The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Set about 1 km northwest of Beulah on the minor road making for Abergwesyn some 15 km west of Builth Wells via the A 483. The church is approached over a listed bridge over the Cnyffriad a tributary of the Afon Cammarch itself a tributary of the River Irfon. The road passes through a gently wooded valley which developes into an area of ancient woodland.
References
Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps AA
The name/dedication of the church to which the plan refers.
A brief description of the plan. eg. who created it and where it came from.
The date the plan was created.
The details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who inputted the plan.
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
Eglwys Oen Duw (The Church of the Lamb of God) was built by John Norton in an Early English style between 1865 and 1867 and paid for by Mrs Clara Thomas of Llwyn Madoc and her daugher Miss Clara Thomas. John Norton was also the architect of Tyntesfield the spectacular Victorian Gothic Revival house with gardens and parkland owned by the National Trust just to the south of Bristol. In commissioning this church the Thomas' paid for a simple exterior with a magnifienctly ornate interior.. In creating the church Norton worked with a similar group of artists and craftsmen as he had at Tynesfield. A Drovers Road used to run from Cardiganshire via Abergwesyn and so to Beulah. Following the building of this church corespondence took place bettween Mrs Thomas and Venables family of Llysdinam who wanted to built a similar church in Newbridge-on-Wye although perhaps less decorated internally.
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
Roads and Trackways of Wales Richard Moore – Colyer 2001
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
An Early Englsh style church or nave and chancel with north and South porches , a tower and spire sit above chancel arch. Attached to the north of the church via the vestry an annex has been built c 2010. The church was built with snecked, rock-faced stone with lighter freestone dressings, with a steep tile roof behind coped gables. The nave has a south porch, with lower and narrower chancel. Over the east end of the nave is a slender shingled tower and spire, which has louvred bell openings, and a swept spire surmounted by an iron cross. The porch, set back from the west end of the nave, has a 2-centred arch with double chamfer and no capitals, inside which are double doors with iron studs and flowing strap hinges. Small lancets are in the porch side walls. To the right of the porch are 2 lancets, then a third lancet in a shallow projection in line with the tower. The chancel south wall has a double, then a single lancet. The east window has 3 stepped lancets with a sill band with foliage stops. In the north wall is a single lancet, then a lower gabled vestry and organ recess. The nave north wall has 3 lancets, and a lancet in a shallow projection aligned with the tower, as on the south side. The west window has 5 stepped lancets.
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The differneces between the relatively restrained exterior of the church and the magnificence of the inside is quite amazing. The impression is that money was no object.
The interior is faced (accordingt o the CADW listing) in red brick (however, the Quinquennial Report states that this is in error and that the walls are renderd to look like brick), with freestone dressings, black and yellow brick below the cornice, and a frieze of encaustic glazed tiles below sill level. The floor is laid with decorative and encaustic tiles, which are richer in the chancel than the nave. The west window has a shafted rere arch. The nave has a 4-bay arched-braced roof. At its east end is a 2-centred arch supporting the tower, on pairs of Purbeck marble shafts with stiff-leaf capitals, that stand on wide corbels enriched with dog-tooth friezes. Beyond this is the chancel arch, which has 2 orders of chamfer, the inner order dying into the imposts. Directly beneath the tower is a narrow wooden imitation rib vault. The chancel has a roof of closely-spaced arched braces. Its brick walls have similar polychrome enrichment to the nave, except that the east wall has a gold mosaic reredos with the legend 'Alleluia'. The east window has marble-shafted rere arches with stiff leaf capitals. The trefoil-headed piscina has a hood mould, marble shafts, and a diaper infill of polished stones set diagonally. The large and heavy square font has a stepped base, round stem with attached shafts at the corners which have superimposed scalloped and waterleaf capitals. The bowl has a frieze of roundels with relief carvings of foliage and symbolic devices. Beside the font are damaged fonts brought here from the churches at Llanfihangel Abergwesyn and Llanddewi Abergwesyn. The polygonal pulpit is of wrought and cast iron on a brick and stone base. A tier of fret-cut panels is below a tier of cusped arches. The hand rail is brass. The choir stalls have carved foliage to the ends and open quatrefoils to the front. The communion rail has iron uprights and a wooden hand rail. The lectern is timber.
The mosaic reredos beneath the east window is by the venetian artist Antonio Salviati to designs by Norton. Coloured glass or tile tesserae were attached to the drawings face down before being despatched to the UK. The mozacist then hammered each section into place with mallets and flat pieces of boxwood before removing the drawings to reveal the mosaic, now face up below. Tesserae are normally fixed individually on oil based putty on walls. the recovered art of venetian mosaic in the late C19 is now seem as one of the important aesthetic achievements of the Victorian and Edwardian years. Salviati's mosaics were applied in many churches and monuments including the Albert Memorial in London.
Several windows have stained glass. The eastwindow, by Clayton & Bell 1867, shows 'scenes from the Life, Passion and Resurrection of Christ' in early French style. In the chancel south wall are 2 windows of 1878 by Burlison & Grylls, 'The Baptism of Christ and the Adoration of the Magi', and 'Pentecost', both dedicated to Clara Thomas and in late-medieval style. The south east window shows the 'descent of the Holy Spirit', the south west window shows the 'Adoration and Christ's baptism.' In the chancel north window is an 'Ascension', which is unsigned. In the nave the west window, also c1868 by Clayton & Bell, depicts Gospel scenes and the Communion of Saints. The remainder of the nave glass is unattributed. In the N wall, at the E end, is a scene showing 'the Good Shepherd' and commemorating Thomas family children who died in infancy in 1836 and 1838. Next to it is a window of c1907 to Margaret Lloyd showing 'Charity' 1868. At the east end of the south wall is a window showing 'Christ with 2 small children', commemorating infant deaths of 1858 and 1860. In the porch west side window is glass by Anna Beasant 'Butterflies', dated 1999.
Stained Glass in Wales
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.