St Llwchaiarn's Church, Llanllwchaiarn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Llwchaiarn’s church, Llanllwchaiarn
Llanllwchaiarn. Church from SE
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Location	Newtown with Llanllwchaiarn, Powys
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
History
Founder(s)	St Llwchaiarn
Dedication	St Llwchaiarn
Consecrated	Probably 7th century AD
Events	Rebuilt 1816
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	18 July 1949
Architectural type	Church
Style	Georgian with Victorian interior
Construction cost	£1200
Administration
Parish	Llanllwchaiarn
Archdeaconry	Montgomery
Diocese	St Asaph

St Llwchaiarn's church in Llanllwchaiarn is a historic church located in Powys, Wales. It sits on a hill overlooking the Severn river, just north-east of Newtown. The church you see today was mostly rebuilt in 1816. In 2011, a beautiful old carved screen was moved here from St Mary's church in Newtown, adding to its history.

About Saint Llwchaiarn

The church is named after Saint Llwchaiarn, who lived in the 6th century. He is also the patron saint of a nearby area called Llanmerewig and two places in Ceredigion. A local poet from the 16th century, Siôn Ceri, wrote about amazing things Saint Llwchaiarn was said to have done. These stories include him fighting a dragon and making a deer jump into a pool of water. However, there isn't much clear proof about his life.

Early Church History

The churchyard around St Llwchaiarn's is a special, raised area that is almost perfectly round. It has many old yew trees. This round shape and the church's dedication to an early saint suggest it was first built a very long time ago, possibly in the 6th or 7th centuries.

The Church in 1796

St Llwchaiarn's Church in 1796, by John Ingleby

In the 1790s, a writer named Thomas Pennant asked an artist, John Ingleby, to paint pictures for his book about Wales. These paintings are now kept at the National Library of Wales.

Another view of St Llwchaiarn's Church by John Ingleby

In 1795, John Ingleby painted two pictures of Llanllwchaiarn Church. These are the only known drawings of the church before it was rebuilt in 1815. The old church had a unique bell tower supported from the inside. One painting shows the church from the south, looking across the River Severn, and the other shows it from the north.

Rebuilding the Church

St Llwchaiarn's church, Llanllwchaiarn. Window by Morris & Co.

St Llwchaiarn's church, Llanllwchaiarn, Datestone 1815.

The church you see today was built on the same spot in 1815. It cost about £1,200 to build. It was a simple brick church in the Georgian style, with a square tower. Later, in 1864, a chancel (the area near the altar) and a vestry (a room for clergy) were added.

More work was done in 1865 by R.J. Withers. This included making the chancel longer and adding wooden bench seats. The original east wall of the church was opened up, and a new archway was built. The round windows were changed to the Gothic style, and beautiful stained glass windows were put in, including one made by Morris & Co..

The Medieval Screen

In 2011, a very old and beautifully carved screen from around 1500 was moved to Llanllwchaiarn church. This screen was originally from St Mary's church in Newtown. People who saw it long ago thought it was incredibly special. One person called it "perhaps the most perfect thing of the kind in the kingdom."

The screen has five sections on each side of a Tudor-style arched doorway. It features detailed carvings with circles, quatrefoils (four-leaf shapes), and wheels. The top part of the screen has intricate patterns of leaves, flowers, vines, pomegranates, and even seaweed. You can still see hints of gold, red, and green paint on the carvings.

War Graves

In the churchyard, there are graves of soldiers who died in the World Wars. These include two soldiers from the Royal Welch Fusiliers who fought in World War I and a female officer from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) from World War II. These graves are cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Past Clergy

Here is a list of some of the vicars who have served at St Llwchaiarn's church over the centuries.

Vicars

Gallery

Further Reading

If you want to learn more about St Llwchaiarn's church, these books and articles might be helpful:

• Bartrum P. C. (1993), A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000, National Library of Wales.
• Oliver H. N, (2000), Llanllwchaiarn: Church and Parish, Newtown.
• Scourfield R. and Haslam R. (2013), The Buildings of Wales: Powys; Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire, Yale University Press.
• Thomas, D.R.( 1908) History of the Diocese of Saint Asaph, Vol 1, 128–135.
• Thomas D.R. (Archdeacon) (1903), Montgomeryshire Screens and Rood-Lofts, Archaeologia Cambrensis, 6th series, 85–120.
• Walker D. Some Account of Rood Screens and Timber Work of ‘Powys Land’ Part 1: Rood Screen in Newtown, Removed from the Old Parish Church. Part 2, Llanwnog Church. Part 3. Rood Screen, Llananno Church, Radnor. Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 3 (1870), 211–214; Vol. 4 (1874), 181–184. Vol. 7, 61–64.
• Wheeler, R. (2006), Medieval Church Screens Of The Southern Marches, Logaston Press.