St. Michael's and All Angels Church was constructed on the valley bottom of the Afan valley and sits slightly to the north west of centre of the grave-yard which formed the centre of the old village of Cwmavon.
The church lies on the normal east-west axis with the sanctuary at the east. It is typically medieval in plan with a sanctuary and choir separated from the nave by a chancel arch with a small vestry off to the north.
The nave has on its northern side an aisle, with an altar at it's east end. To the South of the nave, about one third the way from the west end, is a gated porch. To the west of the nave is the medieval tower which was altered in the 1850's with the addition of a battlement and spire. It is believed that the original stone parapet was removed when the spire was added.
On the northern and southern walls of the sanctuary there are memorial plaques which make mention of "burials underneath", which presumably means beneath the chancel.
The most notable feature in the church is the medieval stone altar tomb which dates from the fourteenth century and bears the inscription
“Y TRYMPED PAN KENIR Y MEIRW Y GYFODIR”
(“WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDS THE DEAD SHALL ARISE”
The letter K disappeared from the Welsh language about 1588 and an expert in medieval
costume has placed the clothes depicted as being circa 1540. The W carved into the
various columns supporting the tracery might indicate the Williams family of the
Manor of Ynysafan in the lordship of Gwalia, a family who through various marriages
could claim connection to Gwrgant, King of Glamorgan, and the last independent ruler
(1081-1093 AD) who resided in Afan.
