St Elli's Church, Llanelly

The church carries a dedication to Saint Elli. The 19th-century Welsh historian Theophilus Jones disputed this in his, A history of the County of Brecknock, writing "Llanelly is said to be dedicated to Saint Ellwy, the patroness of Llanelieu, but I think erroneously". He suggested that, like "many stately structures in Wales", the church was in fact dedicated to Saint Almeda. Following David Powel's History of Cambria, published in 1584, Jones described Almeda as "one of the daughters of Brychan", who was called Eilineth or Ellyned. An unsupported possibility is that the church is dedicated to a male disciple of Saint Cadoc. A later 19th-century history of the church by Arthur Mee supports Jones' interpretation. ==History==

The church dates from the 14th century, or earlier, but little remains of this period. It is of the clas type and the church guide suggests that in origin it was a hermitage church, rather than one built to serve a village or community. ==Architecture and description==

The church is built of Old Red Sandstone rubble. The churchyard is surrounded by a circle of ancient yew trees. Over 800 years old, local tradition suggests that the Monmouthshire archers who supported Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt cut the yew for their Welsh bows from these trees. The king received strong military support from the archers of Gwent, who were famed for their skill with the Welsh bow. Gerald recorded, "the men of Gwent are more skilled with the bow and arrow than those who come from other parts of Wales". ==Notes==