The Priory Church, Brecon from the Tarall

Brecon Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Aberhonddu), in the town of

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...

Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...

, is the cathedral of the

Diocese of Swansea and Brecon The Diocese of Swansea and Brecon was established as a Diocese of the Church in Wales in 1923 with Brecon Priory as the cathedral. The area of the diocese had formerly been the Archdeaconry of Brecon within the Diocese of St Davids. The dioc ...

in the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is an Anglicanism, Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishop ...

and seat of the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon. Previously the church of Brecon Priory and then the Parish Church of St John the Evangelist, it became Brecon Cathedral following the

disestablishment of the Church in Wales The Welsh Church Act 1914 is an Act of Parliament under which the Church of England was separated and disestablished in Wales and Monmouthshire, leading to the creation of the Church in Wales. The Act had long been demanded by the Nonconformist ...

in 1920 and the creation of the diocese in 1923.

History

Because of the characteristic round shape of its churchyard, the cathedral is thought to be on the site of an earlier

Celtic church Celtic Christianity ( kw, Kristoneth; cy, Cristnogaeth; gd, Crìosdaidheachd; gv, Credjue Creestee/Creestiaght; ga, Críostaíocht/Críostúlacht; br, Kristeniezh; gl, Cristianismo celta) is a form of Christianity that was common, or held ...

, of which no trace remains. A new church, dedicated to St. John, was built on the orders of

Bernard de Neufmarché Bernard de Neufmarché (), also Bernard of Newmarket or Bernard of Newmarch was the first of the Norman conquerors of Wales. He was a minor Norman lord who rose to power in the Welsh Marches before successfully undertaking the invasion and co ...

, the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

who conquered the

kingdom of Brycheiniog Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans be ...

in 1093. He gave the church to one of his followers, Roger, a monk from

Battle Abbey Battle Abbey is a partially ruined Benedictine abbey in Battle, East Sussex, England. The abbey was built on the site of the Battle of Hastings and dedicated to St Martin of Tours. It is a Scheduled Monument. The Grade I listed site is now op ...

, who founded a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

on the site as a daughter house of Battle. The first prior at Brecon was Walter, another monk from Battle. Bernard de Neufmarché also endowed the priory with lands, rights and

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

s from the surrounding area, and, after his death, it passed to the

Earls of Hereford The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for. Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043) * Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051) ''earldom forfeit 1051–1052'' Ear ...

, so giving it greater prosperity. The church was rebuilt and extended in the

Gothic style Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

in about 1215, during the reign of King John. Brecon Cathedral: A Brief History
/ref> In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, the church was known as the church of

Holy Rood Holyrood may refer to: Religion *Holyrood (cross), a Christian relic alleged to be part of the True Cross on which Jesus died *Feast of the Cross, or Holy Rood day, in the Christian liturgical calendar Places United Kingdom * Holyrood, Edinburgh ...

or Holy Cross, because it owned a great "golden

rood A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...

" which was an object of pilgrimage and veneration until it was destroyed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. Brecon Cathedral at Powys Local History Encyclopaedia
/ref> The smoke-blackened roof of its hall was built between 1237 and 1267. Brecon Cathedral Font with bird, Green Man and scorpion

Brecon Cathedral Font with bird, Green Man and scorpion

In 1538 the Prior was pensioned off, and the priory church became the parish church. Some of the surrounding buildings were adapted for secular use; and others, such as the

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

s, were left to decay and later demolished. By the 19th century, the church was in poor repair and only the nave was in use. Some restoration took place in 1836, but major renovation of the church did not start until the 1860s. The tower was strengthened in 1914. The cathedral is a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. In recent years, some of the buildings in the cathedral close have been converted into a diocesan centre, a heritage centre and exhibition, as well as a shop and "the Hours" restaurant.

Charles Lumley Charles Henry Lumley VC (1824 – 17 October 1858) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Detai ...

(1824–1858), awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

, was buried in the cathedral churchyard.

Deans of Brecon

The present Dean is

Paul Shackerley Paul Shackerley (born 16 August 1956) is an Anglican priest of the Church in Wales and is the current dean of Brecon. Education Shackerley studied for ordination at Chichester Theological College from 1991 to 1993, gaining a Diploma in Theolog ...

, who was appointed in September 2014, in succession to Geoffrey Marshall who retired earlier that year. *From the diocese's erection until 1939, the bishop was ''ex-officio'' dean; Roberts was Sub-Dean. *1939–1949 (ret.): Edward Roberts, Vicar of Brecon *1950–1964 (res.): William Jones, Vicar of St Mary's,

*1964–18 February 1967 (d.):

Gwynno James John Gwynno James (7 September 1912 – 18 February 1967) was a Church in Wales cleric, who served as Archdeacon of Llandaff (until 1964) and subsequently as Dean of Brecon (from 1964). He earned his education at Keble College, Oxford, and wa ...

, Vicar of St Mary's, Brecon and Battle *1967–1978 (ret.): Ungoed Jacob, Vicar of St Mary's, Brecon and Battle *1979–1982 (res.):

Alwyn Rice Jones Alwyn Rice Jones (25 March 1934 – 12 August 2007) was Bishop of St Asaph from 1981 to 1999 and also Archbishop of Wales, the Welsh province of the Anglican Communion, from 1991 to 1999. During Rice Jones' tenure, the Church of Wales ref ...

(became

Bishop of St Asaph The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph. The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is loca ...

; later

Archbishop of Wales The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The four historic Welsh dioceses had previously formed part of the Province of Canterbury, and so came unde ...

) *1982–1993 (res.): Huw Jones, Vicar of Brecon, Battle and Llanddew (became assistant bishop in

Diocese of St Asaph The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese of the Church in Wales 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 ...

; later

Bishop of St David's The Bishop of St Davids is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St Davids. The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the St Davids, city of ...

) *1993–1998 (ret.): John Harris, Vicar of Brecon with Battle and Llanddew *1998–2000 (ret.): Geraint Hughes *2000–2008 (res.): John Davies (became Bishop of Swansea and Brecon) *2008–2014 (ret.): Geoffrey Marshall *2014–present:

Organists

A specification of the pipe organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

*1923 John Humphrey Carden *1956

David Gwerfyl Davies David Gwerfyl Davies (1 February 1913 – 1977) was a Welsh organist and composer. Background He was born on 1 February 1913. He was a pupil at Merthyr Tydfil County Grammar School and then University College, Cardiff. He was awarded his BA in mu ...

(formerly organist of The Church of St. Nicholas, Kings Norton) *1963 Michael Bryan Hesford (later organist of St Mary's Church, Melton Mowbray) *1966

David Patrick Gedge David Patrick Gedge MBE FRCO (1 March 1939 – 2 July 2016) was an organist based in England and Wales. Life He was born on 12 March 1939. He was a chorister in Southwark Cathedral from 1947 - 1962, and educated in St Olave's Grammar School in Lo ...

*2007 Mark Duthie *2017 Stephen Power

Bells

There are ten bells, rung in the traditional full-circle manner of ringing, the tenor weight being 16 cwt.Dove ''Bellringer's Guide''; 10th ed., 2012, p.18

References

External links

Brecon Cathedral

Brecon Cathedral photographs (Flickr photo group)

Brecon Cathedral photographs (Roughwood Places of Worship)
{{Benedictine houses of England and Wales 1920 establishments in Wales Brecon Christian organizations established in 1920 Buildings and structures in Powys Anglican cathedrals in Wales Museums in Powys Religious museums in Wales Grade I listed churches in Powys Grade I listed cathedrals in Wales