Site Record

St Meilyr's Church is situated within an irregularly-shaped churchyard, which may have formerly been rectilinear, possibly occupying a larger, curvilinear enclosure delineated by footpaths on first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. some 95m west of the Afon Syfynwy. The church is immediately south-east of a possible motte and it has been suggested that the church post-dates it, due to the parish name, Llys-y-fran, appearing to derive from the motte rather than the church. During the post-Conquest period the church was a chapelry of the Deanery of Rhos. The church is thought to have always been in private patronage. The church has become the parish church of Llys-y-fran by 1833.

The church is a Grade 2 listed building (LB 6075) for its special interest as a basically small medieval church with unusual nave recess. Constructed of limestone rubble, the building consists of 3-bayed nave, 2-bayed chancel, vestry (south of chancel), and double western bellecote. The nave and chancel are thought to date to the 12th-early 13th century. The limestone font bowl is octagonal with a cylindrical stem. It sits on a square, claw-moulded base which may be from a different font. The baptistery recess south of the nave is thought to be 14th-15th century in date. The church was restored in the 19th century, when the vestry was built.

Sources include:
Cadw, Listed Buildings Database
Cambria Archaeology, 2000, Pembrokeshire Churches, gazetteer, 48
Cambria Archaeology, 2003, Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project, Pembrokeshire gazetteer

N Vousden, 08 October 2018