St Garmon's Church, Llanfechain
Encyclopedia
St Garmon's Church, Llanfechain, is in the village of Llanfechain
, Powys
, Wales
. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Llanfyllin, the archdeaconry of Montgomery, and the diocese of St Asaph
, and is a Grade II listed building. The church has historical associations with St Garmon
.
was rebuilt, round-headed windows were inserted in the nave and the chancel, and a spire was added to the belfry
. A further restoration took place in 1883 by the Chester
firm of architects, Douglas & Fordham, who stripped plaster from the interior, removed the ceiling to expose the roof, and placed the pews with benches. The church was re-roofed with red tiles. In 1920 the bells were re-hung.
with sandstone
dressings, and a red tile roof. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel with six bays
in a single chamber, a vestry on the north near the west corner and a porch opposite it. Near the west end is a bell turret with a spire. At the chancel end and over the porch are metal cross finial
s. Above the bell turret is a slated broach spire
which is surmounted by a weathercock
. There is a clock face on the south side of the spire. On the east wall are three small windows, rather than the usual larger east window. The main door and a priest's door on the south wall are Norman
. The other windows date from the 19th century. The window in the west wall is a "wheel window", with six lights and a central roundel, all in sandstone. The walls of the porch are timber-framed
on stone plinth
s.
. At the east end is an oak reredos
dating from 1890. The font
is probably Tudor
and it was damaged during the Civil War
. The pulpit
is dated 1636 and the communion table has Jacobean
carving. The ring
consists of three bells which were hung in the 1730s.
dating from the 18th century which is listed Grade II. Also in the churchyard to the north of the church is a raised mound of earth, Twmpath Garmon, which is traditionally held to be the preaching mound of St Garmon. The lych gate is also listed Grade II. To the southeast of the village is a holy well
, Ffynnon Garmon, which is also associated with the saint.
monthly.
Llanfechain
Llanfechain is a small village located in northern Powys, mid-Wales, between Llanfyllin and Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. It has a population of approximately 600 people....
, Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Llanfyllin, the archdeaconry of Montgomery, and the diocese of St Asaph
Diocese of St Asaph
The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese in north-east Wales, named after Saint Asaph, its second bishop.-Geography:The Anglican Diocese of St Asaph in the north-east corner of Wales stretches from the borders of Chester in the east, to the Conwy valley in the west, to Bala in the south-west, and...
, and is a Grade II listed building. The church has historical associations with St Garmon
Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre was a bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. He is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, commemorated on July 31. He visited Britain in around 429 and the records of this visit provide valuable information on the state of post-Roman British society...
.
History
The earliest documentary evidence relating to the church is in the Norwich Taxation of 1254 and its fabric dates from around this time. The roof dates from the 15th century and the south porch was added in the 17th century. Work was done on the church in 1852 but a larger restoration was carried out in 1859 under R. K. Penson when the vestry on the west wall was replaced by a new one on the north side. Changes were made to the gallery, the west gableGable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
was rebuilt, round-headed windows were inserted in the nave and the chancel, and a spire was added to the belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. A further restoration took place in 1883 by the Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
firm of architects, Douglas & Fordham, who stripped plaster from the interior, removed the ceiling to expose the roof, and placed the pews with benches. The church was re-roofed with red tiles. In 1920 the bells were re-hung.
Exterior
The church is built in shaleShale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
with sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
dressings, and a red tile roof. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel with six bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
in a single chamber, a vestry on the north near the west corner and a porch opposite it. Near the west end is a bell turret with a spire. At the chancel end and over the porch are metal cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. Above the bell turret is a slated broach spire
Broach spire
A broach spire is a type of spire, a tall pyramidal or conical structure usually on the top of a tower or a turret. A broach spire starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces....
which is surmounted by a weathercock
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
. There is a clock face on the south side of the spire. On the east wall are three small windows, rather than the usual larger east window. The main door and a priest's door on the south wall are Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
. The other windows date from the 19th century. The window in the west wall is a "wheel window", with six lights and a central roundel, all in sandstone. The walls of the porch are timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
on stone plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
s.
Interior
At the west end is a gallery. Two steps lead up from the nave to the chancel, which has a barrel ceilingBarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
. At the east end is an oak reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
dating from 1890. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is probably Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
and it was damaged during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is dated 1636 and the communion table has Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
carving. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of three bells which were hung in the 1730s.
External features
The churchyard is circular in shape. It contains a sundialSundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
dating from the 18th century which is listed Grade II. Also in the churchyard to the north of the church is a raised mound of earth, Twmpath Garmon, which is traditionally held to be the preaching mound of St Garmon. The lych gate is also listed Grade II. To the southeast of the village is a holy well
Holy well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
, Ffynnon Garmon, which is also associated with the saint.
Present day
The church holds services every Sunday and during the week. Other services are arranged as required. The Pathfinders meet weekly and the Mothers' UnionMothers' Union
Mothers’ Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families worldwide. Its members are not all mothers or even all women, as there are many parents, men, widows, singles and grandparents involved in its work...
monthly.