The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
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There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
The name/dedication of the church and its location.
A brief description of the image
The date the image was created.
Details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who uploaded the image.
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Llanelwedd is the home of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Sociey's Showground and the church is across th road from the south eastern corner of the showground. It is a little over 1 km from Builth Wells reached by crossing the bridge over the river Wye on the A470 and turning east at the rouandabout in front of the showground, The church is to be found just before the A483 turns north up a very steep hill for Llandrindod Wells and Newtown and the A481 leaves to travel east across Randnor Forest. The church is situated between the main road and the former railway embankment (Mid Wales Railway, Moat Lane to Three Cocks Junction), beyond the embankment is the River Wye. The whole area is dominated by Llanelwedd Rocks and the associated quarry to the North east of the church.
References
Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps AA
The name/dedication of the church to which the plan refers.
A brief description of the plan. eg. who created it and where it came from.
The date the plan was created.
The details of any copyright are displayed here.
The name of the person who inputted the plan.
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
An early medieval chruch is said to have been here at Cae Hellan - a spur of land now enclosed by the RWAS showground. This was dedicated to St Elwedd possibly a corruption of Eilwedd one of the legendary daughters of Brychan Brycheiniog. The present church St Matthew's is closer to the river, its tower probably dates from C14 although restored in Victorian times as was the rest of the church. On 18 January 1877 a vestry meeting was held to consider the restoration and enlargement of Llanelwedd church in accordance with the plans of John Norton. Norton had produced plans which maintained the spirit of the original church . Some of the costs of this restoration might well have been paid by a Miss Clara Thomas who carved much of the internal woodwork. The church re-opened on 12 June 1878 after which the building was described as 'one of the most beautiful churches in the Principality.' During the restoration the old rood loft window in the south wall was not preserved.
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
CPAT Radnorshire Churches Survey
A Survey of Ceramic Tiles in the Radnorshire Churches M A V Gill 2005
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The church has a nave and chancel with a south porch and a west tower (The tower being a plain C14 Brecon type tower). It was built with walls of a local grey, olive, brown and pink rock, largely sandstone laid as random rubble with similar stone dressed for quoins, the lower levels may have used similar coloured gritstone. It has a slated roof of a variety of ages the most recent being on the north side, there are cross finials on the east ends of the nave and chancel. The tower is largely pink sandstone (a Victorian feature), it is covered by a pyramidal roof hidden from the ground by battlements, surmounted by a cross. The window surrounds to both church and tower are mainly Victorian pink sandstone. In his rebuilding Norton added plate tracery and paired lancets. The chancel has a blocked segmental-pointed south doorway, with 2-light square-headed window to its right. The east window is 3 stepped lights under a hood mould. The north aisle has a pointed east window (to the organ chamber), and in the north wall a pair of cusped lights (also lighting the organ chamber), 2-light geometrical window under a gable and 2 square-headed windows further right similar to the south side.
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The porch walls are faced in red sandstone with Victorian engraved texts, the roof is of two bays with three arch-braced collars and a wooden ceiling. It has a flagged floor with one step up into the nave. The nave was completely Victorianised, there is a tiled floor of Staffordshire red and black 4" tiles with carpet over. The walls are bare pink sandstone and the roof is of seven bays with arch-braced collars, aternately springing from the wall and the wall plate. All are cusped above the collars but those from the wall have additionally raking struts. There are two tiers of windbraces. The altar is four steps higher than the nave with communion rail having simply turned balusters, the choir stalls are raised on wooden plinths, bare walls and a two-bay roof with arch-brqcing springing from corbels. An extension through the north wall provides a extension to the arcade and so space for the organ. Within the church much of the woodwork has been carved by a Miss Amy Thomas and a Miss Flatin;specifically the polygonal pulpit with Jacobean panels with roundels incorporating crosses, the poopyhead pews and the low chancel screen. Theirs too is the alar and choirstalls, the later carved with pretty geometric floral patterns. The font is C15 octagonal on two circular steps, another one was found buried in the churchyards and is now outside the Chancel. The sanctuary is paved marble with passion flowers (possibly at the expense of Miss Amy Thomas. The stained glass: in the east windows 'Scenes from the Life of Christ', 'Angels bearing shields with Pious Pelican and Agnus Dei' by Clayton & Bell; the nave window' Christ as a Shepherd' 1878, 'Crucifixion and key of David', 'John the Baptist' 1878, 'Resurrection', 'Jesus with Mary Magdalene and Simon Peter', 'The Good Samaritan', all by Burlison & Grylls. There is a single bell cast by Thomas Stone dated 1636.
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.