St Elidyr's Church was the principal place of worship of the Cawdor family, former owners of the Stackpole Estate. The church has medieval origins, but most of the original structure, apart from the 12th or 13th century tower and part of the chancel, has been absorbed into later additions and renovations.
The church is built on a slope in a wooded valley, the slope partly excavated to accommodate the building. Cruciform in plan, the chancel is about 6.5 metres long by 4.5 metres wide. There are north and south transepts, a vestry and a chapel. There is an open porch to the south, within which there is an early medieval inscribed stone. There was a crypt beneath the chancel, now filled in. The roof is slate, and there is a wrought iron cross at its eastern end. The altar table is oak, as are the communion rails.
The tower is a prominent feature and an older part of the church. It is of a typical local design with a parapet, but unusually slender. The lowest storey has a vault opening into the north transept. Two upper floors and the roof are crudely constructed. Each storey has windows or louvred openings, the lowest being blocked. The top storey has louvred openings on all four sides and there is a spiral staircase.
A stone cross with a modern head stands in the churchyard.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.