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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Illtud's Cross - Early Christian Sculptured Stone in Wales in South Glamorgan

Submitted by AngieLake on Wednesday, 09 August 2006  Page Views: 15872

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: St Illtud's Cross Alternative Name: The Samson Cross, St Illtyd's Cross, Llanilltud Fawr, Llanilltud Crosses
Country: Wales
NOTE: This site is 0.508 km away from the location you searched for.

County: South Glamorgan Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone
Nearest Town: Llantwit Major
Map Ref: SS96626872
Latitude: 51.408050N  Longitude: 3.487745W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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SteveC visited on 2nd Apr 2002 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

coin visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 5

coldrum AngieLake have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 3.5 Access: 5

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by AngieLake : The cross in the foreground, left, is St Illtud's Cross, also known as the Samson Cross. It is 2.15 metres high, and probably originally capped by a wheel cross. (Vote or comment on this photo)
...and display of other early Christian Crosses). This ancient cross is on display in the oldest part of St Illtud's Church, together with other ancient early Christian crosses, pillars and effigies.

Its condition isn't great, but when it was found it originally lay by the path on the north side of the church. When it was raised to bring it indoors two skeletons were found beneath it.
It is 2.15 metres high and was once probably capped by a wheel cross, but this is missing. All the surfaces are decorated in patterns of squares and plaitwork.
The front inscription reads:
on the left side, + SAMSON POSUIT HANC CRUCEM + (Samson placed his cross), on the right side, PRO ANIMA EIUS + (for his soul).
The reverse side carries the inscription, + ILTUTI SAMSON REGIS SAMUEL + EBISAR + (for the soul of) Illtud, Samson the king, Samuel, Ebisar.)

The church and its crosses are recorded as Coflein NPRN 171. The Journal of Antiquities also features an entry for this church - see their webpage for St Illtyd’s Church, Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan, Wales.

The 'Welcome to Llantwit Major Church' inside the guide book to St Illtud's Church Llantwit Major (or Eglwys Sant Illtud) Llanilltud Fawr reads:
"When you come into St. Illtud's Church at Llantwit Major, you are visiting one of the oldest Christian sites in the United Kingdom. For over 1500 years, without a break, God has been worshipped at this beautiful spot, hallowed by centuries of prayer and praise. St. Illtud came here around the year 500, and although we know very little about him as a man, the evidence of his faith, and the continuity of his spirit and teaching, are all around you.

Historically, this is really two churches. The part you enter through the porch is the [Norman] west church, built where the original Celtic church stood, and it contains the stone memorials that recall its importance in the Dark Ages. When you pass through the glass doors into the east church [13th century] you enter a more ornate structure which reveals the maintenance of faith through its memorials, monuments, murals and carvings. These recall a time when Llantwit Major was a prosperous agricultural town, the personal possession of the Lords of Glamorgan, and when it still retained its monastic community."

