A clas (
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
''clasau'') was a native
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
church in early medieval Wales. Unlike later
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 ...
monasteries, which were made up of a main religious building supported by several smaller buildings, such as cloisters and kitchens, a clas was normally a single building. The building was run by a community of clergy and headed by an
abod. Clasau were autonomous and were administered locally.
Following the
Norman invasion of Wales
The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror, who believed England to be his birthright. Initially (1067–1081), the invasion of Wales was not undertaken with the fervour and purpose ...
in the late 11th century, many of the clasau of south Wales became dependencies of religious houses in England. This resulted in several sites becoming part of the
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
or
Augustinian Augustinian may refer to:
*Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine
*Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs
*Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo
* Canons Regular of Sain ...
orders, or built upon in the following centuries by Norman churches.
Clas locations in Wales
A map of ''clasau'' that can be recognised from Welsh documentary sources was provided by William Rees in 1951. Wendy Davies, in her study of the
Llandaff Charters
The Book of Llandaff ( la, Liber Landavensis; cy, Llyfr Llandaf, ', or '), is the chartulary of the cathedral of Llandaff, a 12th-century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales. It is written primaril ...
, has identified 36 monasteries or ''clasau'' from the 7th to 9th centuries, mainly in the
Diocese of Llandaff
The Diocese of Llandaff is an Anglican (Church in Wales) diocese that traces its roots to pre-Reformation times as heir of a Catholic bishopric. It is headed by the Bishop of Llandaff, whose seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Pet ...
, and a further 38 ''ecclesiae'' or churches, some of which would be monastic. Davies suggests that this is likely to represent about 50 ''clasau'' in total. This would suggest that if all the Welsh dioceses were similar and we include ''clasau'' which lie outside the modern boundary of Wales in the Welsh Marches, a total of 150-200 ''clasau'' may have existed. Many of these early ''clasau'' were granted as endowments to the monasteries, particularly those of the
Cistercians
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
, founded by the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
and the
Welsh Princes
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
.
List of documented and probable clas sites in Wales and the Welsh Marches
*
Aberdaron
Aberdaron is a community, electoral ward and former fishing village at the western tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. It lies west of Pwllheli and south west of Caernarfon, and has a population of 965. The community inc ...
*
Abergele
Abergele (; ; ) is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on ...
, now the location of St Michael's church
*
Bangor, St. Deiniol's clas, now Bangor Cathedral.
*
Bangor-on-Dee
Bangor-on-Dee ( cy, Bangor-is-y-coed or Bangor Is-coed) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, on the banks of the River Dee. Until 1974 it was in the exclave of Flintshire known as the Maelor Saesneg, and from 1974 to 19 ...
*
Beddgelert
Beddgelert () is a village and community in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 455, and includes Nantmor and Nant Gwynant. It is reputed to be named after the legendary hound ...
, became an Augustinian monastery
*
St Beuno's Church, Berriew,
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...
. Founded by
St Beuno
Saint Beuno ( la, Bonus;Baring-Gould &
Fisher, "Lives of the British Saints" (1907), quoted a Early British Kingdoms website by David Nash Ford, accessed 6 February 2012 640), sometimes anglicized as Bono, was a 7th-century Welsh abbot, ...
, a
Celtic saint who died c. 640. A life of the saint survives which recounts that he was born locally in the vicinity of the river
Severn
, name_etymology =
, image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG
, image_size = 288
, image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle
, map = RiverSevernMap.jpg
, map_size = 288
, map_c ...
and sent to study under St Tangusius or
Tatheus
Saint Tathan (also known as Tatheus) is claimed to be a fifth or sixth century Celtic Christianity, Celtic saint, who travelled from Ireland to Wales where he founded a Christian church. He is reckoned an early abbot of CaerwentHando, F.J., (19 ...
at the Roman settlement of
Caerwent
Caerwent ( cy, Caer-went) is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and 11 miles east of Newport. It was founded by the Romans as the market town of ''Venta Silurum'', an important settle ...
near Newport. He was then given land in ''Aberhiew'' (Berriew) by Mawn ap Brochwel, a descendant of
Brochwel Ysgithrog
Brochwel son of Cyngen ( cy, Brochwel ap Cyngen, died c. 560), better known as Brochwel Ysgrithrog, was a king of Powys in eastern Wales. The unusual epithet ''Ysgithrog'' has been translated as "of the canine teeth", "the fanged" or "of the tusk" ...
, on which he would have founded this ''clas''. He performed many miracles and founded other churches in
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 ...
and North East Wales, before moving to
Clynnog Fawr
Clynnog Fawr, often simply called "Clynnog", is a village and community on the north coast of Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is in the historic county of Caernarfonshire. The community includes Pant Glas.
Clynnog Fawr lies on ...
in Caernarfonshire, where he founded the monastery for which he is mainly remembered. The church, which stands in an almost circular graveyard, was appropriated by the Cistercian abbey of
Strata Marcella
The Abbey of Strata Marcella ( cy, Abaty Ystrad Marchell) was a medieval Cistercian monastery situated at Ystrad Marchell (''Strata Marcella'' being the Latinised form of the Welsh name) on the west bank of the River Severn near Welshpool, Powys ...
in the Middle Ages.
[Williams D.H. (1990), ''Atlas of Cistercian Lands in Wales'', UWP, Cardiff, pg 6.]
*
Bettws Cedewain
Bettws Cedewain ( cy, Betws Cedewain), also known as Bettws Cedewen, is a small village and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. It lies in a sheltered valley on the banks of the River Bechan, some north of Newtown, on the B4389 road. T ...
