St Stephen's Church, Old Radnor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Stephen's Church |
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| Church of St Stephen | |
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| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Ystyffan's church |
| Status | active |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1993 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Old Radnor |
| Diocese | Diocese of Hereford |
St Stephen's Church is a historic church located in Old Radnor, Powys, Wales. It belongs to the Church of England. The church was built in the 1400s in a style called "perpendicular gothic." This style is known for its tall windows and straight lines.
The church stands on the site of an even older church from the 500s. Today, St Stephen's Church is considered a Grade I listed building. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected. The organ inside the church is also very special and old.
History of the Church
People think the first church here might have been named after a Welsh royal family member called Ystyffan. Since there are no other churches named St Stephen in Wales, this makes sense. When the Normans came to Wales, they might have thought "Ystyffan" was a Welsh way of saying "Saint Stephen". So, they renamed the church after Saint Stephen, who was a very popular saint with them. He was known as the first Christian martyr.
In the 1200s, the church became part of the Mortimer Family's lands. Sadly, in 1401, the church was burned down during the Glyndŵr Rising. This was a big rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr. Even though the church was destroyed, a very large stone baptismal font survived the fire. This font is incredibly old, possibly from the 700s!
The church was rebuilt soon after the fire, and the old font was put back in place. The new building had parts that looked like they were for defense, such as openings in the walls called "embrasure"s. However, these were likely just for decoration, as nothing else suggests it was a fortified church. When it was rebuilt, there was space for five extra altars, but one later became a storage room for church items. In 1993, the church was officially given its Grade I listed status.
In the 1400s, a beautiful new stained glass window was added. It showed Saint Catherine. The church also got symbols linked to King Edward IV of England, like the White Rose of York and the Black Bull of the Duke of Clarence. In the 1500s, the church was updated again. This time, it included symbols of the House of Tudor, like the Tudor Roses on the new roof over the main part of the church (called the nave). New seats for the choir were also installed.
The Organ
St Stephen's Church is famous for having what might be the oldest organ in the British Isles. Some people think parts of it could be from the 1400s! The wooden case around the organ is from the 1500s. It's thought that this case was put in before the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was a time when many monasteries were closed down. This makes it one of the oldest organ cases still around.
A famous composer and organist named John Bull might have grown up in Old Radnor. If he did, he probably learned to play the organ right here at St Stephen's Church! He later became an organist at big cathedrals like Hereford and Antwerp.
In 1872, the organ was fixed up by F. H. Sutton. He added new organ pipes and decorative wooden panels. It's a bit of a mystery why such a grand organ was placed in a small village church. But its quiet, out-of-the-way location probably helped it survive for so long.
Churchyards
The main churchyard has a special grave for a soldier from World War I. This soldier was part of the Machine Gun Corps. In the churchyard extension, there is another grave for a soldier from the Manchester Regiment who fought in World War II. These graves are looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The 1914 Vote
In 1914, a law called the Welsh Church Act 1914 was passed. This law was going to separate the Church in Wales from the Church of England. However, the law's start was delayed. Because of this, 19 parishes, including Old Radnor, had a special vote. This vote was to decide if they wanted to stay with the Church of England or join the new Church in Wales.
These parishes were special because their borders crossed between England and Wales. The people of St Stephen's Church voted 344 to 99 to stay part of the Church of England. Even though the church is in Wales, it remained part of the Diocese of Hereford in England because of this vote.
