Llandeilo Fawr

Church in Wales
Plwyf / Parish of
Llandeilo Fawr, Maesteilo and
Taliaris

Bearing witness to Jesus Christ
in Llandeilo, Ffairfach
and surrounding rural communities

> Home > Activities > People > Weekly Bulletin > History > Links > Body Building > Llandeilo Gospels > Maesteilo > Taliaris e-mail the Vicar	History of the Church and the Church Building History of the Church Hanes yr Eglwys The Church Building Adeilad yr Eglwys Church History St.Teilo A visitor to Llandeilo cannot help noticing the church, which, with its enormous churchyard, is the town's most conspicuous feature. The church building which you see today was completed in 1850; the tower is late medieval. But the churchyard and the site on which the church stands has a much longer history. Llandeilo's history as a known Christian centre dates from the sixth century. It was in the course of that century, probably towards its close, that one of the major Christian figures of Welsh history, St.Teilo, chose to make it his base. St Teilo (image from 15th Century Glass, Plogonnec, Finistere) We know very little for certain about Teilo. The churches dedicated to him are spread around South Wales, and occur also in Brittany. This distribution of his cult makes it seem likely that he travelled over this area. Two Lives of St.Teilo were written in the twelfth century, and purport to give a lot of detail about the saint, but are an inextricable mixture of local legends (with a probable core of historical fact) and pure invention. While there is almost nothing which we can know for certain about Teilo, probable facts about him are these: he travelled through South Wales and in Brittany; he made Llandeilo his centre (its site on or near a Roman road gave it good communications to east and west); he founded a community in Llandeilo; he was buried at Llandeilo. Llandaff later claimed to have his body, but as late as the thirteenth century, visitors to Llandeilo, including King Edward I, were shown Teilo's tomb in the church here. One of the most celebrated legends about him tells how, on his death at Llandeilo, three churches claimed his body: Penally (his birthplace), Llandeilo Fawr (his chief church), and Llandaff. The clergy of the three churches prayed, then left the body in the church. In the morning, the body was found to have been miraculously triplicated, so that each church could have an authentic body to bury! Read an extract on St. Teilo from the Catholic Encyclopedia The Early Years of Llandeilo Fawr The church which Teilo left behind soon came to be called Llandeilo Fawr, 'The Great Llan, or church, of St.Teilo', and the centre of a religious community. Llandeilo's greatest treasure was a fine gospel book, written probably in the eighth century, and donated to the community c.820 by a man named Gelhi, who had bought it and had given it 'to the altar of St.Teilo'. The margins of the gospel book were used in the ninth century to record land transactions, and settlements of legal actions. These short passages are of enormous importance, because they form the oldest surviving examples of written Welsh, and tell us something about social and ecclesiastical conditions at this early period. They tell us, for instance, that there was a bishop at Llandeilo Fawr in the ninth century. Before the end of the eleventh century, the Llandeilo gospel book had been taken to Lichfield, where it remains today (it is displayed in the cathedral as the Lichfield or St.Chad Gospels). No-one knows how the transfer was made, but a likely guess is that it was given as tribute to a