excellent preservation, is a fine roodloft, with sixteen panels ornamented with tracery, and having a band of the vine pattern as a cornice. In the top of the western beam and at its central point is a socket, or mortise, to receive the foot of the rood, which would face the congregation. This, indeed, is no longer there, but its witness remains. It is worthy of mention that this parish adjoins that of Bettws; and their two churches, which are only about five miles apart, are both of them noteworthy for their rare ecclesiastical remains.1

Mem.-This article was written in the first instance for, and read in part before, the Newtown Clerical Association; and has subsequently been enlarged and illustrated for its present use.

1 Supra, p. 94.

121

THE HERMITAGE OF THEODORIC, AND THE SITE OF PENDAR.

BY THOMAS GRAY, ESQ., M. INST. C.E.

I.

BEFORE January, 1894, I was unaware of a hermitage having existed in these parts. At this date, Miss Talbot kindly sent me volume i of the Margam and Penrice MSS., by Dr. W. de Gray Birch; and in it I found that a mile or so from where I live in the parish of Margam, there existed as far back, and probably before the year A.D. 1147, the Hermitage of Theodoricus; but where was it situated? No ruins existed to mark its site, no tradition survived about it, and the building had disappeared completely.

In the earliest charters of Margam Abbey we find mentioned as a landmark the Hermitage of Theodoric; but as no ruins indicated its position, it was not possible to fix its site. The original charter founding the Abbey of Margam is not extant; but its text is found in an Inspeximus by Edward le Despenser, Lord of Glamorgan and Morgan, dated July 13th, 1358, of an Inspeximus by Hugh le Despenser, dated Oct. 9th, 1338. In this document the Earl William notifies to the Bishop Nicholas' and others concerned, that he has confirmed the gift which Robert his father gave to the monks of Clairvaux: "That is to say all the lands which extend between Kenfig and the further bank 1 A.D. 1149-1183.

Robert of Caen, natural son of Henry I, King of England, Consul or Earl of Gloucester. He became possessed of these lands by his marriage with Mabilia, the heiress of Robert Fitzhamon, the leader of the Norman knights, who retained Kenfig and district in addition to Cardiff as his share of the conquest.

of the water of the further Afan, which is to the west of the Hermitage of Theodoricus as the water aforesaid descends from the mountains. All this land I grant to the monks as it goes through the mountains,

Fig. 1.-Map of Lands given to the Monks of Clairvaux, and Grants of Land by Caradoc Uerbeis to Pendar, etc.

namely, from the source of Kenefeg water between the source of Rudelf (Ffrwdwyllt) and Gelli-fret (Gellivrith) on to Red-Kewelthi (Rhyd Gyfylchi), that is the ford of Kewelthi, into Aven (Afan river) in wood and in

plain, in fields and in pastures and waters, in moors and marshes, also all the fisheries of Aven, that no one may interfere with them on the other side, nor put their hand to fishing in the whole of Aven except by their consent.'

This certainly points to the site of the Hermitage as being near the river Afan, where it falls into the sea, and just to the east of it.

In the midst of the lonely sand-dunes near the old mouth of the River Afan (in 1836-38 it was diverted, and is now further west), some fifteen or sixteen years

ago, I picked up a tile-stone having a neatly-made nailhole at the top part; and later I discovered part of a wall; still later I found some green glazed earthenware tiles, ridge and flat,' and several pennant-stone tiles, similar to the first one I found. Three years ago I had the sand cleared off around a pile of stones, and found a building about 85 ft. in length, which is here shown in elevation and plan: water then prevented further clearing of the ruins. I have recently (in this year)

1 See p. 149, No. 66, Arch. Camb., April, 1900, illustrations of similar old ridge-tiles found in Llantwit Major Church.