St David's Church may be early medieval in origin. It is situated some 330m from a road depicted as Roman on historic (1891) Ordnance Survey mapping, and some 1.8km north-east of the coast. The church lies some 430m west-northwest of Brawdy Castle Iron Age promontory fort (NPRN 305322), which may is thought to have been occupied during the Romano-British period. Three 5th- to 6th- century inscribed stones lie loose in the church. Two with ogam inscriptions derive from nearby Cas Wilia Farm. The third has a roman-letter inscription and derives from Rickeston Farm. The church was first mentioned in documents of the 12th century, as an episcopal prebend by Giraldus Cambrensis. The church was a parish church in the post-Conquest period, belonging to the Deanery of Pebidiog. St Mary's Church, Haycastle (NPRN 227), some 4.1km to the north-east, was a dependent chapelry until the 17th century.

The church is Grade II* listed building constructed of limestone rubble. It consists of 2-bayed chancel, 4-bayed nave, 3-bayed south aisle, and south porch. There is a medieval stoup in the nave. In 1921 faint indications of red and black lettering were recorded on the north wall of the chancel. The oolite font has a square scalloped bowl, cylindrical stem and square base, all dating to the 12th- to 13th-century. The nave is thought to be 13th?century, formerly entered through both north and south doorways. The chancel and south aisle west bays are thought to be 14th?century. The asile east bay may have been added around 1500. The south porch is thought to date from around the 14th ?15th century. An alter table dated 1630 lies loose in the church. The church was restored in 1884 to the specifications of E.H. Lingen Barker of London, Hereford and Tenby. At this time the fittings and floors were removed, the porch floor lowered and the chancel floor raised. The church was refloored and the pulpit, alter table and rail were installed.The nave and east walls? window openings were widened and new windows inserted. The medieval chancel north window was unblocked. The church was reportedly further renovated in 1901.The east window, by W.D. Caroe, was inserted in 1904. The suspended floors in the nave and south aisle have been infilled with concrete.

Sources include:

Dyfed Archaeological Trust, 2000, Historic Churches Project, Pembrokeshire gazetteer
Dyfed Archaeological Trust, 2003, Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project, Pembrokeshire gazetteer

N Vousden, 10 November 2017