, Montgomeryshire. The church was reputedly founded by
St Beuno
Saint Beuno ( la, Bonus;Baring-Gould &
Fisher, "Lives of the British Saints" (1907), quoted a Early British Kingdoms website by David Nash Ford, accessed 6 February 2012 640), sometimes anglicized as Bono, was a 7th-century Welsh abbot, ...
in the 6th century, and its almost oval churchyard may indicate that it was a monastic or clas church of early medieval origin. With the rectory and vicarage it was recorded as ''Eccli'a de Bethus'' in the
Norwich Taxation
Annates ( or ; la, annatae, from ', "year") were a payment from the recipient of an ecclesiastical benefice to the ordaining authorities. Eventually, they consisted of half or the whole of the first year's profits of a benefice; after the appropr ...
of 1254 and as ''Ecclesia de Bethys'' with a value of £5 in the Lincoln Taxation of 1291. Between 1254 and 1272 it became one of the appropriated churches of the Cistercian abbey of Strata Marcella, and remained so up to the
Dissolution
Dissolution may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books
* ''Dissolution'' (''Forgotten Realms'' novel), a 2002 fantasy novel by Richard Lee Byers
* ''Dissolution'' (Sansom novel), a 2003 historical novel by C. J. Sansom Music
* Dissolution, in mu ...
.
[
*]Caer Gybi (fort)
Caer Gybi was a small fortlet in Roman Wales in the Roman province of Britannia Superior. Its name in Latin is unknown. Today it stands at the centre of Holyhead in the Welsh county of Anglesey. Holyhead is named ''Caergybi'' in Welsh, after the ...
, the location of St Cybi's church at Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...
, Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
(= Caergybi, Ynys Môn).
*Clynnog Fawr
Clynnog Fawr, often simply called "Clynnog", is a village and community on the north coast of Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is in the historic county of Caernarfonshire. The community includes Pant Glas.
Clynnog Fawr lies on ...
, now the location of St Beuno's church
*Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. Historically, Corwen is part of the county of Merionethshire. Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llango ...
* Coychurch, now the location of St. Crallo's church
*Glasbury
Glasbury ( cy, Y Clas-ar-Wy), also known as Glasbury-on-Wye, is a village and community in Powys, Wales. The village lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, connecting the historic counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire, and ...
, which is named after the clas
*Henllan
Henllan is a village and community in Denbighshire, Wales with a population of approximately 750 (OfNS/2004) and lies in the countryside, approximately 2.25 miles (3.5 km) north-west of the walled town of Denbigh. The name is Old Welsh, ' ...
*Llanbadarn Fawr, Ceredigion
Llanbadarn Fawr is a village and community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is on the outskirts of Aberystwyth next to Penparcau and Southgate. It forms the eastern part of the continually built-up area of Aberystwyth. It holds two electoral wards, Padar ...
, one of the leading clasau of early Christian Wales
*Llancarfan
Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry and near Cowbridge, has a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century clas, famed for its learning. Cainnech of A ...
, associated with St. Cadog
*Llandeilo
Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the B ...
, established by St Teilo
* Llanddewibrefi
*Llanelwy (St Asaph
St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355 ...
), Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
. Traditionally founded by St Kentigern
Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Name
In Wales and England, this s ...
(who was succeeded by Saint Asaph
Saint Asaph (or Asaf, Asa) was, in the second half of the 6th century, the first Bishop of St Asaph, i.e. bishop of the diocese of Saint Asaph.
Biography
No traditional Welsh account devoted to the life of Asaph exists. He is, though, well-a ...
, otherwise Asaf or Asa), the site is now occupied by the parish church of St Kentigern and St Asa.
*Llanllwchaiarn
Llanllwchaiarn or Llanllwchaearn () in Welsh) is a village on the outskirts of Newtown in Powys, Wales. It forms part of the community of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn.
Aberbechan Hall was a Tudor mansion in the eastern part of the parish d ...
. Montgomeryshire. The church is dedicated to St Llwchaiarn
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
and is an early foundation. There is no evidence of it being sited in an oval churchyard. In endowment of Llanllurgan nunnery in the Medieval period. It is suggested that this is a ''clas'', but alternatively it could have been a chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century.
Status
It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel of ease (chapel) which was the communi ...
of the clas at Llanmerewig. It is stated that Llwchaiarn was a cousin of St Beuno, founder of the ''clas'' at nearby Berriew
Berriew ( cy, Aberriw) is a village and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. It is on the Montgomeryshire Canal and the Afon Rhiw, near the confluence (Welsh: ''aber'') with the River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren)
at , 79 miles (128 km ...
, but this is taken from a late source, Sion Ceri, a local poet, who wrote in the 16th century.[Bartrum P. C. (1993), ‘’A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000’’, National Library of Wales, pg. 419.]
*Penmon
Penmon is a promontory, village and ecclesiastical parish on the eastern tip of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, about east of the town of Beaumaris. It is in the community of Llangoed. The name comes from cy, pen (which can mean "head", "end" ...
, St Seiriol's clas
*Tywyn
Tywyn (Welsh: ; in English often ), formerly spelled Towyn, is a town, community, and seaside resort on the Cardigan Bay coast of southern Gwynedd, Wales. It was previously in the historic county of Merionethshire. It is famous as the loc ...
, now the location of St Cadfan's Church
Literature
*Bartrum P. C. (1993), ''A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000'', National Library of Wales.
*Bowen E.G. (1954), ''The Settlements of the Celtic Saints in Wales'', UWP, Cardiff
*Rees, W. (1951), ''An Historical Atlas of Wales: from Early to Modern Times'', Faber, London.
*Davies W (1982), ‘‘Wales in the Early Middle Ages’’, Leicester University Press, Leicester.
*Davies, J.R. (2003), ''The Book of Llandaf and the Norman church in Wales'', The Boydell Press, Woodbridge.
References
{{reflist, 2
Christian terminology
Churches in Wales
Medieval Wales