St Peter and St Illtyd - Llanhamlach, Breconshire - Medieval Churches on Waymarking.com

"The church of St Illtyd and St Peter at Llanhamlach lies on the eastern side of the River Usk, 5km downstream from Brecon. The tower is attributed to the 14thC or 15thC, but the rest of the building was comprehensively restored in 1887, though a 15thC date has also been given to the porch. An early medieval inscribed stone, a 14thC effigy and a 15thC font are preserved within the church, and the churchyard with its hint of curvilinearity could take the site back to early medieval beginnings.

Tower probably 15thC or a little earlier; the church guide puts a Norman date on the lower stages though without convincing evidence to support the contention. The nave and chancel were restored in the later 19thC, though the extent of the restoration and rebuilding is unclear either from fieldwork or the contemporary architect's specification. The porch is a 19thC rebuild incorporating an earlier, 15thC doorway.

The British dedication, the location and the partial curvilinearity of the churchyard suggest an early medieval origin for Llanhamlach.

The church is now dedicated to two saints but it has been argued that the dedication to St Peter was added in the early Norman era by the endowment of the family of Sir John Walbeoffe who accompanied Bernard de Neufmarche in his conquest of this area at the end of the 11thC.

In the 1291 Taxatio Llanhamlach is referred to as 'Ecclesia de Lanhamelagh' at a value of œ4 6s 8d, while its current name is given in the Valor Ecclesiasticus in 1535.

The bells were installed in 1829.

The nave was completely rebuilt in 1804, and Glynne in 1855 commented on the fact that all but the tower and north porch had been replaced, the windows "of the poorest modern Gothic".

A further restoration in Decorated style was completed by S. W. Williams in 1887. This involved the excavation of the church floor to a depth of 12", window replacement and taking down unspecified amounts of the standing building.

Subsequent work includes the erection of the Reredos at the beginning of this century, and more recently the restoration of the Victorian wall paintings in the chancel."

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Building Materials: Stone

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