Early
Christian influence in Kite Country
The vacuum left by the departing Romans in about 400 AD unleashed a violent
Dark Age of repeated invasions by Saxons, Picts and others that left few
treasures behind. Of greater significance was the influence exerted by
the early Celtic missionaries who introduced Christianity to Kite Country
from the fifth century onwards. Many of the earliest churches, monasteries
and other religious symbols are known to have been constructed on religious
sites dating from this much earlier period. Many early churches are dedicated
to the various Celtic saints, such as St David's in Llanddewi at SO 056307,
just to the North of Brecon (see Map
2). The grassy common land South of Brecon known as Mynydd Illtud,
on which the National Park Visitor Centre now stands, is named after St
Illtud, who, along with St David, was the most influential of all the
early missionaries. He is allegedly buried on the common land under some
stones near the Visitor Centre. You can visit the stones of Bedd Illtud
yourself and decide - it is certainly a most beautiful place to lie, with
360 degree views over the Brecon
Beacons National Park.
Early Celtic
crosses can be seen outside the little church at Llanelieu, in the shadow
of the Black Mountains near Talgarth (see Map
4). Incidentally, if you do visit Llanelieu, please take the time
to look in at the lovely little Black Mountain Studio, the home for
several decades of the beautifully designed and high quality work of
Pauline Paterson, whose skillfully turned pottery can also be found
in many craft shops throughout Kite Country.
For more
information on where to find these early relics of Christianity see
the excellent Clwyd
/ Powys Archaelogical Trust pages. The calming influence of these
missionaries, together with the strenuous efforts of religious orders
such as the Cistercians to improve their environment and reap the benefits
of early agricultural practices (they are credited with the introduction
of large-scale sheep farming to Wales) brought a period of peace and
stability. Then the Normans
came...
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Introduction
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