St Mary Newchurch

After a second visit to the church I managed to get some external photos I was happy with. Could find no history about the church on Wikipeda but there is some on the Church in Wales site
so I would suggest you went to the link to read it. I will say that the church looks to date back to the 1400's though the church was restored in 1856. It sands not far from the Offas Dyke path and offers hospitality to walkers who pass by.

The churchyard is well overgrown as you can see from the photos of the church taken across the grass

The North side is fenced off so I could not say if there are graves there

Nearby some one used a bit of  ingenuity and made a seat from a couple of old waggon wheels
As you could not go around the East end I went into the church

From the entrance you see the nave and walking across look down to the narrow chancel arch

From the arch you look back to the West end

The altar was covered in a red cloth

with a stained glass window letting in light

On one side of the chancel arch is the pulpit

which is quite high and give a good view of the nave


Left the memorial to David Vaughn and his wife Margaret

Left the coat of arms is above the door with right the memorial to John Owend and his wife Eliza

above memorial to the Beven family

There are a couple more Beven family memorials in the church as well

This one is to Major Samuel Beven

Above the Roll of Honour for those lost in the Second World War

The Stained glass windows in the Church are nice, one showing a coat of arms

at the front of the nave is a box pew

Above relics of a time when there was no electricity in the church

Right a balcony in the bell tower though there was no access to it for me

Above the font which looks a lot older than the rest of the church
Left the hospitality provided for walkers, you can leave money in the honesty box

Photos showing churches and the life of Francis Kilvert who wrote a book on the area and is celebrated in quite a few of the Churches

The church from across the road

A welcome site for many walkers

The churchyard looking very overgrown but it is insect friendly

Above the front of the churchyard by the road is mown
The rest grows wild

You find paths were people have walked through the long grass

Above som eof the older headstones.

Left near the porch this part is mown

Over on the North side is a mown area by the seat

And the more recent burials

The well kept graves near the road

Time to leave

But not before I show you the residents of the porch

I will leave you with these young Swallows who watched me walk under them to the church

Till next time have a wonderful weekend

St Michael Bryngwyn

St Michaels Bryngwyn  dates back to the 13th century and has some interesting history you can see if you click the link to Britain Express My first visits to the church were back in 2019 but I have been unhappy with the photos I took so I returned and have updated the blog

The gate leading to the churchyard  where you get a first view of the East end of the church.

As you walk in the gate you look at the east end and the churchyard with its graves

You will see this carving as you walk past on the east end

on the south another carving

They are dancing figures of  a man and woman

 

 

Path along the south of the church

 

 South west view in 2024

 

Back in 2019 it looked like this with the grass cut

Go around to the west end where you see the triple window that end and the church topped with a 

bell cote

The North side does have a few graves some which are a little more modern 2019

More overgrown in 2024

down the east end you will see a doorway. the rest of the North side is mainly grass 2019

 

 False north door

 

West end

 

Above the porch which still has the original Oak roof

 

 Wide view in the porch

 

 

The door in the porch leading to the church 

 

On one side of the porch the tombstone of a medieval priest the other is to Thomas Williams who was a rector that died in 1724

 

 

The base of Thomas Williams

As you walk in

Wide view from the back of the nave

Normal view from by near the entrance

Going down to the chancel arch

 

 That takes you to quiet a large chancel

 

The altar and east window

Close view of the altar

 

 

 Altar cross with vases of flowers

 

 

The altar cross and reading stand with a crucifix on the screen behind taken 2019

 

One of the two sets of choir stalls

 

South window in the chancel with Ogham Stone 

 

 

The Ogham Stone dating back to the 7th-9th century.

It is quite in awe inspiring seeing something that is so old an dates back that far

 

 

Looking back through the chancel arch

 Victorian pulpit

 Pulpit view

 

Blocked north door

Some of the memorials and a commemoration plaque

 

On the North wall of the nave you will find the Village Roll of Honor

Few of the kneelers in the church

The old organ and more modern one under the covering

The key was used in the opening of the church hall

Nearby on the wall is an old photo showing the church before restoration

 

The vestry screen in covered in passages from Kilverts Diary in both Welsh and English

The churches he visited are listed and I've been to quite a few now, missing are a few he went to in Oxofrodshire and the church he was married in there

 

Modern rendition of St Michael




The font on its base

The church from behind the font

Outside this is the view you get of the church from the road 

  

 

Tomb chest with headstones 

 

Plinth memorial

 Cross on to of the memorial

 

Collage around the churchyard

  

West view across the churchyard

East end of the churcyard

West view on the south side of the church

Looking east

Towards the church taken in 2019

Headstones and monument 2019



Churchyard 2024

St Michael's church Bryngwyn

Till Next time I wish you all a happy and peaceful weekend