St Elli Church, also called St Ellyw's Church is an
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
in the town of
Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. ...
,
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
, Wales, dedicated to
Saint Elli
Saint Elli was a 6th-century Welsh saint, or possibly two saints. Llanelli in Carmarthenshire and Llanelly in Monmouthshire (formerly in Breconshire) are both named after Elli.
There are traditions about a male saint Elli and a female saint Ell ...
. It was built in the medieval period, possibly in the 15th century, and is located in Bridge Street, opposite
Llanelly House
Llanelly House (also spelled Llanelli House) is one of the most notable historic properties in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales—an excellent example of an early-18th-century Georgian town house. It had been described as "the most outstanding d ...
. It was designated a
Grade II*
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
-listed building on 30 November 1964.
History
The church was a parish church in medieval times, being first mentioned in eleventh century documents. In the thirteenth century the living was in the gift of the Lord of Kidwelly, Patrick de Chatworth, but with his death the patronage passed to the Crown. In the late fourteenth century
John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399) was an English royal prince, military leader, and statesman. He was the fourth son (third to survive infancy as William of Hatfield died shortly after birth) of King Edward ...
was entitled to receive the tithes at the collegiate church of St Mary, Leicester. There were four subordinate chapels in the parish before the
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
.
[
]
The building
The church dates back to the medieval period, possibly the fifteenth century. The west tower is the oldest part of the building, the rest having been added by George Frederick Bodley
George Frederick Bodley (14 March 182721 October 1907) was an English Gothic Revival architect. He was a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, and worked in partnership with Thomas Garner for much of his career. He was one of the founders of Watt ...
of London in 1905–06. The church is built of rock-faced rubble stone with decorative red sandstone dressings, stone-coped gables, green slate roofs and terracotta ridge tiles. There is an octagonal chimney between the chancel roof and the nave roof, and there is a large porch at the south end. The tower has a corbelled parapet, a clock halfway up the south side and a square stairwell on the north side.[
The church was designated a ]Grade II*
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
-listed building on 30 November 1964, for being "of exceptional interest on account of the interior with tsfittings and notable monuments".
References
External links
* {{Commons category-inline, St Ellyw's Church, Llanelli
Llanelli, St Elli
Churches in Llanelli