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This description is based upon the valuable monograph "Ewenny Priory, Monastery and Fortress" (1901), by Colonel John Picton Turbervill and upon a paper by Mr St Clair Baddeley in "Archaeologia Cambrensis" (1913), 6th Series, Vol XIII, p. 1
All the text is ©

Foundation
In 1141 Maurice de Londres, Lord of Ogmore, Kidwelly, and Camwallon, who is described upon his grave-slab in the South Transept as "Le Fundur", gave the Priory of Ewenny to the Abbey of Gloucester in frankalmoigne. But the primitive simplicity of the internal architecture, and in particular the massive piers dividing the nave from the north aisle, the plain square-edged arches and the narrow but deep round-headed windows, indicate that the building was commenced during the early Norman period, probably not later than 1115-1120, by William de Londres, the father of Maurice.
The Priory was a Benedictine foundation for a prior and ten to fifteen monks.

Original Form of the Church
The church was cruciform and consisted of a nave with five bays, north aisle, central tower with choir beneath the lantern, transepts with two chapels on either side to the east and presbytery. There was no south aisle for the cloisters lay along the south of the church and terminated at the western side of the south transept. A solid stone wall divided the parish church from the monastic portion of the building.

North Aisle and Porch
The present north aisle was built in 1895 probably on the site of the original Norman aisle.
The Norman aisle was reconstructed, with a porch added, in Tudor times and the only traces of it which remain are some corbels above the bays on the north of the westernmost pier close to the west window of the present aisle, the Norman aisle being considerably shorter than the nave.
The Tudor aisle was much wider than the original Norman aisle and its roof was carried up to the roof of the nave, covering the clerestory, which was blocked up with masonry removed during the restoration of 1870-1885. This darkened the church, but not excessively, for the original west wall of the nave contained three round-headed windows in line, with a fourth window above them in the gable. But when the west wall was pulled down, having become ruinous, circa 1803, and a dead wall erected in its place, it became necessary to provide more light, and this was done by converting two of the round-headed Norman windows on the south side of the aisle into large oblong windows. This unfortunate alteration must have been made between 1801, when Sir R. Colt describes the windows as "long, narrow with round tops," and 1803, when a sketch by Carter shows the south windows as Tudor, with traces of the Norman windows above them on the outside.
The Tudor aisle fell circa 1803, when the arcade was blocked with masonry to form the north wall of the nave, Tudor windows inserted in the second and third bays from the east and the porch reconstructed in the fourth bay. This stopping was removed and the porch carefully placed In its present position during the restoration of 1895, the Norman windows in the south wall of the nave being recovered at the same time.
At the eastern end of the aisle is a door leading to the now demolished north transept, and on either side of this door may be seen some original tiles taken from the chapel to the east of the north transept. The door now leads to a modern vestry built in 1895.

Reredos
The nave and north aisle formed the parish church and were divided from the monastic portion of the building by a solid stone screen pierced by north and south doorways for processions to pass into the parish church. In the 13th century this screen was replaced by the present Early English screen, probably about 8.5 feet high, which served as the reredos of the parish church and the rood screen of the Priory.
In the 16th century, when the monastic portion of the building became private property, this wall was raised to block up the western arch of the tower. The date of this alteration may be fixed by a painting of the head of an armed knight with helmet of Elizabethan pattern which is known to have existed upon the west face of this wall. The screen was restored to about its original height in 1889.

Font
The font, which is older than the church and possibly Saxon, stands upon a modern stem. In its original condition it was perfectly plain, the present mouldings being added subsequently.

