Church of St David and St Cyfelach
Llangyfelach, Glamorgan
Diocese: Abertawe ac Aberhonddu/Swansea and Brecon (Former diocese: Tyddewi/St Davids)
Exterior of the Church of St Cyfelach, Llangyfelach
Photo © Martin Crampin
Photo © Martin Crampin
OS Grid Ref.: SS64619897
Lat/Lng: 51.673137439813,-3.9593629327733
Medieval church near Swansea, dedicated to both David and Cyfelach.
The church associated with Cyfelach, reflecting the place-name and Cyfelach is the dedication given by Browne Willis (Gaffeliak). Nonetheless, Browne Willis gives the feast day of the parish as 1 March, St David's Day, and the relationship with David goes back to Rhigyfarch's Vita Sancti David, in which David founds a monastery here.It seems likely that David's cult was established here by, or soon after, the Life was written: Wade Evans typically interprets this as David supplanting the original dedication to the saint found in the place-name. The dedication of the church is currently shared by both saints.
More information
National Monuments RecordChurch Heritage Cymru
Stained Glass in Wales
S. Baring-Gould & John Fisher, The Lives of the British Saints (London: Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1908), 216 View online
Richard Morgan, Place-Names of Glamorgan (Cardiff: Welsh Academic Press, 2018), 124
Sources
Browne Willis, Parochiale Anglicanum (London: 1733), 191
Ordnance Survey 6 inch map (1880s)
A.W. Wade-Evans, 'Parochiale Wallicanum' in Y Cymmrodor (1910), 54
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