Early Gravestones & Shaft in Churchyard

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

An important collection of Early Medieval sculpture and other carved stones. One of these, no 10, is now missing, but the remainder consist of:

6 cross-incised slabs
1 fragment of inscribed slab
1 cross shaft
1 fragment of decorated stone
1 corbel with a carved head
part of a quernstone (concave face outwards)
1 stone with a round hole in it
1 cusped window head fragment
1 stone with semi-circular depression, as though used as a pivot for a door.

This collection, together with 6 unscheduled stones in the church and churchyard, four examples of Early Medieval sculpture built into the church at Llangeinwen and other isolated examples, may point to the existence of a local sculptural school or workshop, possibly centred on Llangaffo, which has been associated with the early Christian site of Merthyr Caffo.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of Early Medieval sculpture. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structures themselves may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning sculpture and design techniques.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.