Hundreds of people lined the streets of Llantwit Major today to welcome HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on their visit to the town’s Galilee Chapel.

The Royal visitors chatted to members of the public, including flag waving school children, as they walked from the town Square to St Illtud’s Church in brilliant sunshine on the second day of their Welsh summer visit.

They were greeted at the church by the Rector of Llantwit Major, the Revd Huw Butler, who gave a brief introduction to the Galilee Chapel Project.

The 13^th century chapel at St Illtud’s Church, was transformed last year from a roofless ruin into an award-winning new visitor centre, to house 1,000-year-old Celtic crosses.

The site itself was founded by the Welsh monk Illtud and dates back to the year 500 and early Christianity in Wales. The ancient Celtic crosses were cleaned up and moved to their new home inside the Galilee Chapel as part of the £850,000 project to tell the story of the church’s role in developing Christianity across Wales and beyond to the wider Celtic world.

One of the Celtic crosses is the Abbot Samson’s Pillar Cross, sometimes known as the King Stone, and believed to be one of the oldest known inscribed Christian stones in Great Britain.

During the visit, the Prince and Duchess met several of the parishioners, local schoolchildren and those involved with the project. They included:

• Parishioner Gladys Kilby, 94, the oldest member of the church who cut the ribbon to officially open the chapel during a celebration weekend last November.
• Lee Mayes, the Construction Site Manager, who enjoyed working on the church renovation project so much that he had a lasting reminder tattooed on his arm – in the form of Celtic crosses.

Mr Butler said, “History was made today because as far as we know this is the first ever Royal visit to this church. We are all thrilled that his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have made a special visit to the Galilee Chapel.

“It was such a beautiful day. The Prince was very interested in the history of the stones. Thanks to the restoration project they are now being displayed properly and have been placed so that visitors can walk all around them to see them from all angles.”

The £850,000 project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, CADW, Vale of Glamorgan Creative Rural Communities (European Social Fund), the Representative Body of the Church in Wales; Welsh Church Act Fund, All Churches Trust and the James Pantyfedwen Foundation.

The restoration recently won a Regional RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Design Award and has been put forward for a national award. Architect Michael Davies has been named Welsh Architect of the Year.

An archive room, toilets, mezzanine floor for meetings and a tea station are also provided within the Chapel to support the community use of the church in welcoming tourists, schools and local community groups.

Following prayers and a Bible reading, the St Illtud’s Church Choir led the hymn singing before the Royal party were shown around the Chapel by the Rector, accompanied by the architect Michael Davies and Gareth Kiddie, the Interpretation and Activities co-ordinator. The Royal couple enjoyed a cup of tea on the mezzanine floor before signing the visitors’ book.

In the garden outside a Magnolia tree was planted by the Prince and watered by the Duchess. Local Sunday schoolchildren looking on were told by the Prince to ensure they kept the tree well watered.

Before leaving the Prince and Duchess were presented with gifts which included a framed montage of pictures of the church by Reader Keith Brown, a town shield from the town mayor Michael Mason and a basket of local produce including bara brith from Creative Rural Communities presented by local baker Mel Constantino.

To find out more about the Galilee Chapel visit http://www.illtudsgalileechapel.org.uk/ and to see video footage, visit http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2013/11/galilee-chapel-st-illtuds-church-llantwit-major/