St Gwenog's Church is a Church in Wales church near

Llanybydder Llanybydder (, sometimes formerly spelt ''Llanybyther'') is a market town and community straddling the River Teifi in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. At the 2011 Census, the population of the community was 1638, an increase from 1423 at the 2001 ...

, Ceredigion, Wales. It is a medieval building dating back to the late fourteenth century and is situated in the hamlet of Llanwenog on a minor road off the

A475 The A475 road in Wales links Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire with Lampeter in Ceredigion; a distance of . History The road, that is now known as the A475, was set up in 1770 as a turnpike by the Cardiganshire Turnpike Trust. Many milest ...

near

Drefach, Ceredigion Drefach is a small village in the community of Llanwenog, Ceredigion, Wales.Ceredigion County Co ...

. It is a Grade I-listed building. This is a medieval church, and the only one dedicated to Saint Gwenog. It dates to the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with the fine tower being added some time after 1485. It bears a plaque with the arms of

Rhys ap Thomas Sir Rhys ap Thomas (1449–1525) was a Welsh soldier and landholder who rose to prominence during the Wars of the Roses, and was instrumental in the victory of Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth. He remained a faithful supporter of Henry ...

, Lord of Dinefwr and Carew. The interior has the original fifteenth-century barrel roof. The pews and other church furnishings are elaborately carved. Some of the work was done by and to the design of Colonel Herbert Davies-Evans of

Highmead Highmead is a small village in the community of Llanwenog, Ceredigion, Wales, which is 59.2 miles (95.3 km) from Cardiff and 177.7 miles (286 km) from London. Highmead is represented in the Senedd by Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) and is part ...

at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and others by the celebrated Belgian wood-carver, Joseph Reubens of Bruges during the period 1914 to 1919. The church was granted Grade I-listed status on 6 March 1964, for being "the most complete medieval church in Cardiganshire, with fine late C15 roof and tower".

Coflein The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; cy, Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectura ...

's description states that "The nave and chancel may date from the fourteenth century. The chapel is thought to be fifteenth century." The church is in the United Benefice of Lampeter and Archdeaconry of Cardigan in the Diocese of St Davids.

St Gwenog

Little is known about Saint Gwenog. A 2015 guide to the church says that: Sabine Baring-Gould describes her as "Virgin" and says that "The pedigree of Gwenog is nowhere given". Nicholas Harris Nicolas lists her saint's day as 3 January. and Smith and Wace state that she was from the 7th century.

St Gwenog

References

Further reading