The area
The church stands in the centre of the historic village of Defynnog on the banks of the Afon Senni approximately 9 miles south west of Brecon. St. Cynog’s is set in the real heart of a farming community and is the church for Sennybridge and the surrounding area. Located in the heart of walking country, the church is generally open daily and welcomes visitors and worshipers from far and wide.
The church
This substantial and prominent Grade I listed Church undoubtedly has a very long history, originally built on the site of a celtic church with the tower and the body of the current church being late medieval though of different builds. Internally there is an interesting range of furnishings including an early medieval inscribed Ogham stone and a font and stoup both of early date. Vastly remodeled in the Victorian era, the double aisled church boasts an array of historic features including barrelled roofs, beautiful stained glass windows, a peel of 6 bells in the tower along with a range of other interesting features.
One remarkable historic feature at St Cynog’s has nothing to do with the church itself; it is an ancient yew in the churchyard. It is suggested the yew may be as much as 5,000 years old! It is roughly 60 feet across and has split into two distinct parts. If the dating is correct, the Defynnog yew is the oldest living tree in the UK and probably the oldest in all of Europe.
For further information on the church building, see the CPAT Brecknockshire Churches Survey page.[https://cpat.org.uk/Archive/churches/brecon/16764.htm ]
Churchwarden and Ministry Area Council Member
David Price email: davidpricectf@gmail.com Tel: 01874638874
Location
Located in the centre of the historic village of Defynnog just off the A4067. Parking is available at various points in the village nearby. Postcode for SatNav – LD3 8SD