ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH

Services are held every Sunday at 11.30 am
1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday - Holy Communion
2nd and 4th Sunday - Morning Prayer

St Michael's has probably been the site of Christian worship for a thousand years or more, although one of the first written references indicating the existence of a church in Myddfai is dated 10 June 1284. It describes how the right to appoint a clergyman to the parish had come into the hands of King Edward I as a result of the forfeiture of the previous patrons. It is an indication of the turbulent nature of those times, and the right was subsequently given by the King to the then Bishop of St David's, with whom it still formally remains.

In the 12th and early 13th centuries, Myddfai was part of the Lordship of Llandovery and was one of the three manors (Maenor Myddfai, Llandeusant and Gwynfe) in Cantref Bychan. It was, like much of the rest of this part of Wales, under Norman domination and it is likely that the actual building of the church was itself the result of Norman influence.

The architectural style and construction of the church, as it is now, suggests that it was built in two stages: the first, the original nave and chapel, were probably completed in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 15th century an aisle was added along the whole length of the church on the southern side, divided from the original by the five-bay arcade of massive arches which are a feature of the church as it is today.

It is this 15th century aisle which now seats the congregation and which has the Altar and Chancel at its eastern end. Until 1868 when it was moved to its present position, the Pulpit was set in a niche halfway along the aisle, against the outside wall.

The present Chancel was at one time separated from the Nave by a rood screen, but the only remaining trace of the screen that has survived is a rood window which at one time - probably in the Cromwellian era - was blocked up and not uncovered until 1926 when it was carefully restored. David James, in his history of Myddfai, observes "In its day the rood screen would have been vividly coloured and much gilt used in its ornament. Together with the wall paintings of which there used to be traces, it must have made an indelible impact on the humble parishioners."

When the Church was being redecorated fairly recently, faint traces of what are believed to be those medieval paintings were found, and have been examined by experts. Among items of particular interest in the church are a stoup which is reputed to have come from the church of St Davids at Dolhowel - a site which disappeared when the Usk Reservoir was built during the early 1950s. This church was on a grange belonging to Talley Abbey and was within the parish of Myddfai, and the bell from the same church was at one time in St Michael's.

The treasures of the church include the parish registers, dating back to 1653 and one of the first entries records the burial, in September of that year, of one Howell Thomas ap John.

There still exist details of the church and its administration in the 17th century. 'Bishops Inquiries' for 1684 reveal that the communion cup was "much decayed" but that the church wardens were about to obtain a new one. Churchwarden's accounts, dating from the early 18th century, record a long, expensive, and still continuing saga of repair, upkeep and improvements.

The floor ... the churchyard wall ... recasting the bell ... there have been several periods of major restoration and repair: in 1868-80, when two new windows were put in the west wall of the church and a new pulpit installed: and in 1926, when the vestry was re-roofed, a gas-plant house erected and a wooden screen built to provide a side chapel on the site of the original Chancel. The next restoration and repair work, which included re-roofing the Church and the redecoration of the interior was completed in 1992 but since then more major repairs have been carried out. (See article by Judith McSweeney in Dec 2003 "Carmarthenshire Life")

The above information has been taken from the booklet available from St Michael's Church, Myddfai

LLANFIHANGEL YM MYDDFAI

Cynnelir oedfa bob Sul am 11.30 am
1af, 3ydd a 5ed Sul- Cwmun Sanctaidd
2ail, a 4ydd Su l- Gweddi Boreol

Mae'n debygol fod Llanfihangel wedi bod yn safle addoli Cristionogol am fil o flynyddoedd neu mwy, er mae'r cymeradwyaeth ysgrifennedig cyntaf yn mynegu
bodolaeth eglwys ym Myddfai yn 10ed o Fehefin 1284. Mae'n dweud fel roedd yr hawl i benodi offeiriad i'r
plwyf wedi mynd i ddwylo y Brenin Edward I, fel canlyniad o fforffed y noddwyr cynt. Mae'n arwydd o natur terfysglyd yr amser fod cafodd yr hawl wedi ei rhoddi gan y Brenin i Esgob Tyddewi a gydag ef mae'n sefyll hyd heddiw.

Yn yr ail ganrif ar ddeg ac yn gynnar yn y trydydd ganrif ar ddeg roedd Myddfai yn rhan o Arglwyddiaeth Llanymddyfri ac yn un o'r tri maenor (Maenor Myddfai, Llanddeusant a Gwynfe) yng Nghantref Bychan. Yr oedd fel llawer o'r gweddill o'r rhannau yma o Gymru o dan rheolaeth y Normaniaid, ac y mae'n debygol fod adeiladu yr eglwys yn ganlyniad o ddylanwad y Normaniaid.

