Llanilltud - The Story of a Celtic Christian Community

It is difficult to believe that a scholarly and critical in-depth study of such an important site has not been attempted before. This book has now plugged that gap splendidly.THE MOST REVD DR BARRY MORGAN,ARCHBISHOP OF WALES 2003–2017Not Oxford, not Cambridge, but Llantwit Major (Llanilltud Fawr in Welsh) is probably the site of Britain’s oldest centre of learning, having been founded in the late fifth century. Scholars of church history have called it ‘the Christian axis of the Celtic-speaking peoples’ and ‘the University of the Atlantic of the Celtic period’, and the monastic community there became significant in medieval western Europe in the sixth century.For the first time, this book provides a history of St Illtud’s monastery and school. It focuses on the development of the early monastic community in the context of the Celtic Christian tradition, but also looks at developments on the site over the next 1,000 years until the Reformation, and at how the Celtic tradition and memory of the early Llanilltud community have been kept alive since then.A scholarly and analytical study, yet written in an engaging and highly readable style. – Publisher: Y Lolfa

Brought up in Cardiff, Philip Morris has had a long career in the Church in Wales and recently retired as the Archdeacon of Margam. He has lived in Llantwit Major for many years, and his interest in this topic goes back to his MPhil in early medieval spirituality.

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