PARISH PROFILE FOR THE BENEFICES OF BLAENAU IRFON AND IRFON VALLEY
The Bleanau Irfon and Irfon Valley Benefices consist of four churches each, which lie in the valley of the Irfon River to the west of Builth Wells, central Powys.
BLAENAU IRFON IRFON VALLEY PARISH
Eglwys Oen Duw, Beulah Llanlleonfel Parish Church
St David, Old Llanwrtyd St Afan, Llanfechan
St David, Tirabad St Cadmarch, Llangammarch
St James, Llanwrtyd St Cannen, Cilmery
The area is of breathtaking natural beauty with the parishes curling around the foot of the Mynydd Epynt hill range on one side and the wild and under appreciated Cambrian mountains on the other. The little communities living there grew with the appreciation of the mineral waters at the turn of the twentieth century, and Wells is attached to the town names of Llanwrtyd, Llangammarch, Builth and, further afield but importantly, to Llandrindod. Many of the people who live here are members of the farming community, and have lived here all their lives. There is a substantial ingress of retired folk, while other people live here and commute, sometimes considerable distances, to their work.
The eight parishes that make up the two benefices are distinct and different. There are joint services that bring the worshipping communities together on a regular basis and there are good friendships that criss cross between the congregations.
A view of the Parish from the Mynnd Epynt
PARISH PROFILE - Where are we?
 
A tour around the Benefices
The parishes run along the A483 from Builth Wells to Llandovery. The first parish is that of Llanganten which actually takes in a well to do estate on the banks of the River Irfon which is in the outer environs of Builth Wells. The village of Cilmery straddles the main road, but migrated there with the arrival of the railway, leaving Llanganten Church a little way down a hill on the course of an old monastic way. The railway tracks the whole of the Double Benefice and is the Heart of Wales Railway which runs between Shrewsbury and Swansea.
St Cannen Church, Langanten, is on a church site that has been here since the sixth century. There was a church certainly in existence in 1282 when Prince Llewellyn, the last native prince of Wales, is said to have celebrated communion here and whose body rested after being killed in battle a little way up the road. The present building was restored in 1880 when much earlier work was retained. There is a modern and well appointed village hall which accommodates meetings and some church events.
St Cannen’s, Llanganten
Two miles further along the A483 is St Afan’s Church, Llanfechan. This dates from the 13th or 14th century, but rebuilt in 1866. It was originally an outpost of a much larger church which was a mother church for the area and in whose graveyard is buried a Celtic Bishop, Afan. Typically for a Welsh church it stands in a circular churchyard - again an indication of its antiquity.
St Afan’s Church Llanfechan
Llanfechan is a mile east of the village of Garth, while a mile beyond that village is the Parish Church of Llanlleonfel. Like the previous two churches so far described, it is a modest single chamber building with a short chancel. Like Llanfechan, the ancient origins are evidenced by its circular enclosure, but there are even older indications of Roman work in the fields nearby. Charles Wesley married the daughter of Garth House across the way in 1749, a ceremony presided over by his brother John. The nineteenth century diarist, Frances Kilvert, testified to the sad dilapidation of the building which may have prompted its restoration in 1874.
Parish Church of Llanleonfel
Taking a turn off the A483 in the village of Garth itself leads in a couple of miles to Llangammarch Wells. This is the most substantial village so far encountered in this swift tour. Like Cilmery and Garth it has a railway station right in the middle of the village, and the track runs parallel to the swiftly flowing River Irfon.
 
St Cadmarch Church, Llangammarch Wells and the view from the church yard overlooking the station and some of the village.
The church is an imposing construction in the Arts and Crafts style by W.D.Caroe, whose work can also be found in Brecon Cathedral. (The two buildings share delightful iron door handles) It has been accorded a Grade II* listing. At first it lacked a tower, which was then added in 1926 and which has just undergone a major restoration paid for out of the proceeds of an ambitious fund raising campaign. The internal furnishings are all stylistically consistent. This is a substantial church building which can accommodate as many as 200 people. Major concerts have been performed here.
The restoration of the tower has also allowed for the provision of refreshment facilities. Llangammarch Wells boasts another important restoration project which is a well provided Village Hall opened as recently as this year.
A road behind the church takes us back to the main A483 and on to the first of the churches in the Blaenau Irfon Benefice. This is distinctively called Eglwys Oen Duw (Church of the Lamb of God). This is an exquisite building both inside and out built in 1867 “in all a thoughtful and lavish Victorian interior “ says “The Buildings of Wales”. The building has a Grade II* status. The church has coloured tiles and brick decoration and a beautiful brass corona, as well as spectacular glass work. The bells in the newly restored belfry are rung for every service. The organ has been restored to excellent playing order this year. The church is set beautifully amongst trees a little way out of the village on the road to Abergwesyn and the gateway to the Cambrian Mountains.
A substantial programme of restoration has been undertaken and the congregation is starting work on a small meeting room/kitchen/toilet to be added to the north side of the church.
Eglwys Oen Duw, Beulah
A further five miles along the A483 we come to Llanwrtyd Wells, the most substantial centre of population in the double benefice. The town prides itself on its extraordinary vibrant social life, and is the stepping off point for much holiday exploration. It has its own mayor and council and mounts a food festival, the nationally famous Bog Snorkelling race, an eisteddfodd, and the strenuous Man versus Horse race which attracts competitors from all over the world. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the town iand presented an award for being the Calor Village of the Year 2009.
Commemorative stand for the visit of Prince Charles with the River Irfon in the background.
St James Church was built in 1896 to serve the growing popularity of the little town after the opening of the railway line. The congregation have enjoyed the benefits of an extension to the church which houses a disabled person’s toilet and a kitchen and have been able easily to mount a lunch club which meets once a month at the back of the church
 
The town boasts a very well resourced community hall, the Victoria Hall, where a splendid succession of community activities and performances take place. The county primary school hosts the town library and another good sized community hall.
About two miles west out of Llanwrtyd Wells, along a road that eventually winds back to Beulah, we come to Old Llanwrtyd of which only a church survives. This is another very old structure, and one which is without mains resources. It opens in the summer months but accommodates a thoroughly atmospheric, candle lit (of necessity) Christmas Carol Service which attracts a congregation which packs the little church to capacity drawn from all over the double benefice.
St David’s Church Old Llanwrtyd
To the south east of Llanwrtyd Wells and deep into the lee of the Mynydd Epynt is the little settlement of Tirabad. The church there, also dedicated to St David, dates from 1726, and is the only Georgian church in Breckonshire. At present it is in need of restoration and is temporarily closed. There is a small loyal congregation there. See www.stdavidstirabad.blogspot.com to see their blog.
St David's Church, Llandulas in Tirabad
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