St Eloi is a surviving church influenced by the Arts and Crafts style, designed by architect John Coates Carter. In 1926–1927, it was redesigned from fragmentary medieval ruins. Two periods therefore meet here: the medieval remains provided the starting point, while the redesign gave the building its form. The architect’s name and the influence of the Arts and Crafts style define the design context. When exploring Llandeloy, you can consider both the architect and the way older building remains were used.
St Eloi: Building History and Interior
Inside, a chancel gallery and a carved screen shape the space. These features affect the overall layout; individual furnishings add details of materials and motifs. To understand St Eloi, you can distinguish between its redesign from medieval ruins, the way the gallery and screen shape the space, and the details of individual works of art.
Furnishing Details and Church Art
The furnishings include two stone fonts. One was assembled from some old stones discovered during excavations. This origin sets one font apart from the other. St Eloi also has a stoup and two matching piscinae made of grey slate. For the piscinae, their pairing and material are the distinctive features; for the fonts, their number and the unusual origin of one provide a different point of reference. The individual pieces can thus be distinguished not only by type, but also by the details recorded about each.
The glass and the reredos offer different points of interest. The stained glass dates from the 20th century. The colourful ornamental reredos depicts a rainbow between golden Welsh castles. The glass is dated to a particular period, while the reredos features a specific image. This offers two ways to consider the church art: the stained glass can be placed in its historical period, while the image on the reredos is described in greater detail.
Well and Memorial Window in Llandeloy
A feature of the landscape lies in Llandeloy’s churchyard: a stone-lined well stands at its southwestern edge. Its location identifies its position within the churchyard, while the stone lining describes its form. Alongside the architecture and furnishings, this brings a specific feature of the local landscape into view.
In St Teilo’s Church in Llandeloy, the two-light stained-glass window “The Baptism of Christ and the Crucifixion” is located in the south transept. It commemorates Lionel George Theophilus Thomas, who was killed in action near Ypres on 20 September 1917. The title names the two subjects depicted, while the memorial links them to a particular person and a precisely dated event. In this window, the imagery, its location in the transept, and its commemorative meaning come together, offering a different perspective on church art than St Eloi’s architecture and furnishings.
For a culturally focused stay, you can choose what to explore according to your interests: the building history and spatial design of St Eloi, the materials and motifs of its furnishings, or the memorial in the window at St Teilo’s Church. The well adds a feature of the local landscape.
Discover more destinations: Moylegrove, Stackpole, Narberth, Ludchurch, Boncath, Treffgarne, Pembroke Dock, Stepaside
For the wider travel overview: Pembrokeshire.
