St Beuno's Church, Berriew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Beuno, Berriew |
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St Beuno's Church, Berriew, Berriew
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| Location | Berriew, Powys |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | St Beuno |
| Dedication | St Beuno |
| Consecrated | 7th Century AD |
| Events | Rebuilt 1803 and 1876 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 21 August 1995 |
| Architect(s) | John Hiram Haycock and Edward Haycock |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Victorian |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Berriew |
| Archdeaconry | Montgomery |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
St Beuno’s Church is a historic church located in Berriew, a village in Powys, Wales. It is the main church for the local area. The church sits in a nearly oval-shaped churchyard right in the middle of the village.
The very first church here was quite simple. It had one main room, a wooden bell tower on the west side, and a small chapel on the north side of the chancel (the area around the altar). This older church was replaced in 1803-1804. A new, bigger brick church was built by an architect named John Hiram Haycock.
This new brick church had stone decorations. You entered through a tower on the west side, which had pointed tops called pinnacles. Inside, the main part of the church (the nave) had galleries and four round-topped windows on each side.
Later, in 1876, the church was largely rebuilt again by Edward Haycock, who was John Hiram Haycock's grandson. The church now has a nave, side aisles, a chancel, a porch on the north side, and a tower on the west. The entrance in the west tower was closed off, and the brick was covered with stone. Most windows were changed to a Gothic style, except for some round ones on the second level of the tower.
Contents
Who Was Saint Beuno?
St Beuno was a special Celtic saint who lived a very long time ago, dying around 640 AD. We know about his life from old stories. He studied with another saint, St Tangusius (also known as Tatheus), in a Roman town called Caerwent.
Later, a person named Mawn ap Brochwel gave St Beuno some land in a place called Aberhiew, which is now Berriew. St Beuno likely built the first church on this land. He was known for performing many miracles and started other churches in Powys and North East Wales. Eventually, he moved to Clynnog Fawr in Caernarfonshire, where he founded a famous monastery.
People in Berriew really respected St Beuno. There's even a special stone called St Beuno’s stone near Dyffryn lane, close to the River Severn.
The Church Before 1800
The church in Berriew was first mentioned in official records in 1254. By 1291, it was owned by the Cistercian Abbey of Strata Marcella, which was near Welshpool.
Luckily, we have two pictures of the older church that was taken down in 1802. The first picture is a watercolour painting from 1796. It was made for a writer named Thomas Pennant, who wanted to use it in his book about tours in Wales.
This painting by John Ingleby shows the church from the southeast. It has a typical bell tower for the Montgomeryshire area. It also shows a chapel on the northeast side of the church. This chapel held a monument for Arthur Pryce, who lived at Vaynor Park and died in 1597.
The second picture is a print from 1798 by Rev William Parslow. It was published in a magazine in 1800. This print shows the church from the northwest. You can see the chancel chapel in the front and the bell tower with a clock. On the right, there's a lych gate (a covered gateway to a churchyard), which is in the same spot as the current one. The church itself is built on a small hill.
The Church Built by John Hiram Haycock
The church that John Hiram Haycock built to replace the old one was typical for its time. It was made of brick with stone decorations. The entrance was under a tall tower on the west side. Inside, the main part of the church had galleries and four round-topped windows on each side.
This design was quite traditional for churches built in Shropshire and the Welsh border areas during that period. It might have been inspired by St Alkmund's, Whitchurch, a church built in 1712. An old picture of the church from 1804 also shows the Free School Building in the churchyard. This school was first built in 1655 and then rebuilt in 1819, possibly by an architect named Thomas Penson.
The Church Rebuilt by Edward Haycock Junior
Over time, building styles changed. In the Victorian era, people preferred a different look. So, in 1876, the church was remodeled by Edward Haycock Junior, who was the grandson of John Hiram Haycock.
During this remodel, the entrance in the west tower was closed off. The brick walls were covered with stone. New windows in the Gothic revival style were added, except for some circular ones on the tower's second level. The corners of the nave (the main part of the church) were also strengthened with special stone blocks called Ashlar quoins.
Some parts from the 1804 church were kept, like the rooms on either side of the tower and an arch at the east end. The Victorian changes mostly involved adding rows of columns (arcades) with round and octagonal shapes, new aisle windows, and open roofs. A new chancel was also added. The stone used for the window frames was a pinkish ashlar, which looked nice against the green stone from a quarry owned by the Earl of Powis in Welshpool.
Inside the Church and the Churchyard
Inside the church, there's a beautiful wooden screen behind the altar called an Reredos, made in 1896. It shows figures of apostles and saints. The lectern, where readings are given, is shaped like an eagle and was made by Rattee and Kett. The organ case, which holds the organ, has carvings of trumpeting angels and was made in 1923.
The church also has lovely Stained glass windows. One excellent window from around 1859, made by Hardman, shows the Transfiguration of Jesus with strong, bright colours. This window came from a special Venetian window in the 1804 church.
In the north aisle, you can see three marble statues lying down. These came from a raised tomb in the old church. They represent Arthur Price of Vaynor Park, who died in 1597, and his two wives. Arthur Price is shown in his Elizabethan armour, while the ladies wear ruffs and headcloths. Four figures of children from this tomb are now kept in the Powysland Museum in Welshpool.
There's also a monument from 1806 for Rev. E. Jones, decorated with a Greek style, an urn, and a snake. Another monument is for William Owen of Glansevern, who died in 1837. It's a tablet with a portrait of him and a covered urn, created by Edward Hodges Baily in 1838.
Outside, near the path to the lych-gate, there's a large rock left behind by a glacier. This rock marks where three of the 15 townships (local areas) in the parish meet: Berriew, Cil, and Faenor Issa.
The lych-gate itself was built as a memorial to the soldiers who died in the First World War (1914–1918). Later, the names of those who died in the Second World War (1939–1945) were added. This War Memorial was designed by Ninian Comper in 1933. It's interesting to note that this lych-gate is in the same spot as the one shown in the 1800 print by William Parslow.
The churchyard also has an extension about 400 yards away. This part contains the graves of a Royal Navy sailor from the First World War and a Royal Air Force airman from the Second World War.
See also
Images for kids
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An old drawing of St Beuno’s Church in Berriew
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Another view of the old Berriew Church
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The church built by John Hiram Haycock in 1804
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The Old School building in Berriew, 1819
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The Lychgate, which is also the War Memorial, designed by Sir Ninian Comper in 1933
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The Berriew War Memorial
