Llanbedr - the church of St Peter
Llanbedr is a small village nestling in a fold of the Black Mountains, in the Brecon Beacons National Park, near Crickhowell.
St Peter's church, from which the village takes its name, was first consecrated in 1063. In earlier times the village was known as Llanbedr Ystrad Yw, referring to an ancient yew tree which marked a boundary of the parish. Llanbedr, in Welsh, means 'the church of St Peter'.
Llanbedr is one of three churches in the Vale of Gwryne parish, in the St Catwg Ministry Area, working as well with Llangenny and Patricio.
The Bells
St Peter's has a bell tower dating to the 14th century, with a peal of six bells.
Recently, the team of bellringers has been able to help the village mark notable events, such as significant birthdays, national days such as VJ Day, and most notably celebrating the work of the NHS and front line workers as the whole nation clapped for them on Thursday evenings.
Brute Angels
The area around Llanbedr used to be home to the Brutes, a family of stonemasons. From the 17th century members of the family developed a particular idiosyncratic style of angel, which were used on monuments in several churches in the area.
They also used a unique range of paints to colour their monuments. Unfortunately the recipe for the paint was lost when a family bible, containing the recipe, was destroyed in a house fire.
