St Ellyws Llanelieu

 

 This week the Church Explorer is back in Wales to see St Ellyws Llanelieu a church I found on Friends of Friendless Churches who now look after it. The reason because it had an original rood loft, something I have wanted to see for a long time

 "St Ellyw's Church is the main feature of the scattered settlement as well as being the source of its name (Llan-Ellyw). Saint Ellyw is said to have been one of the many saintly offspring of Brychan, legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog who ruled from nearby Talgarth. The church of St Ellyw dates from the 13th century and, unusually, escaped Victorian modernization so that it preserves many of its medieval features. It is now redundant, but is cared for as a Grade I listed building."

 

You walk up a grass path to the church

North west view of the church

Walking past the west end

Around to the south side

 

 

A blocked up narrow priests door can be seen in the south east end of the church

Then the east end

West end with porch and bellcote

The cote was added in 1905

 

The bellcote and bellow the 1686 sundial

 

Cropped view of the sundial it reads PB WARDEN 1668

Iphone view of the south side

The porch and churchyard on the south side

I noticed these two stones beside the porch and thought they looked old, they are thought to be 7th to 9th century

Looking further across the churchyard headstones can be seen scattered around

Most are old covered and in lichen

Near the church more tombs and headstones

A fenced family plot now forgotten

Headstones in various stages of falling over

South of the church from the steps

Collage of headstones

These two stand on the east end of the church

The porch

Inside an 16th century oak frame doorway which replaced the medieval one

This is what I had come to see what I thought was a rood loft but turns out to be a full height rood screen

The frame in front used to hold a second screen which hid nave altars

Decorations can still be seen on the frame

Closer view shows the outline of the rood that would have been here, the dovetail cutout most likely where it was attached

Looking down the church to the screen

Looking through the frame to the altar

The simple altar table and cross

Looking to the back of the church

Memorials on the walls along with wall paintings

Altar rails east window

closer view of the altar

The early 18th century pulpit was the culprit for the screen being removed and the frame cut to allow access

View from the pulpit

The chair is stood on what looks like an old table top, may be an old clerks desk

Two more memorials in the blocked priest doorway

Wall paintings mixed with memorials on the north wall. The lion an indication it was a royal coat of arms

These three memorials are of the Davies Family

Other memorials you can see in the church

Up in front of the altar you can find a row of tombs though these are damaged and the altar rails are fixed to them

Memorial in the lancet window by the altar

This one in the window where the nave altar would have been

Remnants of wall paintings can be seen

You can just make out the legs of Adam & Eve along with the snakes head

The east window with cross and words Holy, holy, holy

The font looks 18th century

But I will leave you with some more views of the rood screen

I feel lucky to have seen this and would love to have seen the original

I was disappointed to find it was an elaborate rood screen but It's amazing to thing the screen which was built so long ago and still survives today.

Till next time I with you all a peaceful week