St Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Major

The epic Celtic Way rightly detours from its coastal path to pay its respects to this incomparable treasure house of learning, devotion, and spiritual heritage‍

Highlights

• First monastic school in Britain
• Training centre for Celtic saints
• Early stone crosses and medieval artworks

St Illtud’s Church is full of interesting nooks and crannies, rather like its history. This was Britain’s first university, for example, founded shortly before the year 500 by St Illtud. It continues to shine a light today on a period mired in mystery, the dawn of Celtic Christianity. As a place of higher learning, it trained many of the leading missionaries of Wales. Its probable alumni include St David, St Patrick, St Samson, and St Gildas, who appear at many other places listed in this book.

In some ways, this church is comparable to Iona in Scotland, which was set up about 60 years later. Both were founded by an inspiring teacher and acted as the hub of Celtic missionary work for the entire country. St Illtud, however, was a local Welshman – which rather begs the question of who trained this great scholar.

Some say his monastic school shows that there was continuity from the Roman era, which is entirely possible. The Roman army left Britain in 410, less than 90 years before St Illtud was active. An early history, however, mentions that St Illtud was trained by the French bishop St Germanus of Auxerre, who visited Britain – also possible, although the bishop died around 448.St Illtud’s seat of learning was probably a wattle and daub structure, which has left no trace. The current church is thought to be on the same site. It is a long, narrow building composed of two churches built end-to-end, with interconnecting archways. The oldest section is 13th century, at the entrance to the church, while the bulk of it dates from the 15th century. The monastic school was closed at the Dissolution, and the entire building now serves as the parish church.

It houses a huge collection of Celtic and early medieval carved stones, in the newly and very sensitively restored Galilee Chapel at the western end of the building. One cross might date from the first monastery, since its inscription reads: “Samson placed his cross here for his soul, for the soul of Illtud, Samson, Rhain, Sawyl, and Ebisar.” None of the crosses was labelled when I visited, making it hard to interpret this intriguing collection.

The main body of the church has plenty of its own artefacts to admire. Several medieval wall paintings survive, including Mary Magdalene in the chancel, holding the jar of ointment with which she anointed Jesus’ feet. The Lady Chapel in the south aisle has a medieval altar slab, which has been restored to its original function after being used as a gravestone in the 17th century.

The Life of St Illtud is a dubious piece of history, written in the 12th century. It suggests that the saint was married but left his wife to devote himself to God. Some aspects sound credible, however, such as the claim that he visited Brittany. Other early missionaries who trained under the saint include St Paul Aurelian and St Tudwal, both of whom ended up as bishops in France. These connections tend to support the idea that he was trained by the bishop St Germanus from Auxerre in Gaul.

On the other hand, the early church in Wales had distinct traditions from the outset. St Illtud, for example, was said to practise the classic Celtic devotion of praying while immersed in water, pausing long enough to recite the Lord’s Prayer three times. There is a stream running past the western end of the church. Though the flow is little more than a trickle, the channel could once have filled a bathing pool.

Directions‍

St Illtud’s Church, Church Lane, Llantwit Major CF61 1SA

www.llanilltud.org.uk

W3W: eagles.heckler.hiring

GPS: 51.4079N 3.4879W

Llantwit Major railway station 500m‍

The church is on the south-west side of town. It is open every day 10am–4pm.