<< 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 CrossesCountry: 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:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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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
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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