St Stephen's Church, Old Radnor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Stephen's Church
Church of St Stephen
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 of England parish church in Old Radnor, Powys, Wales. It was built in the 15th century in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. This church stands on the site of a much older church from the 6th century. It is now a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical site.

The church's organ is also very special. While the organ itself is mostly from the 1800s, its beautiful wooden case is much older.

History of St Stephen's Church

Since there are no other churches named St Stephen in Wales, people think the first church here might have been for a Welsh saint. This saint was likely Ystyffan, a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Powys. Many churches were dedicated to him.

After the Norman conquest of Wales, the Normans might have thought Ystyffan was the same as Saint Stephen. So, they may have renamed the church after Saint Stephen, who was a popular saint with them.

In the 1200s, the church became part of the Mortimer Family's lands. In 1401, during the Glyndŵr Rising, the church was burned down. But even after the fire, a very large baptismal font survived. This font is incredibly old, possibly from the 8th century!

The church was rebuilt soon after the fire, and the old font was put back inside. The new church had special openings called embrasures in its walls. These made some people think it was meant to be a fortified church, like a mini-fortress. However, these openings were probably just for decoration, as nothing else suggests it was built for defense.

When the church was rebuilt, it had space for five extra altars, called chantry altars, besides the main high altar. One of these was later turned into a vestry, which is a room for clergy. In 1993, St Stephen's Church was officially given its Grade I listed status.

In the 15th century, a new stained glass window was added. It showed Saint Catherine. Also, symbols linked to King Edward IV of England were put in the church. These included the White Rose of York and the Black Bull of the Duke of Clarence.

In the 16th century, the church was updated again. This time, there were tributes to the House of Tudor. New choir stalls were installed, and a new roof was put over the main part of the church, called the nave. This roof had Tudor Roses carved into it. A new Welsh tracery (decorative stonework) was also added. The church's rood screen, which separates the nave from the choir, is also very impressive.

The Church Organ

St Stephen's Church is said to have the oldest organ in the British Isles. Some believe it might even date back to the 15th century. However, experts say it's not in its original form.

The organ's wooden case is from the 16th century. Some people think it was put in place before the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This would make it one of the oldest surviving organ cases anywhere!

John Bull, a famous composer and organist, might have grown up in Old Radnor. If so, he could have learned to play the organ right here at St Stephen's Church. He later became the organist at Hereford Cathedral and Antwerp Cathedral.

The organ was repaired in 1872 by F. H. Sutton. He added new organ pipes and decorative wooden panels. It's a mystery why such a grand organ was placed in a small village church. But its remote location likely helped it survive for so long.

Churchyards and War Graves

The main churchyard has a war grave for a soldier from the Machine Gun Corps. He died during World War I. In the churchyard extension, there is another war grave for a soldier from the Manchester Regiment who died in World War II.

A Special Vote for the Church

In 1914, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Welsh Church Act 1914. This law was meant to separate the Church in Wales from the Church of England. The law's start was delayed for a bit.

Because of this delay, 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 chosen because their boundaries crossed the border between England and Wales.

The people of St Stephen's Church voted 344 to 99 to remain part of the Church of England. This happened even though the church is located in Wales. As a result of this vote, St Stephen's Church is still part of the Diocese of Hereford today.