Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
21957
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
28/06/1999
Date of Amendment
28/06/1999
Name of Property
Tomb of William Edwards in the churchyard of St Ilan, Eglwysilan
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Caerphilly
Community
Aber Valley
Town
Locality
Eglwysilan
Easting
310661
Northing
188995
Street Side
Location
On the S side of the nave to SW of the porch, adjacent to path on the W side.
Description
Broad Class
Period
History
William Edwards (1719-89) was an Independent Minister and a civil engineer, best known as a builder of bridges. Born at Ty Canol, Eglwysilan, in 1726 he moved to Bryn Tail in the same parish, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was pastor of Groeswen chapel from 1745 until his death. His chief engineering work is Pontypridd bridge of 1746-54, a long single-span stone bridge across the River Taff, but he also built bridges at Usk, Pontardawe, Betws (Glamorgan), Aberavon and Glasbury. Three of his sons, Thomas, David and Edward, also became bridge builders. A fourth son, William, was killed in Gibraltar and is also buried here.
Exterior
Late C18 double chest tomb to William Edwards and his wife. The long sides are plain, the short sides each have 2 fielded panels. Two coping slabs have engravings commemorating William Edwards and his wife (d. 1789) and their son William (d. 1795).
Interior
Reason for designation
Listed Grade II* for its historic interest as the tomb of one of Wales' foremost nonconformist minsters of the C18 and one of the most eminent British bridge builders and engineers of the period.
Group value with the church and other associated listed items.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
Export