St Afan's Church is situated within what appears to have been a curvilinear churchyard, with the road curving to accomodate its western boundary. During the medieval period the church was a chapelry belonging to Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn parish in the Deanery of Ultra-Aeron. By 1833 the church was the parish church of Llanafan-y-Trawscoed, when its living was a perpetual curacy in the patronage of the Chichester family, proprietors of the tithes.

The medieval church was of the same general plan as the current church, comprising nave, chancel and south transept. There was no south porch, and part of the medieval rood screen survived. The transept is the family pew of the Vaughans of Trawsgoed, and their burial vault is beneath it, with burials recorded from 1741. In 1833 there was a medieval octagonal font. In 1860 the church was rebuilt on the same foundations as its predecessor.

The current church is a Grade II listed building, constructed of shale rubble with bath stone dressings. It consists of nave (3 bays), chancel, south transept, south porch and boilerhouse (between south transept and chancel). The church was altered in 1866-7 by William Butterfield, when it was given a new west end, and the present octagonal ashlar font was installed. The church was repaired in the late nineteenth century under R. Gardiner, the agent for the Trawsgoed estate. The church was restored in 1925.

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

N Vousden, RCAHMW, 15 October 2013