St Ishmael, St Ishmaels

Perched on the side of a hill overlooking the Tywi estuary and Carmarthen Bay, this magnificent pilgrim church has been a place of worship for over a thousand years. The village the church served was swallowed by a tsunami that swept up the Bristol Channel in 1607/8 but this has not deterred local worshippers and even today St Ishmael’s has a small, busy and dedicated congregation who welcome many visitors – holidaymakers, cyclists and even the occasional pilgrim en route to St David’s.
The congregation at St Ishmael’s offer hospitality every day – coffee, tea, water and prayer stones are provided free of charge. As well as the regular Sunday morning service there is Morning Prayer on Tuesday attended by the congregation, locals and visitors from other denominations. In good weather when the midweek services is held outside we are often joined by passers-by.
Children attending are provided with books, colouring sheets, worksheets related to the services - and there are toys for younger children. After every service refreshments are provided. We love our church and are here to praise God and to welcome and help anyone that visits the beautiful surroundings of St Ishmael’s that have inspired generations of worshippers. To worship with us or to just sit in the church soaking up the atmosphere is to commune with saints both past and present. The church’s history is explained by displays both outside and within the building.
It has proved impossible to put in a disabled access but we do have handrails where possible. Parking can sometimes be problematic but as long as we park thoughtfully there is room for around six cars.