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.
The village of Llyswen is to be found at the junction of the A470 (Cardiff to Llandundo) and the A479 (Tagarth to Llyswen). It is 15km north east of Brecon, 19km south east of Builth Wells and 6km north west of Talgarth. The settlement is on the southside of the River Wye just at the point where the river emerges from a gorge section from Builth Wells out on to a more open landscape such that the church lies just to the south of the first large meander on this flood plain.
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.
One line of thought suggests that a clas settlement was founded here in the C5 and granted to the see of Llandaff in AD 560. The dedication of the church is to St Gwendoline a C9 local saint also remembered in Talgarth. The name means 'white court' reputedly derived from the palace of Rhodri Mawr, a C9 Prince of South Wales. Local tradition has it that the palace was in the Warren Field just to the south of the village or 3km north at Llangoed Castle. Rhodri Mawr's wlll requested the 're-edification and adornment' of the area's religious houses and although uncorroborated, Llyswen church was the first church to substantially rebuilt as a result. The present church was a substantial rebuild in 1863. Early prints and photographs show that the previous church comprised a simple divided chancel and nave with a barrel vaulted rood, a southern porch and a bellcote. ( A skech of this church is now housed in the tower and a watercolour of the interior depicts a two-centred chancel arch, cusped tracery in the nave window and a ceiled roof with at least one tie beam.) This church was the subject of repair work by Charles Buckeridge 1862-3 but during the work the roof collapsed. As a result the church was sensitively rebult at the cost of £997.9s on its original footings. The roof was restored in 1964.
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
CPAT Brecknockshire Churches Survey
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
This was a new Victorian chancel, slightly wider nave, west tower and south porch broadly following the original Norman floor plan. It was built with local slabs of grey sandstone walls with some red sandstone intrusions all randomly coursed. The nave walls are better finished at lower levels on the north side. The roofs are reconstituted clay tile with plain ridge tiles, there are stone finials to the nave and chancel. The tower is covered with thick Welsh Slates. There is Forest of Dean Ashlar surrounds to windows. There is a clock face over the west tower window, there is a low pyramydal roof with a weather vane and cock. On the south side of the chancel is a priest's door under a two-centred arch with stopped chamfers and hood moulding.
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.
Flagged floors in porch and nave, the porch has an open roof with collars. The two-centred arch doorway with chamfered moulding leads into the nave. The nave walls are plastered and whitewashed with a two-centred chamfered arch into the tower. The roof is of scissor trusses. There is one step up from the nave into the chancel with a tiled floor and the choir stalls like the pews in the nave on raised wooden plinths. There are encuastic tiles in the sanctuary. The walls are as in the nave with an unceiled wagon roof with collars above. The fittings: the altar is in a niche set in the east wall of the church; there is a limestone C19 semi-circular pulpit; a brass lectern and a heavy hemi-spherical bowl font set on a low stone column base. The stained glass in chte north wall of the chancel is by Carl J Edwards 'The Sower' c1959. There are also four sensitive and beautifully executed small windows in the chancel by Carl Edwards 1946 - 1973. 'St Non teaching St David to read' c1959, 'St Christopher' 1974, 'St George' 1980, 'St Gwendoline' 1959. In the nave a 'Memorial Winfow' 2012 by Red Kite Art Glass and Restoration.
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.