Llanbadarn Fawr Church, Radnorshire

 

We have driven past this church, with what I thought was a circular churchyard (but isn't totally), many times, but after I had visited the nearby plant nursery recently, I had no excuse not to pull over into the layby and go and explore.  Imagine my delight when I opened the porch door and was faced with this amazing Norman Tympanum, one of only two in the whole of Wales, and believed to be connected with the Herefordshire school of Romanesque Architecture.  Of course, looking at the church from the outside it appears totally Victorian, and indeed was rebuilt almost from scratch in 1878.

There is an estimated date of 1100 - 1150 for this and it is rather sniffily described as "a weak copy of the Herefordshire school" in Malcolm Thurlby's book on that subject.  He suggests that whilst it is possible that the tree possibly grew upwards onto a (now missing) as at Kilpeck.  The head below it does appear to be a cat, although Rita Wood's article in Archaeologia Cambrensis 156 (2007) suggests that this could be interpreted as "the face of the ascended and triumphant Christ" based on the full scene symbolising the life in Paradise after death.  If the beasts are correctly interpreted as a lion and a lioness, then "both men and women would have been encouraged to imagine themselves in heaven."  The 9 pointed star "probably refers to Relevation22:5, which explains that there is no need of either sun or lamp in heaven because God himself lights it."

This head on the right hand lintel was the only one to survive - that on the left was virtually wiped from existence.  Again Thurlby isn't particularly impressed by the standard of carving and just mentions it having a long pencil moustache and a goatee beard.

These two in the photograph below, were put in high up in the porch wall, and are of a similar style with big moustaches.

 

In the other corner of the porch is a putative Sheela-na-gig with the bottom half of her body hacked off to make her more decent.  Unfortunately my photo was a very poor one and unusable.

Possibly Adam, Eve and the tempter, but both figures have male dress - Rita Wood suggests that it could be Bishop Padarn with his shaven head and "the rapacious tyrant Arthur" with long hair.  

You can just make out St Padarn raising his hand in benediction.

Chip-carved fragments above a winged snake -which, had I taken a better photo, you might have seen it is apparently regurgitating another snake - they are known to represent rebirth - the old physical body being discarded for "a new spiritual body which the soul will enter and reanimate."

Two more snakes, one winged, possibly along the same theme , are included on the left capital.  Possibly popular theme for the Herefordshire school, as two are included on the jambs of the doorway at Kilpeck.

No mention is made of this piece which looks like an Airedale terrier being attacked by a Monster!

Incidentally, Gerald of Wales (Geraldus Cambrensis, who lived so happily for a while just outside Brecon - see recent post) visited Llanbadarn Fawr in his new appointment of archdeacon.  He wished to establish his authority over the church, despite having been warned by the Dean and Chapter NOT to visit their churches in person but to "act in accordance with the custom of his predecessors, namely through his messengers and officers and above all through the dean, of whom they spoke amongst themselves as their archdeacon".  He was also warned that there was an ancient feud between his family and various nobles in that area.  In fact, he was warned that an ambush had been planned.  Indeed, as they approached Llanbadarn Gerald an his party were attacked and he was obliged to seek refuge in the church, managing somehow to get a message to Cadwallon ap Madog ab Idnerth, ruler of Maelienydd, whereupon the 6 or 7 unruly clerks who "after the Welsh fashion shared the church between them" were brought to heel.

Above: another example of the Hereford school is to be found in this church (now a family home) at Willersley, Herefs. We were going to view it, but size-wise it was small, right on a main road and net door to an enormous farm. My thanks to Cobb Amos, estate agents, for this photograph which accompanied the original listing.