Nave
The present nave is some 15 feet shorter and the roof about 6 feet lower than the original, the existing west wall having been built circa 1803 and the arch of the west door removed to the grounds of the mansion house where it now stands. The remains of the north and south walls to the west of the nave may be seen in the adjoining stable-yard.
High up on the south side are three plain round-headed Norman windows restored in 1895, with one jamb of a fourth window blocked up in the angle of the south and west walls. Near the east end of the south wall there is a small Tudor window opened for the purpose of throwing light upon the parochial high altar.
In the north wall above the piers may be seen the three Norman clerestory windows, which were blocked up when the Tudor aisle was built, and restored in 1870-1885.
In the crown of the south face of the second pier from the east two small niches have been roughly cut, which possibly carried a screen dividing the parish choir from the rest of the nave with a small canopied altar standing beside the pier. All the piers are grooved in various places, in some cases perhaps for the purpose of dividing the bays into separate chapels.
At the eastern end of the south wall is the processional door leading from the cloisters, which must have fallen at an early date.
Beneath the blocked-up window at the western end of the south wall a mural slab to the memory of the village blacksmith, who died in 1742, is inscribed with the quaint epitaph:
My sledge and hammer lie decay'd,
My bellows too have lost their wind,
My fire's extinct, my force allay'd,
My vice is in the dust confin'd.
My coal is spent, my iron's gone,
My nails are drove, my work is done.

South Transept
The transept was entered from the north walk of the cloister through a plain round-headed door in the west wall. At the south-west angle there is a small door leading to a square turret and stair by which access is obtained, along the arcaded gallery, to the tower.
The gallery is divided by alternate square and cylindrical pillars, the two northernmost pillars being of cylindrical pattern, thus breaking the symmetry of the arcade. In the turret, and about 12 feet from the ground level, are two very small doorways, one of which was possibly the entrance to the church from the monk's dormitory, the other being used for the perambulations of sentinels, who could not conveniently pass through the dormitory.
In the south wall of the transept are three plain round-headed Norman windows arranged in triangular form, the centre light opening to the east of the middle gable line, possibly to allow for the turret at the south-west angle of the transept. In the eastern wall are two wide-headed arches, now blocked up, the label of the northern and larger arch being ornamented with billet moulding. These arches, which admitted to the two barrel-vaulted chapels, are divided by a square pier in the western face of which a graceful Early English trefoil niche has been cut.

Tombs in the South Transept
There are three grave-slabs of the De Londres family. The one nearest the choir is the tomb of Maurice de Londres, the donor of the Priory to the Abbey of Gloucester. Son of William de Londres (I), Lord of Ogmore, Kidwelly, and Carnwallon, and of his wife Matilda, he is denounced in a Bill of Pope Honorius 11(1128) for robbing and defrauding the Church of Llandaff and for plundering and killing itinerant merchants at Llandaff. In 1141 he gave to the Abbey of St. Peter of Gloucester the Church of St. Michael of Ewenny, the Church of St. Bridget with the Chapel of Ogmore de Llanfey, the Church of St. Michael of Colwinstone, the Church of Oystermouth in Gower, the Church of St. Illtyd of Pembrey and the Church of St. Ishmael (near Ferryside). He died in 1149 leaving two (?) sons, William and Richard. The perfect and very beautiful inscription reads, in Lombard characters:
lCI : GIST: MORICE: DE: LVNDRES: LE: FVN
DUR: DEU : LI : RENDE: SUN : LABUR : AM.
Lying In front of the arch leading to the inner chapel on the south side is the incised tomb-slab of his son William de Londres, who died circa 1211. The slab is broken in three places and part is missing. The inscription reads
HIC: IAGET: W(ILEMUS):
DE LON(DRES).

The third slab now leaning against the east wall, is in memory of Hawise de Londres, daughter and heiress of Thomas de Londres (who died in 1196) and Evade Tracey (?) and granddaughter of William de Londres (II). She was twice married, her first husband being Patrick de Cadurcis (or de Chaworth), grandson of Patrick de Cadurcis of Brittany (who came to England with William the Conqueror). She was the last of this branch of the de Londres family, and, on her death in 1274, the estates passed on to her son by the first marriage, Patrick de Cadurcis (III). Her son married Isabel, daughter of William de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and their daughter Maud married Henry, Earl of Lancaster (Henry IV), the de Londres estates thus passing to the Duchy of Lancaster. The slab is incised with the full length figure of Hawise de Londres, but the head and shoulders are missing. The inscription, which is very indistinct, probably reads
(DE: LA : NOB)LE : DAME: HA WISE: DE LONDRES : PENSEZ
(ET: CHANTER): PUR: LA: SON : ALME : PULT: PAT : NOSTER.

