St Gwenog's Church is a

Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an 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 bishops. The position is currently held b ...

church near

Llanybydder Llanybydder (, formerly spelt ''Llanybyther'', is a market town and Community (Wales), community straddling the River Teifi in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census, the population of the community was 1638 ...

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. 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 near Drefach, Ceredigion. It is a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

-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 at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and others by the celebrated Belgian wood-carver, Joseph Reubens of

Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...

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'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 The Diocese of St Davids is a diocese of the Church in Wales, a church of the Anglican Communion. The diocese covers the historic extent of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, together with a small part of western Glamorgan. The ...

St Gwenog

Little is known about Saint Gwenog. A 2015 guide to the church says that:

Sabine Baring-Gould Sabine Baring-Gould (; 28 January 1834 – 2 January 1924) of Lew Trenchard in Devon, England, was an Anglican priest, hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, folk song collector and eclectic scholar. His bibliography consists of more than 1,240 pu ...

describes her as "Virgin" and says that "The pedigree of Gwenog is nowhere given".

Nicholas Harris Nicolas Sir (Nicholas) Harris Nicolas (10 March 1799 – 3 August 1848) was an English antiquary. Life The fourth son of Commander John Harris Nicolas RN (1758–1844) and Margaret (née Blake), he was born at Dartmouth. He was the brother of Rear ...

lists her saint's day as 3 January. and Smith and Wace state that she was from the 7th century.

St Gwenog

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Further reading