The Church of St Peter (and St Cynidr) is located outside the Welsh village of Glasbury and dates back to the sixth century. [1] Near the confluence of the rivers Wye and Llynfi, the church has experienced serious flooding which has required it to be rebuilt twice, in 1665 and 1838. [2] The current church is designated a Grade II listed building and is open to the public for worship. [3] [4]
The religious cell and subsequent church was founded in Glasbury by Saint Cynidr in the 6th century; he is believed to be buried on the site. [2] [1] In the 12th century the church was reinforced with stone materials, and this is likely to be when it was rededicated to Saint Peter. [1] The church has historical ties with England as it was dedicated to the monks of Gloucester in 1088 and supplied its tithe income to St Peter's Abbey. [2] St Peter's Church underwent some administrative changes in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540 [1] being followed by the wider political changes of the Commonwealth period (1649–1660) and Restoration (1660), which resulted in a tumultuous turnover of clergy. [1]
The original church was located on low-lying land and was damaged by severe floods in the 17th century which altered the course of the River Wye. [5] In 1663 construction of a replacement church began on higher ground to the south-west of the original structure; this was completed in 1665. [2] This land was acquired from Sir Henry Williams of Gwernyfed. [1] Thomas Stock was the vicar of the Church from 1778 to 1804. In the 1820s the church was deemed insufficient due to its limited capacity and poor state; therefore, a decision was made to rebuild it once again. [1]
A new church was built in 1836–1838 and is the present-day St Peter's Church, which remains an active place of worship. [1] This new building cost £3,000 and was designed by the London architect Lewis Vulliamy in the Norman Revival style of architecture. [3] Further renovations were made in the next century, with the addition of a chancel and organ chamber added in 1881 and 1910 respectively. [6] In addition to its traditional interior, St Peter's contains a stained glass window designed by Sir Ninian Comper and memorials to local people who died in the First World War, including three of the church's bell ringers. [2] The exterior is marked by a dry-stone wall which encloses the 1.4-hectare (3.5-acre) churchyard. [7] St Peter's Church was listed at Grade II in 1995, with a couple of other notable Grade II listed monuments on its premises, including the Hughes Monument and an 18th-century sundial. [3]
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