Saxon king by one of the Welsh princes of the period. Later History Llandeilo Fawr lost something of its ecclesiastical importance between 900 and 1200AD. In the ninth century it was the seat of a bishop. By 1200 it was a parish church, but with a very extensive parish covering some 20,000 acres. Llandeilo Fawr was also a wealthy parish, but its revenues, together with the lands of the old Teilo community were transferred to the abbey of Talley in the twelfth century, The church was rebuilt in 1848-50. The pre-1848 building was a late medieval structure of c.1400. The tower is the only surviving feature of that building above ground. The rebuilders of 1848 chose to use the existing medieval foundations, so that the ground plan of the present church reproduces that of the medieval building. The present building was designed by Edward Davies, an architect from Bath, and built under the supervision of George Gilbert Scott. This church continues its witness to Jesus Christ through its life and ministry today and for the future. Almighty God, who through the ministry of your servant Teilo brought the light of the gospel to this nation: grant, we pray, that, following the example of his constancy and zeal, we may come to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Collect for St.Teilo's day, Feb. 9th, in the Prayer Book of the Church in Wales). Hanes yr Eglwys Teilo Sant Ni all un ymwelydd â Llandeilo Fawr fynd oddi yno heb sylwi ar yr eglwys a'i mynwent eang sy'n un o nodweddion amlycaf y dref. Cwblhawyd yr adeilad a welwch heddiw ym 1850 er mae'r twr yn dyddio o'r cyfnod canoloesol hwyr. Eto mae i'r fynwent a safle'r eglwys hanes ehangach. Dyddia hanes Llandeilo fel canolfan Gristnogol yn ôl i'r 6ed ganrif. Yn ystod y ganrif honno, mwy na thebyg tua'i therfyn, y dewisodd un o ffigurau amlycaf hanes Cymru, Teilo Sant, sefydlu ei hun yma. Ychydig iawn a wyddys amdano i sicrwydd. Gwelir eglwysi yn dwyn ei enw ar hyd De Cymru, ac hefyd yn Llydaw. Awgryma hyn iddo deithio yn helaeth yn yr ardal. Ysgrifennwyd dau fywgraffiad ohono yn y 12fed ganrif sy'n honni roi manylion ynglyn â'r sant, ond cymysgedd ydynt o chwedlau lleol (gyda chnewllyn o ffeithiau hanesyddol) ynghyd â dyfeisgarwch pur. Er na ellir dweud dim i sicrwydd amdano felly, dyma'r ffeithiau sy'n fwyaf tebygol o fod yn gywir: teithiodd ar hyd De Cymru a Llydaw; sefydlodd Llandeilo fel canolfan (‘roedd ei safle ar neu'n agos i ffordd Rufeinig yn darparu cyfathrebiad da i'r dwyrain a'r gorllewin); sefydlodd gymuned yn Llandeilo; claddwyd ef yn Llandeilo. Honnodd Llandâf yn ddiweddarach mai gyda nhw oedd ei gorff ond, mor ddiweddar â'r 13eg ganrif, dangoswyd beddrod Teilo yn yr eglwys hon i ymwelwyr, gan gynnwys y Brenin Edward I. Adrodda un o'r chwedlau amlycaf amdano sut y bu i dair eglwys hawlio ei gorff ar ei farwolaeth. Yr eglwysi oedd Penalun (Penally - ganwyd Teilo yno); Llandeilo Fawr (ei brif eglwys) a Llandâf. Gwedïodd offeiriaid y dair eglwys, yna gadawsant y corff yn yr eglwys. Y bore canlynol, yn ôl y chwedl, canfuwyd bod y corff yn wyrthiol wedi treblu, fel y gallai pob eglwys gael corff dilys i'w gladdu! Blynyddoedd Cyntaf Llandeilo Fawr Cyfeiriwyd at yr eglwys a adawyd gan Teilo fel Llandeilo Fawr. Trysor pennaf Llandeilo oedd llyfr efengylau cain a ysgrifennwyd, yn ôl pob tebyg, yn yr 8fed ganrif, a'i gyflwyno i'r gymuned oddeutu 820 gan ddyn o'r enw Gelhi. 