Grounds of St Dyfnog's Church in Llanrhaeadr to receive major restoration

The woodland yards belonging to St Dyfnog’s Church in Llanrhaeadr will receive the major restoration after a volunteer group’s seven-year campaign for Heritage Lottery funding.

St Dyfnog’s Church, Llanrhaeadr. Picture: Kerry Roberts

The Anglican church, renowned for its rare 15th century Tree of Jesse window, has two wells, including a Grade II listed plunge pool, St Dyfnog’s Well, which dates back to the 6th century as well as two 16th century bridges which have fallen into disrepair after hundreds of years.

The Cymdeithas Cadwraeth Llanrhaeadr YC Preservation Society (CLYPS) secured the funding and has appointed Oswestry-based contractor Tim Ratcliffe to restore the old structures over a three-year period.

St Dyfnog's Well

St Mary's Well

CLYPS also plans to build a woodland classroom for outdoor learning and has consulted neighbouring school Ysgol Bro Cinmeirch about what the classroom should include.

Samantha Jones, CLYPS project manager, hopes the restoration will raise the profile of the church and has received huge support from the village community.

She said: “The church is popular to visitors with the incredibly rare Jesse window and if people know St Dyfnog's Well is there then they go to see it, it is just a case of highlighting it.

The woodland bridges are over 500 years old.

“It is a beautiful walk around the grounds; you walk through the woodland alongside the stream and you discover the well at the top of the hill, full of gorgeous clear water.

“The whole community is excited about the project; the residents, the local school and businesses.”

The Tree of Jesse window is reputed to have been removed and buried during the English Civil War to protect it from destruction.

St Dyfnog Church's Jesse window. Picture: Kerry Roberts

CLYPS hopes that St Dyfnog’s Well, named after the Welsh saint and which was a site for pilgrims who believed it had healing powers, will become just as popular.

The two wells, the other named St Mary’s Well, are also unique as they are in close proximity but have different water as the latter is built against limestone.

Alongside the restoration work, CLYPS will carry out archaeological research with a professional ecologist at the site to better understand its history.

Elfed Williams, chair of CLYPS, said: “It has been a long time coming with a lot of hurdles along the way, but the committee has worked very hard and we are extremely relived now that the project can start.

“It will be a huge benefit to the village and to anyone that wants to visit. Hopefully it will boost visitor numbers to the church and to businesses in the village.”

The committee is now looking to recruit volunteers to help to carry out the work and there will be an open day at St Dyfnog’s Church at 7pm on January 23.

For more information about the project or how to get involved attend the open day or contact the committee via the St Dyfnog’s Well Restoration Project Facebook page.