Photography by John Ball - 10:30 am, 11 Mar 1998 (with Agfa ePhoto307 digital camera)

This church was founded in the sixth century AD by Ciwg, an early Christian hermit, said to be descended from a noble Celtic family. The church is located in what was once a central position for the local rural population, but when industrialisation took place in the Swansea Valley, the church became isolated.

Image 1:

St Ciwg's is situated in a hollow on Barley Hill.

Image 2:

One of the footpaths approaching the church from the west.

Image 3:

Parts of the church tower date from the 13th century. The tower is no longer vertical!

Image 4, 5:

In the east wall of the church (Image 4) is a low-level leper window, constructed to enable "unclean lepers" to watch the priest celebrating communion. The churchyard (Image 5) contains recent graves as well as ancient ones.

Image 6:

The church is on Barley Hill, 210 metres (690 feet) above sea level.

Image 7:

To the west of Barley Hill is Pontardawe golf course.

Image 8:

To the north-east is the Upper Swansea Valley. The flat-topped hill in the centre is Mynydd Allt-y-grug; to the right is Varteg Hill. These 200-metre high plateaux mark what was once the floor of an ancient sea. The U-shaped valley between the two hills was cut by a gigantic glacier during the ice-age.