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Radnorshire Churches Survey

Church of Holy Trinity , Llandrindod

Llandrindod Church is in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, in the community of Llandrindod Wells in the county of Powys. It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SO0649460127.
The church is recorded in the CPAT Historic Environment Record as number 16835 and this number should be quoted in all correspondence.

Llandrindod Church, CPAT copyright photo 95C0605.JPG

Summary

Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, as is the new church in the centre of Llandrindod Wells, the old church may have originated in the 13thC if not earlier, but the present uni-cellular structure was erected in 1894 in neo-Gothic style. It contains a few features of pre-19thC interest internally and its churchyard is now of such irregular form that its original shape remains obscure.

Church rebuilt completely in 1894, perhaps using old materials.

Parts of the following description are quoted from the 1979 publication The Buildings of Wales: Powys by Richard Haslam

History

The Taxatio record this as Lando in 1291, a corruption of 'Llanddw' or 'Llanduw', equivalent to the 'Church of God'. This appears in similar form up until 1517, but in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 is found 'Llandynddod' or 'Church of Holy Trinity'.

A 13thC/14thC structure has been postulated with a single chamber, a south porch which was further west than its Victorian successor, and a west spirelet. In 1872, it was observed that an old, octagonal wooden font was being utilised as the base of the pulpit.

In 1893, the Archdeacon had Llandrindod and Cefnllys churches unroofed, to force people to attend the new church in Llandrindod Wells; but it was rebuilt in 1894 by Nicholson & Sons. The earlier church on the site was levelled but the foundations can be seen at the base of the east wall, and further influenced the alignment of the new building. In 1911 it was extended to the west with the addition of another 'bay', a new vestry and a heating chamber.

The first archbishop of Wales was elected here in 1920.

Architecture

Single-celled with nave and chancel in one, a broach spirelet, south porch and vestry added at west end, the whole built in the late 19thC and early 20thC in neo-Gothic, on a south-west/north-east alignment. For descriptive purposes, 'ecclesiastical east' is adopted here.

Fabric: the fabric contains a mixture of sedimentary rocks such as shales and mudstones, together with some?volcanic ash, suggesting re-use of earlier material; grey shale quoins and sandstone dressings all new.

Roofs: of slate.

Exterior

Nave/Chancel. North wall: three two-light windows plus one single-light for sanctuary. North-east corner has slightly skewed alignment because of utilisation of earlier foundation.

East wall: set back on plinth up to 0.8m high, and traces of an earlier foundation at ground level projecting 0.5m out. Three-light window.

South wall: minor change of alignment close to south-east corner; plinth continues for short distance only, then (?)buried; two single-light windows and, west of porch, two two-light windows.

West wall: one three-light window above vestry.

Porch. General. Standard fabric but with sandstone quoins.

East wall: one single-light window.

South wall: two-centred arch over entrance.

West wall: as east wall.

Vestry. General. Similar masonry, with three-light window in west wall; boiler house beneath.

Interior

Porch. General. Tiled floor, benches along sides. Unplastered but pointed stone walls, modern roof timbers.

Nave and Chancel. General. Plastered and limewashed throughout; roof is modern imitation of earlier roof, consisting of tie-beam trusses over nave, and over the chancel hammerbeams carrying braces steeply arched to a point, with curved brackets and quatrefoils below; floor tiles except under seating where of wood.

Vestry: not accessible.

Churchyard

The church of the Holy Trinity lies about 1km south-east of Llandrindod Wells, on ground rising quite steeply to former common above. Earthworks possibly the sites of dwellings lie on opposite side of road to the north.

The churchyard, its longer axis south-south-west/north-north-east, is set on edge on spur with valley to the south, so its shape is dictated by natural topography on the west and south, and rock projections fashion irregular surface within. Railings define the perimeter on these sides as far as recent graveyard extension at eastern end which is enclosed by pig fencing. On the north-east and north, adjacent to the road, is a mortared stone wall. No convincing traces of earlier perimeter except in north-west angle where low bank cuts across re-entrant stone wall.

Monuments: spread fairly closely across almost whole of churchyard, with new burials close to north wall of building and in east extension. Nothing pre-dating the 19thC was noted.

Furniture: none.

Earthworks: none.

Ancillary features: the churchyard served by tarmac paths to porch with kissing gate and main cemetery gates in north-east, and other kissing gates on north and in south-west (a private access from Llandrindod Hall).

Trees: no yews, but a few other species present.

Sources consulted

Archaeologia Cambrensis 1872, 359
Britnell 1990, 29
Church Guidenotes
CPAT Field Visit: 19 July 1995
Faculty 1911: NLW/SD/F/272
Haslam: 1979, 247
Howse, 1949, 259
NMR Aberystwyth
Silvester 1994, 96
Click here to view full project bibliography

Please note that many rural churches are closed to the public at certain times. It is advisable to check when the church will be open before visiting. Information about access, or how to contact parish clergy, can often be obtained from the relevant Diocesan Office which can be found through the Church in Wales website. Further information about Llandrindod Church may also be found on the Swansea and Brecon Diocese website.


The CPAT Radnorshire Churches Survey Project was funded by Cadw as part of an all Wales survey of medieval parish churches.

This HTML page has been generated from the Cadw Churches Survey database & CPAT's Regional Historic Environment Record - 17/07/2007 ( 22:02:45 ).
Further information about this and other churches surveyed is available from the Regional Historic Environment Record, Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust, Curatorial Section, 41 Broad Street, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 7RR tel - (01938) 553670, fax - (01938) 552179, email - chrismartin@cpat.org.uk, website - www.cpat.org.uk.

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