Church of St Llawddog

The Church of St Llawddog comprises a west tower, nave, south aisle, and chancel. A north vestry and south organ chamber were added around 1865. The church is constructed of Cilgerran stone with slate roofs, coped gables, stone cross finials and tracery in Bath stone, with some moulded slate.

The plain west tower features a cornice, single cusped 14th-century bell openings, two of which incorporate small carved faces in their apexes. Chamfered openings are located below, with a 20th-century doorway replacing the original. The main body of the church was built between 1853 and 1855 in the Decorated Gothic style, characterized by unusually finely detailed tracery, hoodmoulds, and bicoloured voussoirs to the windows. The windows are predominantly two-light designs, with three along the north side of the nave, one to the north side of the vestry, one to the north and south sides of the chancel, and two to the south aisle. The chancel has a particularly elaborate three-light east window with intersecting ogee arches, a design characteristic of Lincolnshire architecture; this window is a copy of the northwest window of Castle Ashby Church in Northants. The south aisle also features an elaborate three-light east window. The organ chamber includes a small traceried rose window. The west end of the church is windowless.

Monuments within the church include a memorial to John Lloyd of Cilrhue (died 1657) with columns and a broken pediment, and a monument to Griffith Griffith (died 1822), an oval slate with a marble shield and sarcophagus by Daniel Mainwaring of Carmarthen. Abel A Gower of Glandovan (died 1837) is commemorated by a Gothic white marble monument by T Marsh of London. Other examples include a memorial to J R Phillips, author of the History of Cilgerran, and a 20th-century memorial to Thomas Phaer of Fforest (died 1560). South aisle monuments feature an Abel Gower (died 1788) in white marble with a curved front, a monument to Margaret Owen of Rhiwsaison (1730s) with fluted columns and a triglyph cornice, by William Palmer, and a monument to Sir Erasmus Gower (died 1814) in oval form with an urn and foliage. Further memorials include one to Abel A Gower (died 1857) in a heavy neo-Grec style.

Within the churchyard to the south stands a standing stone dating from the 5th to 6th centuries, inscribed 'TRENEGUSSI FILI MACUTRENI HIC IACIT', which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Pe 144).

The tower is vaulted, with plastered walls and open rafter roofs. The church contains a stone three-bay arcade with octagonal piers, a chancel arch lacking capitals, and exposed window reveals. Extensive stained glass from the 1850s is present, considered among the finest in Dyfed. The east window of the chancel was created by Wailes around 1854-5, the east window of the south aisle by O’Connor around 1854-5, three north nave windows around 1860 by Ballantine, and the two chancel windows by J G Howe around 1855-60. Two windows in the south aisle date from around 1970 and were crafted by Celtic Studios. An ornate Bath stone octagonal font, thought to be a copy of that at St Mary Magdalen, Oxford, is also present, alongside a Bath stone pulpit carved by J E Thomas with marble shafting. The chancel floor is finished with encaustic tiles, and a reredos from 1877 was designed by E B Ferrey. The north door is externally moulded and shafted.