St illtyd's - Churchyard - Oxwich - Wales, Great Britain. - Churchyard Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

This little old church of St.Illtyd, lays hidden in a clearing, on a densely wooded, steeply inclined hillside, at the Southern end of the stunning Oxwich Bay. To find the church you need to take a short walk along the coastal path, under the tree canopy, from the Oxwich Bay hotel, which leads you to this secret medieval church, and its ancient graveyard overlooking the sea. At the rear of the churchyard stands the grave of an unknown sailor whose body was washed ashore upon the neighbouring beach during The First World War.

The Church of St illtyd - Oxwich.
"The chancel of this church, which stands in woods, overlooking Oxwich Bay, marks the original sixth century Celtic cell.

Entry to the church is through the west door, in the tower, where there are two tombstones mounted against the walls with the following plaques:

"GRAVE COVER STONE" found used as a slab, face upwards, inside the inner door of the church, one side having been cut away level for this purpose. The fragment of the inscription which remains proves that it commemorates William De La Lake, who was rector of Oxwich, from 1320 to 1323 AD. The stone was placed here in 1890.

"GRAVE COVER STONE" of the early 14th or late 13th century. Found face downward in the nave of the Church and placed here in 1590. The inscription translated reads:

"Hugh formerly the pious rector of Saint Illtyd's Church, lies here." " Text Source: (visit link)

Notable Features
"The interior of the church contains monuments from the 13th and 14th centuries, most notably the De La Mere family effigies, made from local sand and plaster, in a recess locally know as 'Doolamur's Hole'. It is said that the depicted armed Knight and his Lady represent two members of the De La Mere family who owned Oxwich Castle and tragically drowned in Oxwich Bay in the early 14th century. However, some historians have argued that the style of the Knight's armour is distinctly 15th century, suggesting that the effigies are of Sir John Penres and his wife Margaret Fleming, who held the manor of Oxwich at the time The chancel is the oldest part of the church and indeed the smallest in Gower. Some speculate that this may in fact be the original 6th century Celtic cell, but there is little evidence to support this viewpoint. The ancient font is believed to have been personally placed in the church by the Celtic Saint, St Illtyd, to whom the church is dedicated. The bell, housed in the tower, dates back to the 14th century. It bears an inscription comparable to one of Rhossili's church bells: The upper churchyard possesses an easily overlooked well that has long since dried up. However, in the past, locals believed the well to be haunted. On one occasion a ghostly white horse called a 'ceffyl dwr' or water horse in Welsh folklore, was seen in the churchyard before it seemingly vanished into the waters of the well. Towards the rear of the churchyard lays the final resting place of a Royal Navy soldier, "known unto God", whose body was discovered washed ashore on Oxwich Bay during the first World War." Text Source: (visit link)




Street address of Church:
St Illtyd's Church - Oxwich - Gower, Swansea, Wales.

Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: (visit link)

Name of church or churchyard: The Church of St illtyd - Oxwich. Approximate Size: Medium (51-100)

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/13/2013 veritas vita visited it