Mae arddull pensaerniaeth ac adeiladaeth yr eglwys fel y mae nawr yn awgrymu ei bod wedi ei adeiladu mewn dau rhan: y rhan cyntaf - corff yr eglwys a'r capel gwreiddiol mwy na thebyg wedi ei cwbwlhau yn y trydydd a'r pedwerydd ganrif ar ddeg. Yn y bymthegfed ganrif cafodd eil ei ychwanegu ar hyd ochr ddeheuol yr eglwys, wedi ei rhannu o'r rhan gwreiddiol gan y pump bwa cadarn sydd yn brydwedd o'r eglwys fel y mae heddiw.

Yr eil o'r bymthegfed ganrif sydd nawr yn eisteddfa i'r gynulleidfa, ac yn dal yr Allor a'r Gangell ar y pen ddwyreiniol. Hyd 1868 pan ei symundwyd i'w safle presennol roedd y pulpud wedi ei osod mewn gwagle hanner ffordd ar hyd yr eil yn erbyn y mur allanol.

Ar un amser roedd y gangell bresennol wedi ei rhannu oddiwryh corff yr eglwys gan sgrin groes, ond yr unig ol sydd yn aros o'r sgrin yw ffenestr groes ag oedd ar un amser - mwy na thebyg yn amser Cromwell - wedi ei chuddio ac ni chaffodd ei datguddio hyd 1926 pan gafodd ei adfeirio yn ofalus iawn. Dywed David James yn ei hanes o Myddfai "Yn ei ddydd mi oedd y sgrin groes a lliwiau llachar a llawer o aur yn ei addurno. Ynghyd a'r peintiau oedd ar y mur mae'n rhaid iddynt fod wedi gwneud gwrthdrawiad annileadwy ar y plwyfolion gostyngedig".

Pan gafodd yr eglwys ei ail addurno yn ddiweddar darganfyddwyd ol gwan o beth y credur oedd y peintiau canoloesol a chawsant ei gweld gan arbennigwyr. Ymhlith eitemau o ddiddordeb arbennig yn yr eglwys mae basn dwr swyn a ddywedir sydd wedi dod o eglwys Sant Dewi yn Nolhowel - safle a ddiflannodd pan gafodd cronfa Wysg ei adeiladu ar ddechrau 1950. Roedd y eglwys ar dir ffermdy yn perthyn i Abaty Talyllychau ac roedd o fewn i blwyf Myddfai, a bu y gloch o'r un eglwys ar un amser yn Llanfihangel.

Y mae'r trysorau'r eglwys yn cynnwys cofrestrau yn mynd yn ol i 1653 ac un o'r cofnodau cyntaf ym mis Medi o'r flwyddyn hon yw claddedigaeth dyn o'r enw Howell Thomas ap John.

Mae manylion am yr eglwys a'i gwenyddiad yn yr ail ganrif ar bymtheg yn bodoli o hyd. Mae ymholiadau'r Esgobion yn 1684 yn dangos fod y cwpan cymun wedi dadfeilo ond fod wardenau yr eglwys ar fin cael un newydd. Mae cyfrifon y wardenau o'r ddeunawfed ganrif yn ymddangos llawer o adgyweirio cynnal a gwelliantau drudfawr iawn.

Y llawr... mur y fynwent... ail lunio'r gloch... mae llawer cofnod o adfer a atgyweirio wedi bod. Yn 1868 hyd 1880 cafodd dwy ffenestr newydd eu gosod ym mur gorllewinol yr eglwys, a phulpud newydd ei sefydlu, ac yn 1926 cafodd y festri do newydd, adeiladwyd ty offer nwy, a sgrin bren i ddarpar capel ar yr ochr, ar safle y gangell wreiddiol. Yr adferiad a'r atgyweirio nesaf oedd to newydd i'r Eglwys ag ail addurno y tu fewn i gyd a chafodd rhain eu cwbwlhau yn 1992, ond mae rhagor o atgyweirio wedi en wneud ers hynny. (Gweler erthygl gan Judith McSweeney yn "Carmarthenshire Life" Rhagfyr 2003.)

 

Y mae'r gwybodaeth uchod wedi ei gymeryd o'r llyfryn sydd ar gael yn Eglwys Llanfihangel Myddfai.