St. Tydfil's Church

St. Tydfil's Church

The Parish Church, Merthyr Tydfil.

<Click On The Photograph To Enlarge>

Some buildings seem to be ageless, one such building is a prominent feature of our town, the Old Parish Church with its clock dedicated to St Tydfil, a female Celtic saint of whom nothing is known for certain, it is thought that some form of church has stood on this spot for over 1500 years. Julius Caesar Ibbetson an artist of repute travelled around Wales in the 1790’s, he painted various scenes one such scene that took his eye was situated near to the original Plymouth Works site looking towards the village of Merthyr Tydfil, this painting is the oldest view of Merthyr Tydfil, in the distance the village of Merthyr Tydfil can be seen with St Tydfil’s parish church tower and its clock prominently viewed. St Tydfil’s Parish Church was closed for worship in 1968 when St. David’s Church became the new Parish Church. St Tydfil’s church was built in 1808, after restoration at a cost of £1K it was re-opened on June 6^th, 1894. The clock was replaced in 1936, which was donated by Lord Camrose and Lord Kemsley in honour of their father Alderman J M Berry. A poem was submitted anonymously to the Merthyr Telegraph and published in the 18^th, October 1856 edition,

THE MERTHYR CHURCH CLOCK

O’h! The Merthyr Church Clock

It is of a hard stock,

For it giveth untimely warning,

And if late at night,

With the time it be right

It is often found wrong in the morning.

When my workman comes late,

He is sure to state,

That to the Church Clock, he’s a martyr

When to breakfast I go

My wife lets me know

That “The clock is to fast by a quarter”

When a dog’s a bad

He’ll be always be to blame

And his days will prove pregnant with sorrow

And some people oft slight

The Church Clock its right

And wish for a new one tomorrow

Carl Llewellyn

Parish Church.

From an unusual angle, clearly showing the massive tips on the other side of the river Taff.

(Postcard courtesy of Mrs Gill Thomas, West Grove.)

St. Tydfil's Church Exterior

(Photograph Courtesy of the Kenneth J. Gunter Collection)

Parish Church 1896. A very rare picture of the church before it was rebuilt a few years later.

Mr Nicholas Jenkins sent this watercolour of the church painted by one of his family in the 1880's.

Parish Church Interior.

The Church Interior.

Jungle & Hut Play - St. Tydfil's Church - 1954/54.

Back Row L-R: Mrs Connolly(?), John Knott(?), David Knapp,Terry Chamberlain(?),?,?, Rev Cox(?),?,?,

Pam Williams, behind her left shoulder,her fiancee Bill ?,Barbara Jones(now Mrs Tony Galleozzie)

Middle Row L-R: Peter Wilsdon, ?,? Valerie (nee) James.

Front Row L-R: ?,?,?.

(Photograph Courtesy of Iestyn - Celtic Pride; Names Courtesy of John Knott)

Jungle & Hut Play - St. Tydfil's Church - 1954/54.

Back Row L-R: Gwyneth Evans(I think became a teacher at Afon Taf), Peter Wilsdon, Pam Williams, ?,?,?,

Mari Wilsdon (she was married to organist and choirmaster Phil Wilsdon), ?,?,?, Rev Cox(?).

Front Row L-R: ?,?, Megan Wilsdon, Roger Howell(?), ?.

(Photograph Courtesy of Iestyn - Celtic Pride; Names Courtesy of John Knott)

	Parish Church, January 1967.		The Stained glass window, by R.Newbury, presented to the church by Lord Merthyr W. T. Lewis. (Photograph 1995 by David Thomas)

From Chas Wilkins' Merthyr Illustrated.

The complete Merthyr Tydfil Illustrated is available on PC-CDROM

from Merthyr Tydfil Library.

(Click on image to enlarge)

Parish Church June 1970.

St. Tydfil's Church from the old Caedraw School yard.

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