▁of ▁the ▁most ▁perfect ▁Norman ▁churches ▁in ▁England ". ▁Fam ous ▁for ▁its ▁stone ▁car v ings , ▁the ▁church ▁is ▁a ▁Gra de ▁I ▁listed ▁building . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁church ▁was ▁built ▁around ▁ 1 1 4 0 , ▁and ▁almost ▁certainly ▁before ▁ 1 1 4 3 ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁Ab bey ▁of ▁Gl ouc ester . ▁It ▁may ▁have ▁replaced ▁an ▁earlier ▁Sax on ▁church ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁site , ▁and ▁the ▁o val ▁raised ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁church yard ▁is ▁typical ▁of ▁even ▁older ▁C elt ic ▁found ations . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁and ▁ 7 th ▁centuries ▁the ▁Kil pe ck ▁( Wel sh : L land de wi ▁C il ▁Ped deg ) ▁area ▁was ▁within ▁the ▁British ▁kingdom ▁of ▁Er gy ng , ▁which ▁maintained ▁Christian ▁trad itions ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁Roman ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁possibility ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁holding ▁Roman ▁and ▁even ▁meg al ith ic ▁remains ▁has ▁been ▁raised , ▁but ▁is ▁un pro ven . ▁ ▁The ▁plan ▁of ▁the ▁church , ▁with ▁a ▁nave , ▁ch an cel , ▁and ▁sem ic irc ular ▁ap se , ▁is ▁typical ▁for ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁its ▁construction , ▁the ▁Norman ▁period . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁dedicated ▁to ▁a ▁St ▁David , ▁probably ▁a ▁local ▁C elt ic ▁holy ▁man , ▁and ▁later ▁acquired ▁an ▁additional ▁dedic ation ▁to ▁Mary ▁from ▁the ▁chap el ▁at ▁Kil pe ck ▁Castle ▁after ▁it ▁had ▁fallen ▁into