The
parish church of
Saint Tudclud (alternatively Tyddyd, Tudclyd, Tudglud or
Tudglyd), was built in the mid-19th century, but contains five important
early Christian inscribed stone slabs dating from the 5th or 6th century. The Carausius Stone, which bears the
Chi Rho symbol, was found in 1856 with two of the others when the site of the church was being cleared. It has been suggested that it is the gravestone of
Carausius, a Roman military commander who usurped power in 286 and was assassinated in 293 (see
Carausian Revolt), who is possibly the same person as St Caron to whom the church in
Tregaron is dedicated. Another commemorates
Cantiorix as a citizen of
Gwynedd and cousin of the magistrate (the local ruler under the Romans, suggesting that the Roman political structure was retained locally into the 5th century after the departure of the legions). The inscription reads:
Cantiorix hic iacit / Venedotis cives fuit / consobrinos Magli magistrati ("Here lies Cantiorix / He was a citizen of Gwynedd / and cousin of the magistrate Maglos".) The third of these slabs reads "ORIA [H]IC IACIT" or "
Oria lies here". A fourth stone slab was discovered in the old garden wall of the Eagles Hotel (about 40 m from the church and 15 m from the churchyard) in 1915; one interpretation of its inscription is "
...son of Avitorius... in the time of Justinus the Consul". There was a consul called Justinus in 540, but the inscription is unclear and could refer to Justus (328); the broadest date range for the slab is 328 - 650. Several academics have recently suggested that the inscription refers to the Byzantine Emperor
Justin II, who was consul repeatedly between 567 and 574; it is argued that this is one of a number of instances of close links between post-Roman Britain and the Byzantine Empire. The fifth slab was discovered during quarrying near the Roman road in
Rhiwbach, Cwm Penmachno and just features a cross. The
chancel of the present church stands on the site of a previous church which burnt down in 1713. Three of the stone slabs were discovered when the older church was dismantled. Also discovered was a wall of a 12th-century church; this was the church of St Enclydwyn (probably the same as
St Clydwyn or Cledwyn, a 6th-century saint, the eldest son of
Brychan Brycheiniog and brother of
St Tudful), this church fell into ruin following the
Reformation. The existing font is 12th century and from the earliest church. The discovery of the slabs on the site and the large enclosure of the church that is now the graveyard (about 100 m by 75 m), suggests there was a religious community here, probably a
clas. It has been suggested that Iorwerth ab Owain Gwynedd (1145–1174), also known as
Iorwerth Drwyndwn, the father of
Llywelyn the Great, was buried in the oldest church, and that a sixth stone slab in the present church (a 13th-century gravestone) marked his grave. The church is kept locked; the key can be obtained by asking at a neighbouring house. The holy well of St Tudclud is in the cellar of the old Post Office, now a private dwelling. ==Other significant associations==