Held at:

Private collection

Reference:

RS

Source:

Internet

Title:

Digital Archive – Guide to the history of the Church of St Peter, Llancillo

Place name:

Llancillo

Date:

2013

Description:

A guide to the history of the Church of St Peter at Llancillo has been produced and published by the ‘Friends of Friendless Churches’ organisation, and is made available here with their kind permission.

 

 

The overall description given in the guide is as follows:

 

Llancillo church is dedicated to St Peter, although the name suggests that there might have been an earlier saint. In the Book of Llandaff, compiled between about 1120 and 1140, it is named as ‘Llan Sulbiu’ (the church of St Sulbiu). ‘Sulbiu’ is possibly St Kew, a Cornish saint, to whom the adjacent church of Llangua, some 1½  miles (2.5km) east of Llancillo was also once dedicated. Although Llancillo is not mentioned specifically in Domesday Book (1086) it formed part of the extensive holdings of the de Lacys and was administered from Longtown castle. Next to the church is the large motte (mound) of a Norman castle with slight remains of a stone keep or tower on its top. Very little is known about the castle; it may have been built by Richard Esketot, a tenant of the de Lacys in the late 11th century.

The church is now remote from any settlement save for Llancillo Court - a farmhouse with 17th century origins. By the late 19th century the church had become derelict and sheep could often be seen wandering around in the nave. Indeed the Bishop of Hereford, James Atlay (1868-94), advised closure following a collapse of part of the south wall. But the then Vicar of Rowlstone and Llancillo, Revd Robert Whinerey, set up a restoration fund and repairs were soon put in hand by the architect G H Godsell of Hereford and the church re-opened on 16th October 1896. St Peter’s came to the Friends in 2007.

 

The full guide, with pictures and description of the outside and inside of the church, can be downloaded here in PDF file format.

 

Observations:

None


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