The Church of St Peter (and St Cynidr) is located outside the Welsh village of

Glasbury Glasbury (), 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 is located just outs ...

and dates back to the sixth century. Near the confluence of the rivers Wye and

Llynfi The River Llynfi (), is one of three main tributaries of the River Ogmore (). It runs for around 10 miles from its source north of Maesteg and flows generally southwards through the Llynfi Valley to the confluence with the River Ogmore and the ...

, the church has experienced serious flooding which has required it to be rebuilt twice, in 1665 and 1838. The current church is designated a

Grade II listed 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 ...

building and is open to the public for worship.

History

Original church (6th–17th centuries)

The religious

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a de ...

and subsequent church was founded in Glasbury by Saint Cynidr in the 6th century; he is believed to be buried on the site. In the 12th century the church was reinforced with stone materials, and this is likely to be when it was rededicated to

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

. The church has historical ties with England as it was dedicated to the monks of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

in 1088 and supplied its tithe income to St Peter's Abbey. St Peter's Church underwent some administrative changes in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540 being followed by the wider political changes of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

period (1649–1660) and Restoration (1660), which resulted in a tumultuous turnover of clergy.

Destruction and reconstruction (17th–19th centuries)

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. In 1663 construction of a replacement church began on higher ground to the south-west of the original structure; this was completed in 1665. This land was acquired from Sir Henry Williams of

Gwernyfed Gwernyfed is a community in Powys, Wales, centred on the village of Three Cocks (). It takes its name from Gwernyfed Park, a medieval deer park within the community. The community of Gwernyfed was established in 1985 through the merger of the ...

Thomas Stock Thomas or Tom Stock may refer to: * Thomas Stock (founder), established the first Sunday school in the United Kingdom * Thomas Stock (Canadian politician), member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament * Thomas Stock (MP), Irish Liberal politicia ...

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.

Second rebuilding (19th century – present)

A new church was built in 1836–1838 and is the present-day St Peter's Church, which remains an active place of worship. This new building cost £3,000 and was designed by the London architect

Lewis Vulliamy Lewis Vulliamy (15 March 1791 – 4 January 1871) was an English architect descended from the Vulliamy family of clockmakers. Life Lewis Vulliamy was the son of the clockmaker Benjamin Vulliamy. He was born in Pall Mall, London on 15 March 17 ...

in the Norman Revival style of architecture. Further renovations were made in the next century, with the addition of a chancel and organ chamber added in 1881 and 1910 respectively. In addition to its traditional interior, St Peter's contains a stained glass window designed by

Sir Ninian Comper Sir John Ninian Comper (10 June 1864 – 22 December 1960) was a Scottish architect, one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects. His work almost entirely focused on the design, restoration and embellishment of churches, and the desi ...

and memorials to local people who died in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, including three of the church's bell ringers. The exterior is marked by a dry-stone wall which encloses the churchyard. 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 A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Glasbury, Saint Peter's Church Grade II listed churches in Powys 19th-century church buildings in Wales Romanesque Revival church buildings in the United Kingdom