St Illtyd's Church, Llantwit Major, United Kingdom

St Illtyd's Church is located at the site of the oldest college in the United Kingdom, Cor Tewdws, which was founded c. 395 AD in honour of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. It was refounded by St. Illtud c. 508 AD, from whom it derives its name. The current church building was built in the 11th century by the Normans, with portions being rebuilt in the 13th and 15th centuries. The church building is one of the oldest and best-known parish churches in Wales. It is a grade I listed building, or building of exceptional interest, and has been called both the 'Westminster Abbey of Wales' for its unique collection of carved stones and effigies, and 'the most beautiful church in Wales.'

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Jason Kavanagh (3 years ago)
The home of Celtic Christianity, worshiped here since 500 AD

Michael Burnett (4 years ago)
Beautiful peaceful place to visit , lot's of history and the Celtic cross stones are a must see

R. Mahan (4 years ago)
An atmospheric churchyard that sits on the remains of one of the first celtic collages of christianity. Interestingly, this site is where Saint Patrick and Saint David were educated. Church features a small museum like room that holds ancient standing marker stones that commemorate Welsh Kings of old. Adjacent to the churchyard is a small memorial garden that is surrounded by a small brook. A must see if in the area.

David Morgan (4 years ago)
Dates back to the year 500. Founded by St Illtud himself.

sheena scrafton (4 years ago)
If you love history you need to go. Lovely new museum

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright mixteri

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse

Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.

German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.

After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.

St Illtyd's Church

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Bengtskär Lighthouse