St Anno's Church, Llananno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Anno's Church, Llananno |
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| Church of St Anno, Llananno | |
"among the finest pieces of medieval screenwork in Wales"
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 St Anno's Church, Llananno
Location in Powys
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| 52°21′35″N 3°19′46″W / 52.3597°N 3.3294°W | |
| Location | Llananno, Powys |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Redundant |
| Founded | 14th century |
| Dedication | Saint Anno |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 29 July 2004 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roof |
The Church of St Anno is a very old church located in a place called Llananno in Powys, Wales. It was built way back in the 14th century. This church is special because of its amazing medieval (meaning very old) wooden screen, which is thought to be one of the best examples of craftsmanship in Wales.
Today, the church is no longer used for regular services. It is looked after by a group called the Friends of Friendless Churches. This group helps to protect old churches that are not used anymore. The Church of St Anno is also a "Grade II* listed building," which means it's a very important historic building.
History and Special Features
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The Church of St Anno is found right next to the River Ithon, near the village of Llananno. Even though it's very old, the church you see today was mostly rebuilt between 1876 and 1877. This work was done by an architect named David Walker from Liverpool.
The Amazing Rood Screen
When David Walker rebuilt the church, he made sure to keep some of its original parts. The most important part he saved was the beautiful rood screen. This screen was made in the 15th century. A rood screen is a special wooden wall that used to separate the main part of the church from the altar area.
Experts say this screen is "the most richly decorated and one of the most complete in Wales." It's considered one of the best examples of this type of artwork in the whole country. The screen has ten arches and a main archway in the middle.
Above the arches, there's a large gallery. This gallery has two big wooden beams called "bressummers." These beams are carved with images of fruit and leaves. Some of the carvings even show stems coming out of the mouths of serpents!
In the middle of the screen, there's a carved wall with 25 figures. These figures show Christ, important leaders from the Bible, kings, and prophets. The figures you see today were added in the 19th century when the church was rebuilt. The screen has been carefully repaired a few times, including in the 1960s.
The Church Building
The church building itself is quite small and simple. It's made from grey limestone and has a small entrance porch. It also has a modest "bell cote," which is a small structure on the roof that holds a bell.
As mentioned, St Anno's is a "Grade II* listed building." This high rating is mainly because of its amazing rood screen. The screen is considered a very important piece of architecture for the whole country.
