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Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base is a medieval stone cross preserved in the churchyard of Llanthewy-Rhytherch in Wales. The monument comprises the base of a cross, a form common in Welsh churchyards from the medieval period onwards, serving as a focal point for worship and community gathering. Such bases typically supported carved stone shafts and heads that rose prominently within their ecclesiastical settings.
The cross-base stands upon bedrock composed of Pridoli rocks—mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Pridoli period of the late Silurian era. This locally available stone, weathered and shaped by generations of Welsh craftspeople, would have been worked into its present form by medieval masons. The geology of the site thus directly influenced both the monument's creation and its enduring presence.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under the reference MM117. This designation recognises its significance as a surviving example of Welsh medieval religious stonework. Despite the loss of its superstructure, the base remains a tangible record of medieval devotional practice and the skilled masonry traditions of medieval Wales.
Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM117. View the official record →
Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base is a medieval stone cross preserved in the churchyard of Llanthewy-Rhytherch in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM117.
Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a cross. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is MM117.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llanvihangel Nigh Usk Churchyard Cross (3.8 km), St. Mary's Churchyard Cross, Llanfair Cilgedyn (4.3 km), St. Bartholomew's Churchyard Cross, Llanover (4.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Llanthewy-Rhytherch Churchyard Cross-Base stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.