St Gwyndaf's Church

The ancient church of St Gwyndaf can be found in the small village of Llanwnda, which overlooks Strumble Head on the North County's coast.

Born in the 6th Century, the son of Emyr Llydaw, who was a refugee from Brittany, St Gwyndaf became chaplain of Dyfrig's college in Caerleon about 540 AD. He founded Llanwnda church in the mid 6th Century, and when he retired he went to Bardsey Island to die.

There is a legend associated with the church which tells that St Gwyndaf had an argument with St Aiden in Fishguard, and as he was crossing the church stream upon his return, a fish leapt out of the water causing Gwyndaf's horse to rear up, throwing the saint to the ground. He cursed the stream, so 'that no fish would ever swim in it'. The spring still flows near the church, but since that day there have been no fish in the stream.

The existing church built on the old site is of a simple Welsh design, cruciform in shape with a double bellcote. Inside, the transepts widen into chantry chapels. The church has six Celtic stone monuments built into the walls and there are four cross-marked stones dating from the 7th to the 9th centuries. One of the window sills has a stone, carved with the image of a cleric holding a staff. This may have been part of a broken stone cross.

A number of carved Celtic stones were found during the restoration in 1881. An interesting example in the east end of the south transept features a picture of a hooded woman. In the porch can be found a leper's window, through which the lepers could see the alter and hear the mass.

There are a number of historical associations with this church. Asser, King Alfred's biographer was educated here and the famouse Welshman Giraldus Cambrensis was rector here in the 13th Century. Nearby is Carreg Wastad Point, where over 1,400 French soldiers landed during an attempted invasion of Britain in 1797.