'Roedd wedi ei brynu a'i gyflwyno "i allor Teilo Sant". Defnyddiwyd ymyl-ddalennau'r llyfr yn y 9fed ganrif i gofnodi trafodaethau tir a chytundebau gweithredoedd cyfreithiol. Mae'r cofnodion yma o'r pwysigrwydd mwyaf, gan eu bod yn ffurfio yr engrheifftiau hynaf o Gymraeg ysgrifenedig, ac maent yn dweud rhywbeth wrthym am amgylchiadau cymdeithasol ac eglwysig y cyfnod cynnar hwn. Dywedir ynddynt, er enghraifft, bod yna esgob yn Llandeilo Fawr yn y 9fed ganrif. Cyn diwedd yr 11eg ganrif, aethpwyd a'r llyfr efengylau i Gaerlwytgoed (Lichfield), lle gwelir ef heddiw (arddangosir ef yn yr Eglwys Gadeiriol fel Efengylau Lichfield neu Chad Sant!). Ni wyddys sut y gwnaethpwyd y trosglwyddiad, ond awgrymodd rhai ei fod wedi cael ei gyflwyno fel teyrnged i frenin Sacsonaidd gan un o dywysogion Cymreig y cyfnod. Hanes Diweddar Collodd Llandeilo Fawr ychydig o'i phwysigrwydd eglwysig rhwng 900 a 1200 O.C. Yn ystod y 9fed ganrif dyma eisteddle esgob, ac erbyn 1200 'roedd yn eglwys blwyf gydag ardal eang o dros 20,000 o erwau. 'Roedd hefyd yn blwyf cyfoethog, ond trosglwyddwyd ei gyllid, ynghyd â thiroedd hen gymuned Teilo, i Abaty Talyllychau yn yr 12eg ganrif. Ail-adeiladwyd yr eglwys rhwng 1840 a 1850. 'Roedd yr adeilad blaenorol o adeiladwaith canoloesol hwyr tua 1400. Y twr yw'r unig nodwedd uwch-ddaearol sy'n goroesi o'r adeilad hwnnw. Dewisodd ail-adeiladwyr 1848 ddefnyddio'r sylfeini canoloesol, er mwyn i gynllun llawr yr eglwys bresennol gyfateb â'r adeilad canoloesol. Cynlluniwyd yr adeilad presennol gan Edward Davies, pensaer o Gaerfaddon, ac fe'i hadeiladwyd o dan arolygiaeth George Gilbert Scott. Mae'r eglwys yn parhau yn ei thystiolaeth i Iesu Grist yn ei bywyd a'i gweinidogaeth heddiw ac i'r dyfodol. Hollalluog Dduw, sydd trwy weinidogaeth dy was Teilo wedi dwyn goleuni'r Efengyl i'n gwlad : caniatâ i ni, gan ddilyn esiampl ei ffyddlondeb a'i sêl, ddyfod i oleuni'r bywyd tragwyddol; trwy Iesu Grist ein Harglwydd. Amen. (Gweddi fer ar gyfer diwrnod Teilo Sant, 9fed o Chwefror, yn Llyfr Gweddi yr Eglwys yng Nghymru). The Church Building The Foyer The foyer contains the font from Llandyfeisant church, which was closed in 1961. The Nave At the opening of the present building in 1850, the nave was a vast one, seating some 700 people. In 1979 the north aisle was divided off to create a church hall within the building. In order to better serve the needs of the contemporary parish, this area was redeveloped in 2003-5: a first floor was added to create a hall, kitchen and balcony, with a suite of rooms below. To your left as you pass into the Nave is a funerary monument to Morgan Jones, of Tregib (the initials at the foot give his name M[organ] J[ones, son of] H[arry]). The date is given by the numerals in the corners: 1580. It is one of the earliest armorial monuments in any Welsh church. Also to your left are two crosses, carved in typical Celtic knot-work, which were discovered in the ground during the rebuilding of 1848-50. Both date from the eighth century, and each has a cross within a rectilinear design thought to be unique to Llandeilo, possibly copied from the Llandeilo Gospel book. The tall shaft on which one of them once stood is lost, perhaps having been incorporated into the church walls. This cross has recently been mounted for display and conservation on a specially designed base. The other, a slab cross, has on the face displayed a cross made of circles, carved in a style fashionable on the embossed metal shields of 8th Century Welsh warriors. The crosses are a reminder of Llandeilo’s roots in the Celtic Church, and its importance as a Christian Centre in the Middle Ages. In the nave may be seen four stained glass windows, of which the westernmost is the war memorial window from Llandyfeisant church, and its neighbour (the nativity scene) is from the celebrated glass workshops of Kempe & Co (1909). Side Chapel The south side of the Nave opens onto a small chapel, in use regularly for prayer and mid-week services. The Chapel contains a touching Victorian memorial on it east wall. The Chancel The first organ in the church was built in 1829 at the west end of the church, where (before 1905) there was a singing gallery. The present organ casing (by Postill of York) was installed in 1857, and is believed to have come from Ripon Cathedral. The organ remained at the west end until a new organ chamber was constructed in 1905, when the 1857 casing was moved up to the chancel, and all new works were installed by Vowles of Bristol. In 2005, this organ was found to be beyond restoration, and an Allen Renaissance electronic instrument, purchased from St German’s Church in Cardiff, was installed. Monuments on the walls commemorate members of the family of Tregib mansion. There are monuments also to John Griffiths (Vicar 1852-78: a notable Evangelical of the Victorian church in Wales), and to Archdeacon Thomas Beynon (Vicar of Llandyfeisant 1770-1833: an outstanding influence on the revival of Welsh cultural traditions in the nineteenth century). Griffiths' monument, by Hardman & Co. of Birmingham, was erected in 1883. The East window, which strikes the visitor on entering church, is a war memorial (1921) by the Whitefriars studio of James Powell & Son. It is complemented by the town's war memorial on the panels along the east wall. The Hall and Ground Floor Rooms The most easterly of the rooms below the new hall occupies the old family chapel of the Rices of Dynevor, beneath which is the family vault, together with that of the Carbery family of Golden Grove. Monuments from the 18th to 20th centuries are on the walls of the hall and corridor in this part of the church. The Churchyard The churchyard's large size (about three and a half acres) and its oval shape are both typical of an ancient llan, or church enclosure. The road running through it was laid out as a turnpike in the late eighteenth century. A fair, called Barnaby Fair, was for centuries held in the churchyard on St.Barnabas' day (June 11th). The first reference to it comes in 1291, and it was still being held well into the nineteenth century. On the south side of the churchyard, in the wall along Church Street, may be seen an alcove in which a small conduit carries water from a spring in the churchyard itself. This is the outlet from St Teilo's well which is situated near the eastern end of the church. The well supplied the townsfolk with water for centuries, until covered over in the mid nineteenth century. It is probably a sacred spring, perhaps used as a baptistry from early times. Adeilad yr Eglwys Y Cyntedd Yn y cyntedd ceir fedyddfaen o eglwys Llandyfeisant, a gaewyd ym 1961. Corff yr Eglwys Ar adeg agoriad yr adeilad presennol ym 1850, roedd corff yr eglwys yn un mawr, gyda digon o seddau ynddo i 700 o bobl. Ym 1979 rhannwyd yr ystlys ogleddol o gorff yr eglwys er mwyn creu neuadd. Rhwng 2003 – 2005 ailgynlluniwyd yr ardal hon i gynnwys y llawr cyntaf gan greu neuadd, cegin a balconi gyda nifer o ystafelloedd islaw er mwyn cwrdd yn well ag anghenion cyfoes y plwyf. Wrth symud i gorff yr eglwys fe welwch ar y chwith gofeb angladdol i Morgan Jones o Dregib (mae'r llythrennau ar ei gwaelod yn dynodi ei enw: M[organ] J[ones, mab] H[arry]). Gwelir y dyddiad yn y corneli, sef 1580. Dyma un o'r cofebion arbeisiol cynharaf mewn unrhyw eglwys Gymreig. Ar y chwith hefyd mae dwy groes Geltaidd sydd