The area
Llandefaelog Church is just two miles north of Brecon on the B4520, the last remaining church in the Honddu valley. It has a small but committed core of regular worshippers, all of whom contribute to the practical upkeep of the building and churchyard.
Newcomers and other local attenders are always welcome, even if they cannot come very regularly. We now have two services a month, at 11 am on the 1st and 3rd Sundays.
The church
There is evidence of a very early church on the current site, even before St Maelog and his brother St Gildas, sons of King Caw of Strathclyde and grandsons of Cawdraf ap Cradoch Fraich Fras, a 6th century Prince of Brecknock, arrived from the Scottish Borders in the mid-7th century.
The oldest part of the present building is the tower, probably 15th or early 16th century. Records are almost complete since 1400. The main body of the Church was rebuilt and the Chancel added in 1831, with further work carried out between 1870 and 1894. The two oldest bells date from about 1480, three more in 1718 and the sixth in 1889. Before the Llandefaelog & Garthbrengy Church of England School was built in around 1871, children were taught in the Church. When the school was established, there were sometimes as many as 50-60 children in the one school hall although, according to the Brecon County Times in 1899, attendance was sometimes erratic!
Despite some thin times since, dedicated church wardens have kept the church going, and their work has been much appreciated. We now have a ministry area warden, two sub-wardens, a treasurer, and very committed members of the congregation who have overseen such essential projects as new fire extinguishers and clearing the very overgrown church yard. Our congregations are not large but consistent.
Newcomers and other local attenders are always welcome, even if they cannot come very regularly.
Fund raising always keeps us busy. After the success of last year’s ventures, we are repeating our Pancake Party in Lower Chapel village hall on Shrove Tuesday (4th March) this year, and have a number of other plans in the pipeline, which we will advertise as they take shape.
Churchwarden and Ministry Area Council Member
Churchwarden – Anne Morgan, email: a_morgan1@btinternet.com
Rose Vyvyan-Robinson, email: rose@alltybrainfarm.co.uk
Ministry Area Council Member – Jenny Steger, email: jennysteger@hotmail.co.uk