St Brynach's Church

Wales: St Brynach's Church in Nevern was founded in the Celtic period in 540AD. By the 10th century, it became an important stopping place for pilgrims en route to St David's in the south-west corner of Wales.  You can still see an ancient pilgrim cross, hewn out of rock on the hillside above the village, and an indent in the rock worn away by the feet or knees of pilgrims stopping at the cross.

There is a very interesting history of the church on its website HERE. One of its treasures is the beautiful, carved Celtic cross standing in the churchyard (see below), which dates to the 10th century. There is also a standing stone known as the Vitalianus Stone, dating from around 500 AD and inscribed in Latin and an ancient script called Ogham.

I find old graveyards fascinating and was touched by the memorial stone below, beautifully inscribed. It says: Here lieth the body of Elinor Salmon, the daughter of John Salmon of this parish, who departed this life the 20th day of July 1781 aged 26 years. Afflictions fore long time I bore. Physicians were in vain. Til God did please Death should me seize to ease me of my pain. How sad...

Most of the interior of the church was remodelled by the Victorians in the 1860s, and there is a pretty, modern, stained glass memorial window inserted in 2005. The nave and chancel don't seem to line up and I learned from a post of John's (HERE) that is sometimes deliberate. The nave represents the body of Christ and the side transepts the arms of the cross, so the chancel (his head) may be tilted. In this case it seems to tilt slightly to the right. Or maybe the builders just had wonky plans...