Also in this book:
"The Romans brought Christianity to South Wales, as they did to other parts of Britain, but they left the country about 400 AD. In England, Christianity succumbed to the influx of heathen tribes, but in the west it survived in Wales, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany, lands linked by the western sea routes, and in the 5th century it experienced a remarkable revival. This was led by the Celtic saints, men and women who travelled by land and sea preaching God's word and establishing religious communities. Churches were built dedicated to these saints.
One of the most important of these saints was Illtud, though little is known for certain about him, since he lived at a time when there were no written records. What we do know about him as a person comes chiefly from a book entitled 'The Life of St. Samson of Dol', written around 610, about a hundred years after the death of Illtud.
Samson had been educated at the school which Illtud set up here. In time he was ordained and followed Illtud as abbot at the monastery here. Illtud was probably a Breton, and according to 'The Life of St. Samson' he was converted to Christianity as a young man and was ordained by Germanus (Garmon) of Auxerre about 445. He came to Llantwit Major about 500 and may have lived originally as a hermit, but as his fame grew he attracted followers and here he established a church, a school and a monastery. From Llantwit Major, converts set out to preach the Gospel, and they established churches dedicated to Illtud, fifteen in Wales and another seven in Brittany.
In 'The Life of St. Samson' we are told that Samson was taken by his parents to 'the school of an illustrious Master of the Britons, named Eltut', and the author describes Illtud as 'the most learned of all the Britons in the knowledge of Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and in every branch of philosophy - poetry and rhetoric, grammar and arithmetic; and he was most sagacious and gifted with the power of foretelling events.' He adds, 'I have been in his magnificent monastery'.
Llantwit was particularly famous for its school, and this has led to its description as a 5th century university, and as Britain's oldest centre of learning, a claim supported by the Guiness Book of Records."
Rumour has it that St Illtud taught St David and St Patrick.
"...The students were divided into 24 groups, each responsible for one hour's worship in the day, so that prayer and praise ascended continually to God. Tradition says that there were only three centres in early Britain which practised this unceasing praise, laus perennis: Old Sarum (near Salisbury), Glastonbury and Llantwit Major."
"... Llantwit Major is translated as 'Llanilltud Fawr', the great church of Illtud, an enduring memorial to the life and work of a major Christian pioneer. His life is celebrated on 6th November."
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St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by Sunny100 : An illustration of the 10th century Cross-Shaft of Samson. It stands at 9 feet tall, and has an inscription, on the front side, recalling abbot Samson and others (including Arthmael). (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by AngieLake : Ancient Celtic stones in St Illtud's Church, Llantwit. The Pillar of Samson is the large one on the right, standing 2.76 metres tall, with a Latin inscription: "IN NOMINE DI SUMMI INCIPIT CRUX SALAVATORIS QUAE PREPARAVIT SASMONI ABATI PRO ANIMA SUA ET PRO ANIMA IUTHAHELO REX ET ARTMALI ET TECAN. (In the name of the most high God begins the cross of the Saviour which Samson the Abbot prepared ... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by AngieLake : The 9th century Houelt Cross in St Illtud's Church at Llantwit Major. A typical Celtic cross, 1.9 metres high, with a disc head and shaft carved from one piece of gritstone. Houelt, son of Res, was probably Hywel ap Rhys, who was king of Glywysing (the land between the Tawe and the Usk - part of Glamorgan and Gwent) in the 9th century. [Near SEM's beloved Fan Brycheiniog!] The inscription ... (Vote or comment on this photo)

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by AngieLake : The wheel head of the 9th century Houelt Cross in St Illtud's Church, Llantwit Major. (See description in other photo). (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by coin : Site in South Glamorgan Wales

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by coin

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by coin : I visited the collection of stones recently, and they have since been moved from this position into a newly renovated section of the church, with interpretation panels to aid the visitor.

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by Sunny100 : An illustration of 'The Wheel Cross of Houelt', dating from the 9th century, and 6 feet high. It is richly decorated with different designs. [Illustration by Westwood 'Lapidarium Walliae' Llanerch 1989].

St Illtud's Cross
St Illtud's Cross submitted by Sunny100 : St Illtud's Cross. An illustration of one of the pre-Conquest cross-shafts, dating from the 10th century. It is decorated with interlacing and key-patterning. [Image by Westwood 'Lapidarium Walliae' Llanerch 1989].

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"St Illtud's Cross" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Llanilltud and the Pilgrimage Trail by Andy B on Monday, 31 July 2017
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The church at Llanilltud Fawr (aka Llantwit Major) in the Vale of Glamorgan has one of Wales’s best collections of ‘Celtic’ crosses and other early stone carvings. The parish and the local history society have led a major project to rebuild a ruined Galilee chapel at the west end of the church to provide a better display space for the stones.

Professor Madeleine Gray, a Medieval Historian has been helping with this and with their latest project, a pilgrimage route across south Wales linking sites with important collections of early stones – Llandaff, the National History Museum at St Fagans, Llanilltud itself, Merthyr Mawr and Margam.

http://www.heritagetortoise.co.uk/portfolio/llanilltud-and-the-pilgrimage-trail/
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Re: St Illtud's Cross by Sunny100 on Friday, 25 May 2012
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The crosses here at Llantwit Major were shown tonight on the BBC 2 programme The Great British Story: A People's History with Michael Wood. Carenza Lewis the former Time Team presenter was also on the programme.
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