ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an assessment of the available documentary and material evidence, questioning existing notions concerning the origins of stone churches in Wales. It examines the origins of ecclesiastical stone architecture in Wales by looking afresh at the available evidence, and suggests new avenues for research. Through examination of the documentary evidence and archaeological remains, including stone sculpture, the extent to which early church buildings can be identified is discussed with reference to the following questions. Is it possible to determine a progression from wood to stone construction? If so, when and for what reasons might this have occurred? The documentary and archaeological records have not proven especially forthcoming in providing evidence for earlier stone churches, but nor have they revealed anything to the contrary. The sculptural evidence warrants further attention and supports the appearance of stone churches at an earlier, perhaps 9th-century, date at prestigious ecclesiastical foundations.