The altar tomb which stands to the south of the grave-slab of Maurice de Londres has on all four sides the coats of arms of the Came family, descendants of Sir Edward Came, to whom the Priory was first leased by Henry VIII (1536) and afterwards granted in fee simple (1546). The slab which bore the inscription is missing.
Lying upon this altar tomb of the Came family is the figure of a knight in chain mail with pointed shield and long sword, indicating that he lived in the 12th century. It is probably Sir Paganus de Turberville of Coity, an early benefactor of the Priory.
To the south of this stands a marble altar tomb to the memory of Edward Came, who died in 1650 and of his great-grandson John Came, the last of this branch of the Came family, who died in 1700 at the age of 15. On the flat surface of this tomb is inscribed

Here lies Ewenny's hope, Ewenny's pride,
In him both flourished and him both died,
Death having seized him, lingered, loathe to be
The ruin of this worthy family.

In the concrete floor of the transept are several slabs to the memory of members of the Came and Turbervill families and two without any inscription, having in the centre a plain cross and on either side short pillars. These are probably the tombstones of two priors of Ewenny, the short pillars representing the two thieves either side of the cross. Several sculptured stones are collected along the eastern wall of the transept, among them a broken stone, possibly a corbel, which has been recently taken out of the wall of the tithe barn. It is carved in bold relief to represent a bearded head mounted on a horse, another animal apparently clinging to the horse's tail. The sculpture probably portrays Christ entering Jerusalem riding upon an ass and triumphing over death and Satan. There is also a crude Celtic cross with shallow carving. The date is uncertain, but it is similar in design to the 8th or 9th century crosses at Llantwit Major and Margam.
Another stone is carved with the figure of a recumbent dog. This is part of a statue to the memory of a member of the Turbervill family. Her feet rest upon the dog, but the remainder of the figure has become detached and is now in Coity Church.

North Transept
(demolished circa 1803).
This transept corresponded generally in form and dimensions to the south transept, but there was a single pointed window in its west wall and the north-western angle contained a turret and stair conducting, not through an arcade to the tower, but on to and above the parapet of the transept roof.
The windows in both transepts were set high above ground level for protection from hostile raids by the Welsh in the mountains and pirates at the river mouth, for the north transept formed part of the outer fortification and joined the battlemented wall which encircled the Priory.

Chapels attached to North and South Transepts
(demolished before 1803).
To the east of the transepts stood two chapels on either side of the presbytery, the inner chapel on each side being the larger. The chapels were barrel-vaulted, and the inner chapel on the south side had a loft above it to which communication was obtained by a small door above the arch in the east wall of the south transept. The two wide-headed arches in the east wall of the south transept opened into these chapels and traces may be seen in one of the tower buttresses of a corresponding arch leading to the inner chapel on the north side. The innermost northern chapel was slightly shorter than its southern counterpart, but the outer and smaller chapels were much the same dimensions on either side. The chapels on each side were separated by solid walls.
The chapels were the first portion of the building to become ruinous and the foundations became overgrown with grass and shrubs until, in 1 870 the sites were cleared revealing, in the northern chapels, foundations and part of the vaulting, the sites of two altars and a piscina, and in the southern chapel, foundations and an aumbry in the north wall. On the floor of the northern chapel were also found a number of tiles bearing the arms of the Abbey of Gloucester (the cross keys of St. Peter and the sword of St. Paul) of the Beauchamps and of a Stradling of St. Donat's empaled by DeBerkerolles of Coity. These tiles now lie in their original position protected by a wire frame.

Screen
East of the choir and at the entrance to the presbytery stands an oak screen, the upper section being 14th century decorated work, the top and bottom foils elongated into points, and the lower section restored with linen pattern panelling of the Tudor period. The blind traceries at each end afford evidence that the screen now occupies its original position.

Tower
The massive central tower rises one stage above the roof and is lighted by two small round-headed lights in each face. The high battlement is supported by a corbel table and the battlements are stepped, each being pierced with a large cross-eyelet.

