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.
Bettws Disserth is a small settlement on the west bank of the River Edw some 12km north east of Builth Wells via the A481 and minor roads from Hundred House.
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.
Bettws Disserth was probably a chapel-of-ease witin the parish of Disserth 10km to the west and across the hills. On 22nd October 1887 it was annexed to the parish of Llansantffraed in Elwel, it being too difficult to run the chuch from across the hill. A surveyor's report of 16 January 1873 says that the chancel 'was rebuilt at the expense of the Rector during the year 1872 and I am happy to say that it does not require and repairs.' By 1879 the Revd Thomas Macarlane was seeking financial assistance to rebuild the entire church Frederick R Kempson had produced a specification which was far in excess of what the parish could hope to raise. The services were then taking place in the neighboring schoolroom. The Revd William E Prickard then arrived in the parish and J B Fowler of Brecon was instructed by him to prepare plans 'for a smal and inexpensive edifice, well adapted to the wants of a rural population'. The contract was given to William Bowers & Co of Hereford and the new church was consecrated on 31 October 1883.
One of the early traditions of the parish was the annual football match against Glascwm, the church porches being used as the goals. This perhaps accounts for the note in 1685 by Jon Morgans, the churchwarden, of 'repairs of the porch 6 shillings. Even more worrying was the Bettws feast day on the first Sunday in October hosted by the pub at the end of the churchyad 'The parson would arrive at the usual hour to hold sacred service but suddenly his prayers would be interrupted by roars of ibecile laughter from the maudlin brains outside. For a whole week drunkenness and debauchery might be witnessed, resulting in manslaughter on several occasions.'
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.
This is a single chamber building of Nave, sanctuary and South Vestry with a small north porch. It was constructed as a simple stone built church coursed stonework roof of natural slate.
Reference
Church Quinquennial nspection Reports
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.
A brief description of the image.
Copyright details.
The name of the person who inputted the image.
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 church is paved with tiles from W Godwin & Son, Lugwardine, Herefordshire and are coloured cream, black and red. These start in an open porch and continue into the nave where the walls are plastered and painted green though the brick dressings to the windows, doors and embrasurs are left bare. The roof is of three bays with three braced collar trusses and over the nave/chancel divide are two arch brced collar trusses about 40cm apart forming a sort of double arch. Two steps lead into the chancel and a further step into the sanctuary, the floor and walls as in the nave, the roof having two bays with two braced collar trusses similar to those in the nave. On th east wall is a wooden reredos with painted panels. The altar table has 8 legs whle the communion rails are made from pitch pine. There is a rectangular pulpit in pine with vertical divisions with simple V design,and small lower panels, and a lectern with detail as in pulpit. The font is an octagonal bowl and pedestal on limestone plinth, wood cover in Perpendicular style and is probably older than the church. There is a single medieval bell. Music is providedby a harmonium made in London - the parochial magazine of 1936 notes that 'improvements in the tone of the music ... is distinctly evident since the replacement of the old organ.
Welcome to St Mary's Church Bettws Disserrth - Chuch Leaflet
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.