COMMUNITY

The village name means: the church by the waterfall in the commote of the fast-flowing stream. The Parish covers 23, 294 acres and is 8 miles from north to south and the same from east to west. It originally consisted of 16 townships, and was divided into two parts by the River Rhaeadr, one part being in Denbighshire and the other in Montgomeryshire. It is now all in Powys. It can be approached from Oswestry, Llansilin, Llanarmon, Llanfyllin or Llangynog. The population is over a thousand.

The village has a good variety of amenities: a Post Office, newsagent, food shops, two garages, agricultural supplier, foundry, hotels and cafe, a surgery, Public Hall, conveniences on the square, the Church and two Chapels. There is also public transport and one garage organises coach trips. Tourism is mainly to the Church or to the Pistyll (one of the Seven Wonders of Wales) where there is a cafe and ample parking space. Visitors may also be interested in the three Menhirs or the Old Vicarage which is now a Guest House.

All major celebrations are bilingual.

The Church is open daily from 9am to 4pm

St Dogfan’s has four Worship Leaders

CHURCH ACTIVITIES

HISTORY

The church is dedicated to Dogfan (or Doefan), the son of Brychan Brycheiniog, a Prince of Powys in the fifth century and was first founded as a "clas" with "chapels". The oldest part is the nave, which dates back to the 13th century, the north transept, which is built from stone from the river bed, and the south transept being added in the 14th century. The wagon ceiling, with carved Prince of Wales feathers, over the Chancel is 15th century and it is believed that a medieval barrel ceiling lies above this. The lower section of the tower is said to be Augustinian but the upper section is 18th century. There are three bells in the tower which were hung to commemorate the coronation of George III. The north porch and vestry are 19th century additions.

Amongst the relics are a pre-Norman Conquest gravestone in memory of Gwgann son of Edelstan, a Welsh Prince of the 10th century and three pieces of carved stone-one of a person praying, from the 12th century, and two of earlier dates. The font is eight-sided and dated 1663, but the base is believed to be much older. The altar table is dated 1749.

Other noteworthy features

• The pulpit, octagonal in shape and said to incorporate part of William Morgan’s pulpit.
• The reredos – a carving of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, 1925.
• The Bishop Parry Bible, 1620
• The three-manual organ, dated 1906.
• Panels from the old high pews, now in the North Porch.
• The longest pew in Powys.
• The lychgate in memory of William Morgan, 1954
• The sundial (missing since 1996), base dating from about 900 when it was the graveyard cross.
• The graveyard which covers two and a half acres and is curvilinear.

A few notable incumbents.

1. William Morgan (1545-1604),1578 to 1595-translated the Bible into Welsh, during a troubling time in Llanrhaeadr; saved the Welsh language.
2. Robert South (1634-1716) – chaplain to the King in 1687; last Rector of the Parish. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
3. William Worthington (1703-1778), 1747 to1 778, Canon of York Minster. He improved the Vicarage and built the road to the Pistyll.
4. Walter Davies (Gwallter Mechain) (1760-1849), 1837 until his death. He is buried by the river bank. He was a bard, an Eisteddfod adjudicator and an archæologist. He wrote two reviews of agriculture and encouraged interest in Welsh literature.
5. Silas Evans (1864-1940), 1909-38, a noted preacher and astronomer who gained awards in science and Welsh.

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Last updated 19th November 2007.