St Cynwyl's Church was a parish church during the post-conquest period, belonging to the medieval Deanery of Stradtowy. The parish formerly had chapels of ease at Pumsaint and Cwrt-y-cadno. An inscribed stone with a Latin inscription is built into the north wall. Formerly used as a door sill, it was moved to its current location in 1858. The churchyard is sub-circular in shape and is entered via a twentieth century lych gate (NPRN 101860) in its south-east boundary.

The church is a Grade II listed building, constructed of local rubblestone with limestone (medieval) and yellow oolite (1858 and 1891) dressings. It consists of four-bayed nave/chancel, four-bayed south aisle, three-storeyed west tower and storehouse (north of the tower). The nave/chancel is thought to be thirteenth-fourteenth century in date. The south aisle has perpendicular windows and is thought to date to around 1500. The west tower dates to the sixteenth century, and the south aisle west wall (and possibly side walls) is thought to have been re-fenestrated at this time. The church was restored in 1858, when the internal fittings were rearranged, the tower renovated and heating installed (in the form of a hot air pipe running along the arcading). The church was again restored in 1891, to the designs of Ewan Christian, London. The north walls were replaced in purple sandstone and the south door was rebuilt. The building was re-roofed, re-floored and re-seated. The tower arch was reopened at this time, and a heating stove was installed. The storehouse dates from the mid-twentieth century.

Sources include:
Cadw, Listed Buildings Database
Cambria Archaeology, 2000, Carmarthenshire Churches, gazetteer, 48

N Vousden, RCAHMW, 21 December 2012