St Illtyd's Church is a deconsecrated church in

Llanhilleth Llanhilleth () is a village, community and an electoral ward on the A467 road between Ebbw Vale and Crumlin in Blaenau Gwent, Wales. Two large mounds in the field behind the Carpenter's Arms are the remains of the medieval Llanhilleth castle ...

Blaenau Gwent Blaenau Gwent (; ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw ...

, Wales. A Grade II* listed building, it is the oldest standing building in the county borough. The use of the site for worship dates back to pre-Norman times, with references to the church in a poem written in the 9th or 10th century. The church was probably rebuilt by the Cistercians in the late 12th century. Much of what remains (particularly the saddleback west tower and the barrel roofs) suggests more rebuilding around 1500. Further refurbishment was completed in 1888–91. The church closed for the first time in the 1930s because of subsidence from nearby coalmining. It was repaired and reopened in 1943, before closing again because of open cast mining in 1957. After the open cast operations ended in 1962, the church was found to have deteriorated further and was closed permanently. The church was sold into private hands after closure. It was eventually acquired by Blaenau Gwent Borough Council in 1984 and has been restored to a safe condition. It is open to visitors and is sometimes used as a venue for community events.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite web , work = Statutory List of Buildings , title = St Illtyd's Church , url = http://historicwales.gov.uk/files/pdf-listed-building.php?ids=16437&lang=ENG , date = 26 November 1999 , publisher =

Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage ...

, access-date = 2 May 2016 , orig-year = Listed 1962 , via = Historic Wales , id = Cadw Building ID 7667 {{cite web , title = St Illtyd's Church , url = http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/8034.asp , website = Blaenau Gwent , access-date = 2 May 2016 , url-status = dead , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140606230211/http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/8034.asp , archive-date = 6 June 2014 , df = Grade II* listed buildings in Blaenau Gwent