St John the Baptist's Church is situated within an irregularly-shaped churchyard used as a cemetery, now with a copse of trees on its north-west side (not visible on historic Ordnance Survey mapping). This structure replaced the old parish church (NPRN 306344), in whose churchyard it is situated. The church was not a parish church during the medieval period but an upland chapelry belonging to the Deanery of Ultra-Aeron. It is thought to have been a hospice chapel of Stata Florida Abbey. By 1833 Ysbyty Ystwyth was a parish. The living was, with that of Ystrad Meurig, a perpetual curacy in the patronage of Lord Lisburne.

It was decided to build a new church on the same site, but some 75m to the east-north-east of its predecessor. The new church was constructed in 1872-1876 to the designs of R.J. Withers. It consists of nave and chancel under a single roof, north-west porch-tower with slate pyramidal roof behind battlements, a lean-to vestry on the south-east, and lancet windows. The interior is broad and bald with open rafter roofs and a truss to mark the chancel. Fittings include a High Victorian circular font, stone pulpit and carved stone reredos. Stained glass dates from c.1970.

Sources include:
T.Lloyd, J.Orbach & R.Scourfield, Buildings of Wales: Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion (2006), p.591-2.

D Leighton & N Vousden, RCAHMW, 21 July 2015