13th century Welsh chapel to be restored
A chapel in the Welsh town of Llantwit Major has been awarded nearly £300,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to transform the ruined 13th century building into a new learning and exhibition centre. The Galilee Chapel adjoins the Grade I listed St. Illtud’s Church, has been described as the Westminster Abbey of Wales for its unique collection of Celtic carved stones and statues of prominent individuals.
A place of worship was first established in Llantwit Major in 500AD, including a school which is now recognised as one of Britain’s earliest centres of Christian learning. The church is integral to the story of Christianity in South Wales and has strong links with Caldey Island, St David’s, Llancarfan and Llandaff.
The Rectorial Benefice of Llantwit Major will use the £298,100 of HLF funding to create a space dedicated to displaying the Celtic Stones and telling the story of Christianity as it developed from the site. Funding will also be used to train local people as volunteer guides to interpret the story for pilgrims and casual visitors.
Dan Clayton Jones, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales said: “St Illtud’s is hugely important to the development of early Christianity and we are delighted to play a part in ensuring that it is properly interpreted and conserved. By moving the Celtic stones into the Galilee Chapel, space within the main body of the Church will be freed up for other wider activities, ensuring that the whole site remains a focal point for the whole community.”...
Read entire article at Medievalists.net
A place of worship was first established in Llantwit Major in 500AD, including a school which is now recognised as one of Britain’s earliest centres of Christian learning. The church is integral to the story of Christianity in South Wales and has strong links with Caldey Island, St David’s, Llancarfan and Llandaff.
The Rectorial Benefice of Llantwit Major will use the £298,100 of HLF funding to create a space dedicated to displaying the Celtic Stones and telling the story of Christianity as it developed from the site. Funding will also be used to train local people as volunteer guides to interpret the story for pilgrims and casual visitors.
Dan Clayton Jones, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales said: “St Illtud’s is hugely important to the development of early Christianity and we are delighted to play a part in ensuring that it is properly interpreted and conserved. By moving the Celtic stones into the Galilee Chapel, space within the main body of the Church will be freed up for other wider activities, ensuring that the whole site remains a focal point for the whole community.”...