St Tydfil's Church, Merthyr Tydfil, lies in an enclosed churchyard at the south end of High Street and was built on the site of a medieval church, reputedly the place where St Tydfil was martyred in the fifth century. Some re-building occurred in 1820-1 but the entire church was rebuilt in 1895-1901 to designs of architect J.L.Pearson of London. The present church is constructed of iron-stained Pennant sandstone and Bath stone dressings with bull-nosed facings, slate roofs and crucifix finials. Designed in a Burgundian Romanesque style, the church consists of chancel with semi-circular apse, aisled four-bay nave (without clerestory), short transept chapels, a tall four-stage west tower with circled stair turret in north-west angle, gabled south porch, and north-east vestries and priest's room.

The colourwashed interior features groin vaulting to the chancel and flanking chapels, twin roll-moulded transverse arches, pilaster responds and varied capitals with crockets, waterleaf and acanthus, and flat nave ceiling. Furnishings include a medieval octagonal font (under the tower); Pearson's round, panelled pulpit; a pelican lectern; and good neo-classical wall monuments from the earlier church. Against the north wall is a pair of Early Christian carved stones, one being the famous ring-cross, incised pillar stone of ARTBEU (NPRN 301391); the other the ANNICIUS stone. Stained glass includes works by Newbery (1896). In the sixteenth century, Lewis ap Richard of Cardiff left £20 to buy bells and gild the image of St Tudful.

It was closed for worship in 1968.

Sources include:
Extracts from Cadw Listing description;
J.Newman, Buildings of Wales: Glamorgan (1995), p.435-7.

Source: Richard Suggett, Painted Temples: Wallpaintings and Rood-screens in Welsh Churches, 1200–1800, (RCAHMW 2021), pp. 31, 35.

RCAHMW 2022