St Cynllo's Parish Church
Llanbister, Radnorshire

Photography by John Ball - 1 August 1998
(with Agfa ePhoto-307 digital camera)

The parish church of St Cynllo at Llanbister stands on a ledge of rock just above the valley of the river Ithon. It is likely that a church was first established here in the 6th century AD. The main walls of the nave of the present church date back to Roman times, but the remainder is mostly 13th century.

Above: The south-western aspect of the church. It has been described as a fortress
church — a place of refuge built into a hillside, when border skirmishes between the
English and Welsh were common.

Above: The southern aspect of the church, showing the porch entrance. The church is
unusual in having its tower at the eastern end of the building. Because of the sloping
ground, to build a tower of equivalent height at the western end would have involved
much greater expense and effort.

Above: The tower viewed from the east, where the graveyard continues further up the
hillside. This shows the beautiful setting in which the church stands. The present tower
is two stories lower than the original. Local legend records that the builders originally
tried to construct the tower at the western end of the church but were interrupted in
their task by the Devil. On dark nights he is said to have removed their stones to
the bottom of the churchyard!!

Above: This is the view one sees on entering the church.

Above left: The altar.       Above right: A memorial stone mounted on the wall of the nave.
The memorial inscription reads:

Sacred to the Memory of
EVAN WILLIAMS Esquire
late of Crofteynon, in this Parish
An honest Man
and a
sincere Christian
he died October the 28th 1790
Aged 45 years
To praise the virtuous Dead, we vainly trust
The Sculptured Tomb, or Monumental Bust:
The proudest Works of Man shall soon decay
And Nature's self in Ruins pass away
But Virtue in the Book of Life remains
Recorded ~ and with GOD in endless Glory reigns.
Philipps
This Monument is erected as a Tribute of sincere
Affection
by his widow:    Ann Williams

Above: This old oak vestment chest is reputed to be between 800 and 900 years old. In
front is an old bench pew bearing the inscription July 30th, 1688. E.S. Carpenter

Above: This is the Minstrels' Gallery, which bears the date 1716 and is inscribed
with the initials of the Churchwardens and of the carpenter who made it. This
gallery once stood further down the church, but was moved to its present
position during a later restoration.