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St.Brothen's Church, Llantrothen, Wales, Urbex, Abandoned
 Lost Medieval Church, Gwynedd

Hard to find and well out of view, this Grade I listed church dates back to to C6th although little remains of the original structure with most of what remains today dating from the C13th. Still beautifully preserved, upon opening the huge wooden door one is greeted by a wonderful glimpse into the past.  The old-fashioned box pews  now without a congregation lead to the front where the alter stands intact with its crosses and candlesticks still in place as if waiting for the next service to commence.  The floor is tiled with Red and black Victorian quarry tiles catching the shafts of light streaming in through the side lancet windows giving a warmth and magical feeling. It must be said, tripod use was tricky whilst inside due to the floor having a very prominent slope from the door up to the alter which was designed apparently to shed tidal waters which once encroached onto the site at certain times during high tides when the coast was much closer. Meanwhile, the organ by the porch may have played its last hymn.

 

A most peaceful afternoon photographing, no one to be seen, the only sounds were from a distant radio playing radio 4, not my usual taste and a bit unnerving at first but after a while it faded into the Welsh hills around me. Everything photographed and time to pack up and set off for home. I make a mental note that if i'm ever travelling near to this area i'll pop in again to have another look around.

 

The ancient churchyard surrounding the church contains many old slate gravestones, perhaps the most interesting of which is the grave of Robert Roberts, a poor quarryman. In 1888, a radical young lawyer called David Lloyd George, then only 25, championed the right of the family to bury him next to his daughter in the graveyard. He was a non-conformist, so the case was caught up in the religious intolerance of the age. However, the law fell on the side of the quarryman, despite the local vicar padlocking the gate. An apocryphal version of the story has Lloyd George cutting through the padlocked gates at midnight to allow the grieving family to bury the poor man by candlelight. Well, it made a good story, and brought Lloyd George national fame!

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