, heads. Re-set early C17 tombstones of Evans family of Eaglesbush in C19 buttress like projections to right of porch. C18 moulded labels and brackets. N wall windows lack hoodmoulds, C19 gabled vestry.
Blocked priests door to S on Chancel, round arched, stone voussoirs. Round arched windows to sides, tall round arched lancet to E window. Two C18 grave slabs set into wall to left under hoods on brackets.

C18 Royal Arms over low, narrow whitewashed medieval chancel arch in the early Romanesque tradition. Freestone round arch resting on simply moulded impost blocks. Medieval whitewashed cusped niche to left of E window, re-used: C18 altar rails, cannon barrel balusters.

Interior

Interior - barrel vault forms passage to W door under tower. First floor rectangular "window" into church. Later? Vice doorway to NW corner of Nave. Boarded nave roof, scissor trusses. Good Romanesque D-shaped tub font, rope moulded rim, later pedestal. 1859, 2 decker pulpit. Numerous wall monuments to nave, including 1768 to Ann Bevan with relief of Lamb and Flag, some paint remaining; 1819 to Mary Anne Gwyn, slate pediment on fluted pilasters. Number by P Rogers of Swansea 1819-1860.