St Michael's Church, Clyro, Radnorshire

Description

Denomination: Anglican

Dedication: St Michael and All Angels

Photograph 1: Jane Doherty
Date: 21 May 2006
Camera: Nikon Coolpix S6 digital

Photographs 2-6: John Ball
Date: 13 September 2013
Camera: Nikon D50 digital SLR

Note 1: St Michael's church lies in the village of Clyro about 2 km from Hay-on-Wye. The church with its north aisle, nave and chancel is wholly Victorian – only the lower stages of the west tower are late medieval. Internally there is little of pre-19thC date, and the polygonal churchyard contains some 18thC monuments though many are in poor condition. Bottom stage of tower thought to be early 15thC on basis of west window and doorway from nave; a second stage is undated and might represent a rebuild; the third stage is presumably Victorian. Rest of building is Victorian though some of the chancel may incorporate re-used masonry. [Extracted from Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) website, where further details are provided]

Note 2: Only the 16th century tower, heightened in 1894, survived the total rebuilding of the rest of the church by Nicholson in 1853. [Extracted from The Old Parish Churches of Mid-Wales by Mike Salter, published 1991, Folly Publications. Malvern. ISBN 1-871731-11-9]

Note 3: The parish of Clyro features strongly in the diary of the Rev Francis Kilvert (below left) who, from 1865 until 1872, was curate to the Rev Richard Lister Venables, Vicar of Clyro. The Kilvert diary runs from 1870 to 1879 and records in great detail the landscape, the people and his work as curate. It is written in such an elegant and charming way that it immediately grabs the attention and interest of the reader. As a snapshot of everyday experiences in a remote border community Kilvert's Diary has become a classic biography and a work of literature in its own right. For further details, see The Kilvert Trail on the Church in Wales website.

Image 6:

Memorial to Ralph Baskerville of Clyro (see also below Image 7).

Clyro Court was built by Thomas Mynors Baskerville in 1839. It is said that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a family friend and visitor, with obvious consequences. [Source: Wikipedia online encyclopaedia (accessed 9 October 2015)].

Image 7:

Extract from the Brecon County Times dated 11 September 1919.

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/churches/clyro1.htm (link opens in new window)