St Illtud's Church, Llantwit Major

No discussion of important Welsh churches would be complete without a mention of St Illtud's in Llantwit Major, from which the town takes its name (Welsh - Llanilltud Fawr - the large community of Illtud). John Wesley, himself, described it as being abundantly large and beautiful, and 200 years on no-one would wish to disagree with him. The church is notable not only for its connections with the 6

th century Celtic saint, but also for the fact that from Illtud's llan (community) a number of other major figures of the Celtic church were sent, including Samson of Dôl. The church has among its features: spectacular medieval wall paintings, a carved stone 'Jesse niche' and medieval reredos, Celtic stones dating back to the 8th century, squints, and a wonderful 15th century oak roof in the western part of the church. The building is very obviously in two parts; the eastern end would have been used by the monks of the community, the western part by the people of the town. The two parts together give the church an extraordinary length and elegance. Words or pictures alone cannot do justice the splendour of the church in Llantwit - one must visit in order to gain full insight into its importance. St Illtud's importance is recognised by the fact that it is a Grade 1 listed building. A full description of this church can be found in the book 'Medieval Churches of the Vale of Glamorgan' by Geoffrey Orrin, published by D.