Presbytery
This consists of three bays, the two westernmost barrel-vaulted with a secondary moulded rib between each pair of arches while the eastemmost bay has groined cross-vaulting ribs to provide for windows north and south. Above the vault is a loft, having a round-headed opening in the eastern wall and an entrance in the bell chamber of the tower. In the eastern wall are three round-headed windows set in triangular form.
On either side of the presbytery near the screen are round-headed doors leading to the inner chapels. Immediately to the east of the northern door and in the north wall is a large aumbry while further to the east in the same wall is a splayed hagioscope. There was probably a corresponding hagioscope on the south side, but it cannot be traced as the south wall has undergone more changes than its northern counterpart.
Under the window on the south side is a very beautiful double piscina which was discovered in the masonry blocking up the east window during the restoration of 1870-1885.
The presbytery is paved with modern replicas of the original tiles, some of which bear the arms of the Abbey of Gloucester, of William Parker (the last Abbott of Gloucester), of the Beauchamps, Berkerolles, and Turbervilles, all benefactors of the Priory.

Fortifications
The priory was described by the late Professor Freeman as "perhaps the best specimen of a fortified ecclesiastical building," and the north transept formed part of the outer wall while the original Norman aisle lay some feet inside the fortification. For this reason all the windows of the church are small and placed high up in the walls. The five towers of the outer wall now standing with the north transept and a demolished tower which until after 1775 occupied a position at the north-west aisle, mark the area enclosed by the fortifications, the circuit of the walls being about 600 yards and the ground within approximately 5 acres. The explanation of this large enclosure is probably to be found in the necessity for victualling the garrison and for preserving the horses which were pastured on the low-lying meadows from Welsh raiders of Mynydd Caerau and Llangeinor, the animals being driven within the precincts for protection.
The North East Tower, which is Norman, stands close to the churchyard gate and was entered from within the fortifications by a door in its south wall and not through the present aperture in its west wall, which is a damaged window. From this point the curtain wall ran westwards across the present entrance to the stable-yard and along the north side of the tithe barn, which is still in situ, to the great North Gate, formerly the principal entrance to the Priory. The gateway contains two bays, the inner Norman and the outer bay added in the 13th century and strengthened by "broaches" or small buttresses. The grooves in which the portcullis ran can be seen on either side of the gateway, these being carried up into the portcullis chamber above.
Two long slits in the roof may have been intended to inner portcullises steadied by their spikes resting on the ground, or to provide meurtriers through which an attacking party might be assaulted from above. In the roof of the gateway are also two square openings or masche-coulis used for pouring molten pitch or lead upon the enemy, though French medieval illustrations suggest the more humane purpose of admitting baskets of provisions to the upper storey. In the centre of the gateway hung iron doors and the holes on either side were probably used for the insertion of wooden beams which, when filled in with loose stones, would provide a stout defence even to the assault of a battering-rain. Above the gateway the portcullis chamber is reached by a stair within the wall of the inner doorway and from a passage to the adjoining wall on the east another stair leads up the side tower to the roof .
The tower commands a wide view to the valley and a beacon placed at this point would serve to warn several Norman castles of a pending raid by the Welsh. From the north gate the wall runs westward to the Round Tower, now in a ruinous condition, and thence for some 80 yards to its south west angle. Turning at right angles the wall then runs for about 50 yards to the very beautiful South Gate. Both the projecting bays of this gate are Norman, while the upper storey, and the small building which adjoins are Edwardian. Under the archway there is said to be a dungeon which has not yet been excavated. From the south gate the wall (now demolished) ran eastward to the Columbarium, an oblong tower with accommodation for a thousand birds and perhaps the largest dovecot in Wales.
From this point the wall turned northward and completed the circuit of the fortifications by joining the north wall. South-west of the church, and on the site of part of the old monastic buildings, stands the Mansion House, now the property of the Turbervill family to whom the estate passed circa 1713 by marriage with the Carnes. The Turbervill family have for centuries been benefactors of the Priory and to their care is due its present perfect condition, for the successive restorations were carried out by Mr. R.T. Turbervill (1803-1825), by Colonel Thomas Picton Turbervill (1870-1885), and by Colonel John Picton Turbervill (1895).