Bleddfa
The name Bleddfa suggests a mutation of the Welsh words Blaidd + fan – the place of the wolf.Tradition has it that the marauding wolves of the Radnor Forest were finally cleared by being driven into the valley here and shot. The last wolf in Wales is believed to have been shot in Bleddfa.
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Bleddfa Church
The dedication to St. Mary Magdalene is unusual in this part of Wales, and suggests a Norman dedication which replaced a previous Celtic dedication.Of the present building the earliest part is the narrow nave which probably dates from the early part of the thirteenth century, and this is marked by the unaltered window dating from the thirteenth century on the north wall of the nave. The building was later extended to double the size, and the junction can be seen clearly both inside and outside. This work was probably done within half a century of the original, as the windows in the north wall, and one in the south, although taller than the earlier window and less splayed, still date from the late thirteenth century. This work was followed closely by the erection of a tower at the west end, which later collapsed in the medieval period, destroying much of the west end of the nave. This has recently been excavated and parts of the remains may still be seen. The excavation has belied the theory that the mound at the west end was a Bronze Age burial mound.
The present appearance of the church is due to an intelligent large scale renovation in 1907, which followed an earlier attempt that had been made in 1818 and preserved the ancient features of the building. The ancient beam above the entrance to the chancel suggests that there may have been originally a medieval screen, and remains of the floral decoration may still be seen on the beam. A sandstone piscina is set in the north wall of the chancel and at the west end is an octagonal font, both of which are medieval in origin. The communion rail is a handsome seventeenth century work, with serpentine balusters supporting the rail. Also of the seventeenth century are some of the panels of the highly decorative pulpit.
To the east of the church on the road to Knighton is the old house of Monaughty, a corruption of the Welsh Mynachdy (Monastery). This would suggest that from the Celtic period there was an ancient cell here, possibly connected with the monks of Abbey Cwmhir. |
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The name Bleddfa suggests a mutation of the Welsh words Blaidd + fan – the place of the wolf.Tradition has it that the marauding wolves of the Radnor Forest were finally cleared by being driven into the valley here and shot. The last wolf in Wales is believed to have been shot in Bleddfa.
