St Mary Capel Y Ffin

 

 This week the Church Explorer visits St Mary Capel Y Ffin the last church on his tour of the Clerics Trail. After leaving Hay on Wye and missing the turn at first I found myself driving along narrow winding roads over the Black mountains in torrential rain missing the views of Gospel pass and the mountain top eventually going back downhill to come out at Capel Y Ffin. This is quite short blog due to the size of the church and I did not want ti linger getting wet in the churchyard.

 The name Capel-y-ffin is Welsh, and means "chapel of the boundary" since it lies in the valley of the River Honddu close to the boundary of the historical dioceses of St David's and Llandaf, now Swansea and Brecon and Monmouth. The chapel itself is dedicated to St Mary and was built in 1762, replacing an earlier 15th-century structure. It originally served as a chapel of ease for the parish church at Llanigon, but is now within its own ecclesiastical parish. With an interior of just 26 by 13 feet (8 by 4 metres), the chapel is one of the smallest in Wales^[2] and reminded diarist Francis Kilvert of an owl. 

When I got there so stood under the trees to get a few photos of the churchyard and did not go around the whole churchyard as it was raining heavy and the ground would have been soggy

Turning right to the east side

 

This looks like the base of a preaching cross

 

Zoomed in  one of the church

The doorway which is quite small so you need to duck down

Nice greeting to visitors and a warning to watch your head

First look from the door

The altar, east window and pulpit

The altar is small and I like the view from the window must be worth seeing on a nice day

"I will lift up mine eyes up into the hills from whence cometh my help"

I found it amazing it had a pulpit so here is the view from it

From the altar looking back

 

Up on the balcony looking down

 

 

Going over one side

 

The seating on the balcony 

I saw reference to this at St Mary Hay on Wye now I knew hat it was about

The font which is most likely 15th century or older

Churchyard from the porch

Last look at the church

Caple Y Ffin on a wet day

I'll leave you with a collage. 

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week 

St Mary Hay-on-Wye

 

This week the Church Explorer starts his second day on his tour of the Clerics trail, the first church is St Mary Hay-on-Wye . The previous day I managed to dodge the rain or at least miss it all. This day I hit it all. The rain stayed off to start with but by the time I got to the church it was starting. History below

 "St. Mary's Church (Church in Wales) built in the early 12th century. It serves other local churches including^[104] St. John’s Chapel, in Lion Street; St. Eigon, Llanigon; St. Mary’s, Capel-y-Ffin etc."

 

Walking up the churchyard path

South view of the church

 South from over the churchyard

 South west end

 Tower from the south west, I did not venture further around the north side to see the churchyard there of how the church looked as it was raining harder

 Churchyard collage

Quite a few tomb chests of wealthy people 

Churchyard south of the church

Chest tomb near the path with lost headstone

 

 

 More tomb chests near the path at the east end

The most interesting headstone I spotted while I was there 

The open door telling me to come in

First look was a bit eye opening

Here is a wider view of the church

Looking down the nave

Normally it is one arch St Mary has three

The chancel from the central arch

The altar in the apse of the church

Closer view of the altar which looks quite beautiful 

The ceiling looks amazing 

The stained glass windows either side of the apse, the central one is hidden

The statues either side of the altar

Probably my favorite photo of the arches

From the center arch the nave

I zoomed in on the organ

The right side of the choir 

Left side is a chapel

and shrine to Our Lady of Caple y Ffin

Altar in the chapel 

Nicely carved statue of Our Lady of Walsingham 

 

  

Over in the south aisle is this roll of honour 

You find another over the north side with the altar

It has one of the longer lists I have seen in a town

The second list has both wars

Over the south side the Madonna and Child

Banner of Our Lady of Caple y Ffin

Pulpit and lectern

The pulpit really was quite stunning with the carved figures 

View of the church from the pulpit

This beautiful stained glass window is over in the north aisle

Stations of the cross some of the nicer ones I have seen in a church

Some of the art in the church

The organ, least I presume the sound come out of the pipes in the balcony

Some of the carvings

The arches from the south aisle

I don't know why but Gandalf comes to mind looking at this stained glass window but it shows a scene from the Bible where Abraham offers his son Issac to God

Back of the church

Sacred heart of Jesus statue in the north aisle

Few of old relics from the original church of tombs and headstones

I had to move some bags out of the way to get a photo of this slab of Thomas Gwynn and his family of Hay Castle, it's dated 1702

The central arch

I loved the modern take on a rood cross

The north balcony from the south aisle 

The font, cold not tell you the age but I suspect Victorian 

I did have a quick look up on the balcony

Looking down on the nave

From under the balcony 

Another look down the nave 

I will leave you with a view of the triple arches

Till next time may I wish you all a peaceful week.