Nevern's St Brynach's Church history and the life of St Brynach

Here we take a look at the history of St Brynach Church in Nevern and of the saint himself.

Who was St Brynach?

Not too much is known about St Brynach and what is known is questionable on the accuracy as it was written in the 12th century. He is a sixth century saint who was born in Ireland around 500.

EarlyBritishKingdoms.com says that he travelled as a young man to Rome on pilgrimage and after settling in Brittany for a time, he made his way to Milford Haven.

He travelled from there to Llanboidy and stayed in a cowshed after being denied lodgings by the locals. He built a hermitage at Llanfyrnach but left after he was the victim of a spear attack by a woman who was upset that he rejected her advances.

St Brynach's Church, Nevern in 2018. Picture: Elizabeth Fitzpatrick

He is said to have moved from there to Pont-Faen but was ‘driven away by demons.’

He tried to build a church at Llwyn Henllan on the River Nevern but locals are said to have stolen his wood.

It is stated that an angel appeared and told him that the area was unsuitable for him so he moved to Nevern.

He seemed to be more welcome in Nevern as he is believed to have introduced agriculture to the locals and taught them to yoke wild stags to the plough and milk the hinds.

He built his church using wood chopped from nearby trees around 540. Clether, the king at the time, renounced his claim to the throne and gave St Brynach all his lands. Clether’s 20 sons became the first disciples of the saint and the monastery that developed around his church.

St Brynach's Church, Nevern. Picture: Elizabeth Fitzpatrick

Nevern Church’s website states that he chose the site because of the protection of the fortified castle above the village and that he was related to the Goedelic Tribal Chiefs who occupied the castle.

He is celebrated with a feast day on April 7th.

St Brynach’s Church

St Brynach’s Church in Nevern is not the original church but it does stand on the site of the ancient wooden one.

A small stone church was built on the site at some point following the wooden original one and during the Viking invasions in the 800s, the church had to be rebuilt a couple of times.

Nevern was also a popular stop for pilgrims on their way to St Davids during this period, where they would pray at the Pilgrims Cross above the village and would stay at the church and castle overnight.

When the Normans invaded in the 11th century, they rebuilt the church, making it unusually large for a small village as they initially planned to make Nevern their base in the region, but decided to set this up in Newport instead.

The current church’s foundations are those that were built by the Normans, with the oldest part being the tower which was built in 1380.

The nave and chancel were built around 1420-1450. The annual value of the church was £16, more than double the other churches in the area.

In 1377, the church was sold to St David’s Cathedrals and ministers would therefore be from the attached College of St Mary. The church became Anglican after centuries of Catholicism brought in by the Normans when Henry VIII got his way with the abjuration of the rule of Rome. But the church continued to carry on as it had before as the pilgrimage tradition was too ingrained to be abandoned.

After the Civil War, the church was the biggest indoor gathering place in the parish and became a hub for playing games and hosting stalls rather than as a church.

The Agatha Christie bell

The church’s revival as just that came in the 18th century with the arrival of 18-year-old David Griffiths. He arrived at Nevern in 1768, was ordained and married into the Bowen family. He became the vicar in 1782 and remained in the position for 42 years.

A Methodist chapel was attached to the church (now the Village Hall) and seats were introduced into the church’s nave.

In 1864 alongside many other churches, St Brynach went under some renovation turning it from a barn-like structure to neo-Gothic arches and wall plaque decorations. What is seen inside the church today is that of the 1864 design and was designed by R.J Withers.

Unfortunately for the church, like most across the UK, interest has declined over the decades and according to the church’s website, there is a congregation of around 25 and there has been no ordained minister for more than a decade – the first time it had happened in 1,500 years.

But there is also some good news, a campaign has been successful in restoring the 10 peal bells in the belltower, with one being dedicated to crime writer Agatha Christie. The bells rang in 2021 for the first time in 125 years.

Before the 125-year silence, there were six full circle bells which were cast in 1763 by Thomas Rudhall.

St Brynach’s Church is also home to the bleeding yew, a yew tree thought to be around 700 years old which consistently ‘bleeds’ red sap.

You can find out more about the church by visiting https://www.nevern-church.org.uk/