The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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St Illtyd's Church, Llanhiledd

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 02511g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Llanhilleth
Unitary authority : Blaenau Gwent
NGR : SO21790196
Site Type (preferred type first) : Medieval Church
Status : listed building II*, registered parks and gardens II*

Summary :
The site of Llanhilleth church was probably first utilised as a religious centre during the ninth century. Archaeologically this date is suggested by the oval churchyard proposed by Brook as an indicator of pre-Norman religious sites (Brook 1988 p.71-2), whilst historical confirmation is supplied in a ninth or tenth century poem recorded in the Black Book of Camarthen (Jarman 1982 p.lix).
The parish was given to the Cistercian monks of Llantarnam Abbey c.1175-9 and Olding has suggested that much of the present fabric of the church was constructed by the monks (Olding 1990 p.2). The church itself consists of nave and separate chancel with a tower-porch at the west end. Most of the architectural features are Perpendicular, although the outer door of the tower and the priest's door could be of earlier date; the windows are Victorian.

Description :
Llanhilleth church may be a pre-Norman foundation; it had a Celtic dedication, noted in 1566 as St Hyledd (Brook 1988, 80), and the churchyard is shown on the tithe map as circular. The earliest documentary evidence was 1536-7, but the name 'Llanheledd' appears in the 9th/10th century poem 'Stanzas of the Graves' (Jarman 1982, lix), the 'llan' name suggesting that an ecclesiastical site was in existence here by that time, and may have incorporated a church. The church is uaually considered to have been a possession of Llantarnam Abbey, and all the lands in the parish were part of the abbey's Manor of Wentsland and Bryngwyn, but Bradney (1906, 470) describes the living as being a rectory in the gift of the Lords of Abergavenny, which is incompatible with its belonging to the abbey.

The existing church building consists of nave and separate chancel with a tower-porch at the west end. Archdeacon Coxe, visiting the church in 1799, noted that it was 'a small but ancient gothic building, constructed in the most simple form, without a tower or belfry, the bells being placed under the roof, and the ropes descending into the church' (Coxe 1801, 252-3). This indicates that, in spite of its appearance of antiquity, the tower as it exists today must be 19th century in date: it is likely to be from the earlier part of the century when simple two-centred arched openings, such as used for its outer door, were conventional for church buildings - the windows are simple undatable slits. It was certainly in existence by 1872, when it was described as 'a plain square tower' (EH 1872). The main part of the fabric is characterised by the internal batter of the walls and an absence of windows on the north side, both suggesting a relatively early date in the Middle Ages. However, the chancel arch though round-headed is wider than would be expected for a Norman example, and the priest's door, also round-headed, could just as easily be 18th century like the one at Aberdare. The only openings that can reasonably be attributed to before the Reformation are the inner door of the tower (which must have been the main west door before the tower was built) and the aumbrey, both of which have Tudor heads. The present form of all the nave and chancel windows, which are Perpendicular in style, can be attributed to a Victorian restoration, possibly that of 1891 which also saw the replacement of the old floor, made of ledger stones, with one of ceramic tiles (Bradney 1906, 470).

The church had gone out of use by the mid 1980s, but was then acquired by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council which restored it for community use in 1991. It still retains its ecclesiastical layout internally. The excavations (E003930) carried out below the present floor level at the time of this restoration identified a low wall, apparently with a doorway in the middle, running across the chancel arch (Maylan 1991, 4). This was identified at the time as probably being the foundation for a rood screen, but it would also have been a masonry infill pierced by a small, inner chancel arch flanked by squints as at Penhow, Llandow and Wick.

GGAT Excavations at St Illtyds Church -
Bradney (1906, 463) notes that the Welsh name is Llaniddel.

Church possibly constructed by abbey in the Manor of Wentsland and Bryngwyn (Procter 2018). Associated with Llantarnam Abbey.

Sources :
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council , 2003 , Blaenau Gwent Heritage Audit Interim Report 2002-2003
Bradney, J A , 1906 , A History of Monmouthshire: The Hundred of Abergavenny (pt 2a)
Bradney, J A , 1906 , A History of Monmouthshire: The Hundred of Abergavenny (pt 2a)
Brook, D , 1988 , The early Christian church in Gwent , Monmouthshire Antiquary : 5 : 67-84
Coxe, W , 1801 , An historical tour in Monmouthshire ( © Merton Priory Press)
E H (sic) , 1872 , Notes of an antiquarian ramble among the Monmouthshire hills
Evans, E M , 2003 , Early Medieval Ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales: Desk based assessment
Jarman, AOH , 1982 , Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin
Maylan, C.N. , 1991 , Excavations at St. Illthyd's Church, Llanhilleth.
Phillips T.M , 1976 , Some aspects of the Historical Development of the Abertilly urban district Council to 1958. , Gwent Local History : 41 : 18
Procter, E. , 2018 , The topographical legacy of the medieval monastery: evolving perceptions and realities of monastic landscapes in the southern Welsh Marches
The Handley Partnership , HAAbase built heritage assessment system: Buildings at Risk database
01. Evans EM, 2003-04, GGAT 73 Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project
GGAT Excavations at St Illtyds Church

Events :
E000152 : ST ILLTYD'S CHURCH AT LLANHILLETH, EXCAVATION, 1991 (year : 1991)
E001386 : Early medieval ecclesiastical sites in Southeast Wales desk based assessment (year : 2003)
E004918 : Blaenau Gwent Heritage Audit (year : 2003)
E002678 : The Upland Survey of Blaenau Gwent: An Archaeological Survey (year : 1999)

Related records
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00624g

Compiled date : 12-03-2004


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