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).
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.
Llanfilo sits on the steeply sloping ground on the southern side of the Dulas valley some 10 km east of Brecon. The A470 Cardiff to Llandudno road reaches a junction with the A438 across the valley with the A470 turning north, the A438 travelling towards Hay-on-Wye and a minor road to the south going down and then steeply up to the village. The church is limewashed and is clearly visible from the road junction among the trees and houses of the village.
References
Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps AA
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.
Llanfilo is a significant medieval church with a major rood screem and loft rivaling Patricio and Llanelieu in it beauty, peace and holiness. The present church has a medieval structure , a sucessor to a Norman church. The dedication is to St Bilo (Beilo) the daughter of Brychan and a local saint. It would seem that a misreading of a medieval document left many believing the church to be dedicated to St Milburga (Abbess of (Much) Wenlock in Shropshire and daughter of Merwald C7 king of Mercia). A small lancet in the nave gives a building date of the C13, other windows in the chancel and nave are C17 and C18 while one wall in the porch can be dated to C15. The tower and broach spire were rebuilt in 1881. There had been repairs to the chancel in 1707 to put right damage caused by the Civil War (War of the Three Kingdoms) There are lintels now no longer in their original setting which date from 1100-20 (these are related to a group of lintels in Herfordshire at Bredwardine, Letton and Willersley and also at Llanddw near Brecon) W D Caröe engaged in sympathetic and gentle restoration in 1913 - 14. A plaque in the church records restoration by Caröe and Martin in 1992. In the early C21 the church was limewashed leadng to a private visit by Charles, Prince of Wales.
Cadw Listings Notice
Buildings of Wales – Powys 2013
Church Quinquennial Inspection Reports
CPAT Brecknockshire Churches Survey
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The church is divided into three parts, a Victorian stone tower to the west, an C11 nave, a south porch and a chancel. It was built with yellowish-green sandstone weathered to grey with ashlar quions of the same material. Some higher parts of the walls are in red sandstone. All is concealed behind a limewash. The roofs are of shale slabs with simple plain ridge tiles. The squat tower has slates on the roof with a broached spire with a weathercock on the top. The walls of the eastern half of the nave are Norman, in the porch is one of two diapered lintels, no longer in ther original position, the one not in the porch is in a blocked window. It is chip-carved with two rows of saltaire crosses framed above and below with raised lozenges the points of which are met, above and below with raised triagles; within each of the intervening sunken lozenges is a straight single bar flanked by single pellets. The other part of the nave is C13. The Perpendicular east window dates from Caröe's 1913-14 restoration.
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 has a flagged floor and unplastered walls all beneath a C15 roof of six-arch-braced collars, three of which are groved and three transverse ribs, all groved. The main doorway is broad and low with a two-centred arch chanfered with eroded stops. A Maltese cross and a wheel cross (conseceration cross) are engraved on opposte springers. . A substantial oak door leads from the porch into the church with a date of 1762. Two steps down lead from the porch into the flagged floor nave with flush wood blockes beneath the benches and pews. The walls are plastered and whitewashed save for the west wall which is whitewashed. There is a C15 wagon roof of 54 ribbed panels and one massive tie beam overstep towards the rear of the nave. The flags continue into the chancel and sancuary, the walls again are plastered and whitewashed and there is a low covered ceiling. The furnishing include a fine rood screen and loft (see below) and a mediaeval stone slab altar on C20 wooden base, also a C17 Jacobean style Oak altar table. The Communion Rails are late C17 with turned balusters and moulded rail. The timber pulpit dates from 1680 and has fielded panels, large below, smaller above to each side and deep sloping top board with an early C20 timber base and steps. The font is massive and crude a C12 bowl-shaped grey stone font with rough roll-mould below the rim and a short round shaft in yellow limestone on a monolith square pedestal. There is a C18(?) oak chest in the chancel."
The Angelus bell is in the chancel, there are two bells in the tower, one cast by Henry Williams in 1709, the other probably by him in 1682.
A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
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.