Community Information

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A History of Llanllawddog Church

Llanllawddog takes its name from Saint Llawddog, one of the early Celtic saints of the 6th century. Llawddog was a miracle worker, who is said to have once separated milk from water in a well. The churches of Cenarth, Penboyr and Cilgerran are also dedicated to him.

Llanllawddog Church dates from about the 12th century, although the existing building dates mainly from 1850, with some evidence of a previous structure built in 1725. The porch is an early 20th century addition.

When the church was rebuilt in 1850 the incumbent at the time, the Reverend Williams Henry Powell, appealed to the Incorporated Society for Church Building for a grant towards the cost. Correspondence now held in the Lambeth Parish Library shows that he managed to persuade them to contribute £50. The basis of the grant relied upon the rebuilding producing more seating for worshippers and this was achieved by increasing the seating in the gallery, which was located over the present west entrance to the church. Unfortunately nothing remains of the external step access or the gallery, although there is a view that the gallery was of insufficient strength to hold the increased capacity and may have been taken down fairly soon after the rebuilding was completed. A stained glass window over the entrance probably locates the original gallery door.

The rebuilding was completed at a cost of £134-17s-4d and this sum was collected from within the Parish.

Llanllawddog Church

Ffald

Unusually, there is a circular structure attached to the wall of the graveyard which is said to be a ‘pound’ or ‘ffald’ for housing stray animals but there is no mention in the Vestry Book of any payment being received by the Parish Authorities for this service. The pound dates from the 18th or early 19th century and appears on the 1838 Tithe map. It is Grade 11 listed for its ‘special historic interest as a rare surviving small pound.’ Only one other church in the Diocese has a pound attached to the church wall, and that is Llanddarog.

The registers are almost continuous in recording Baptisms, Marriages and Burials from 1698 to the present day. The early entries in the Parish registers are in Latin and the first is as follows:

“Johannis Filius Walter LLOYD de Olmarch in Cou’ Cardigan natus est Die July A.D. 1698 ( John, son of Walter LLOYD of Olmarch in the county of Cardigan was born 7th day of July A.D. 1698)

The Church Hall in the grounds of the Church was built in 1937 and financed by the families of the Parish.

Millennium Time Capsule

A Millenium Time Capsule was deposited in the North Churchyard wall by the Rt. Rev’d Huw Jones, Bishop of St. David’s on Sunday 4th June 2000, in the presence of the incumbent, Rev’d John Esau and church members. The contents consist of photographs of the church plate, a message for the future from Bishop Jones, former Bishop Rt, Rev’d George Noakes and Rev’d John Esau, and a mini census and photographs of church members and their families. The position of the capsule is marked by a stone bearing the date when it is to be opened in 2050.

A memorial on the outside of the North wall of the Sanctuary bears a shield and inscriptions from Matthew 25 in English and 2nd Corinthians 5:10 in Welsh.

The font is hexagonal in shape and of 17th Century construction, and has a carved wooden cover, showing the bell of Saint Llawddog, which was donated in 1970.

The East window, made by H Hughes of London in 1879 was donated in memory of John Lloyd Price. The West window depicting Jesus’ ascension into heaven, was given in 1879 in memory of Jane Walker Jones. A window on the South side of the nave was given in memory of John and Mary Bowen Davies of Derlwyn in the 1960s. and contains a small portrait of them both.

This completes the history of Llanllawddog Church, written by the late D. Elfed Treharne Lewis and former Vicar Rev’d Ann Howells.

Llanllawddog Stargazing Event 2023

Footpaths Map

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