St Mary's Church

Description

St Mary's Church was built inside Alabum, a Roman fort, on top of Llanfair Hill. A monastic cell from around 1126 was already on the site before building commenced. It is one of the largest medieval churches in the county, and has a substantial tower at the west end with a square stair-tower on its northeastern corner. The church is built of rubble stone with plain tiles on the roof. Earlier dressings are mostly in red sandstone, while nineteenth century dressings are in Bath stone. The nave and chancel are directly connected to the tower, to the porch on the south side and to the vestry and organ chamber on the north. The hymn writer William Williams Pantycelyn (1717–1791) is buried in the churchyard, where there is a memorial to him.