St Elli Church, also called St Ellyw's Church is an
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...
in the town of
Llanelli
; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is on the estuary of the River Loughor and is the largest town in the Principal areas of Wales, ...
,
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...
, Wales, dedicated to
Saint Elli. 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 architecture, Georgian town house. It had been described as ...
. It was designated a
Grade II*-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 surviving) of King Edward III of England, and the father of King Henry IV. Because ...
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, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
.
[
]
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 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*-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