wedi eu cerfio yn null clymwaith nodweddiadol. Fe’u darganfyddwyd yn y ddaear yn ystod yr ail-adeiladu rhwng 1848-50. Mae’r ddwy’n dyddio o’r wythfed ganrif ac yn cynnwys croes â dyluniad unionlin y credir ei fod yn unigryw i Landeilo, o bosib wedi ei gopïo o lyfr Efengylau Llandeilo.Mae’r goesyn dal a fu’n cynnal un ohonynt wedi mynd ar goll, efallai wedi’i ymgorffori ym muriau’r eglwys. Mae’r groes hon wedi’i gosod ar sylfaen a ddyluniwyd yn arbennig er mwyn ei harddangos a’i chadw. Mae ar wyneb y llall, y groes lechfaen, groes o gylchoedd a gerfiwyd mewn dull a oedd yn ffasiynol ar dariannau metel boglynnog gwroniaid Cymreig yr 8fed ganrif. Mae’r croesau yn ein hatgoffa o wreiddiau Llandeilo yn yr eglwys Geltaidd a’i phwysigrwydd fel Canolfan Gristnogol yn y Canol Oesoedd. Yng nghorff yr eglwys fe welir pedair ffenestr liw. Daeth y mwyaf gorllewinol ohonynt o Eglwys Llandyfeisant, ac mae’n coffáu y rhyfel. Daw'r un nesaf ati (golygfa'r Geni) o weithdy gwydr enwog Kempe a'i Gwmni (1909). Y Capel Ar ochr ddeheuol Corff yr Eglwys fe welir capel bach a ddefnyddir yn rheolaidd fel man gweddi a gwasanaethau canol-wythnos. Gwelir cofeb Fictorianaidd trist ar y wal ddwyreiniol. Y Gangell Adeiladwyd organ cyntaf yr eglwys ym 1829 ar ochr orllewinol yr eglwys, lle 'roedd oriel i gantorion (cyn 1905). Gosodwyd fframwaith yr organ bresennol gan Postill o Efrog ym 1857, a chredir iddi ddod o Eglwys Gadeiriol Ripon. Arhosodd yr organ ar yr ochr orllewinol hyd nes y lluniwyd siambr newydd ym 1905, pan symudwyd fframwaith 1857 i'r gangell a gosodwyd y rhannau newydd gan Vowles o Fryste. Yn 2005 cafwyd nad oedd modd atgyweiro’r organ hon ac fe osodwyd yn ei lle offeryn electronig Allen Renaissance a brynwyd oddi wrth Eglwys St German yng Nghaerdydd. Mae'r cofebion cerrig ar y muriau yn coffáu aelodau o deulu plasdy Tregib. Gwelir eraill hefyd i John Griffiths (Ficer 1852-78 - clerigwr Efengylaidd nodedig yn yr eglwys Fictoraidd yng Nghymru) ac i'r Archddiacon Thomas Beynon (Ficer Llandyfeisant 1770-1833, a ddylanwadodd yn amlwg ar adfywiad traddodiadau diwylliannol Cymru yn ystod y 19eg ganrif). Gosodwyd carreg goffa Griffiths gan Hardman a'i Gwmni o Birmingham ym 1883. Mae'r ffenestr ddwyreiniol, sy'n amlwg i'r ymwelydd wrth gerdded i mewn i'r eglwys, yn gofeb ryfel gan stiwdio Whitefriars, James Powell a'i Fab (1921), a cheir cofeb ryfel y dref ar y paneli islaw. Y Neuadd ac ystafelloedd y llawr Ffurfir ochr ddwyreiniol y neuadd gan hen gapel y teulu Rice o Ddinefwr. Mae gorchudd ar y llawr yn rhoi mynediad i gladdgell y teulu ynghyd â theulu Carbery o'r Gelli Aur. Ar furiau’r neuadd a’r dramwyfa yn y ran hon o’r eglwys mae cerrig coffa sy’n dyddio o’r 18fed hyd at yr 20fed ganrif. Y Fynwent Mae maint y fynwent (tua tair erw a hanner) ynghyd â'i siap hirgrwn yn nodweddiadol o'r llan, neu le caeëdig eglwysig. Gosodwyd yr heol sy'n rhedeg drwyddi fel un tyrpeg yn hwyr yn y 18fed ganrif. Cynhaliwyd ffair Gwyl Barna yn y fynwent am ganrifoedd ar ddiwrnod Gwyl Barnabas (Mehefin 11eg). Ceir y cyfeiriad cyntaf ati ym 1291, ac fe'i chynhaliwyd hyd canol y 19eg ganrif. Ar ochr ddeheuol y fynwent, o fewn y wal sy'n gyfochrog a Lôn y Llan, fe welir cilfach lle mae cwndid yn cludo dwr o darddell yn y fynwent ei hunan. Dyma'r allanfa o Ffynnon Teilo a leolir yn agos i ochr ddwyreiniol yr eglwys. Darparodd y ffynnon ddwfr i drigolion y dref am ganrifoedd, hyd nes iddi gael ei gorchuddio yng nghanol y 19eg ganrif. Mwy na thebyg ei bod hi'n darddiad gysegredig a ddefnyddiwyd fel bedyddfan o ddyddiau cynnar.
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