St. Michael's Church

The first church in this parish of Ysgubor-y-coed, the most northerly in the diocese of St. Davids, was erected in 1623 at the expense of John Lloyd of Ynys-hir, as was recorded in Latin over the south window of the chancel. It was built as a chapel of ease for the use of parishoners living far from the mother church of Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn at Llandre. No drawing survives of the 1623 building, but it is known to have stood about fifty yards nearer the main road than the present church and that a sundial, dated 1623 and bearing the arms of the Lloyd family, was on the east end of the roof. Today all that survives of the original buildings is the lych gate, which is unique in Ceredigion for its arch and side buttresses. Judging by their worn state the hand-wrought iron gates are also old. The lychgate is classified by Cadw as a Grade II listed building.

The 1623 church was known as Llanfihangel Capel Edwin and this name, which was applied also to what we now call Eglwysfach village, persisted well into the 19th century. Llanfihangel Capel Edwin means Edwin's Chapel of the St. Michael's Church, but the significance of the name Edwin is obscure. Near the Dyfi estuary there is an old farmhouse called Ynys Edwin and folklore has tried to explain the name by relating how, in the Dark Ages, King Edwin of Northumbria brought an army across North Wales, crossed the Dyfi near Pennal, won a battle at Llandre and then returned to his camp at what is now called Ynys Edwin near which, in gratitude to the Lord for his victory, he founded a little church he called Capel Edwin.

The present St. Michael's church dates from 1833. In that year Lewis's 'Topographical Dictionary'. describing the parish of Ysgubor-y-coed, reported that it "contains the chapel of Eglwysfach or Llanfihangel Capel Edwin, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Cardigan and diocese of St. David's, endowed with £800 royal bounty and in the patronage of Mrs Jane Davies. The chapel is now about to be taken down and rebuilt by subscription". Today the church retains many of its original fittings including box pews, west gallery and prayer, commandments and creed boards. The east end was added in 1913. The single bell at the west end is modern. Classified by CADW as a scarce example of early 19th century Tudor Gothic style retaining much Regency character, St. Michael's church is now a grade II listed building.

The church contains two antiques: an oak chest and the font, both presumably from the earlier chapel. Where the font originally came from is not known. It stands on a modern pedestal and is ascribed to the early Middle Ages: "Unlike the greater number of fonts in this county" wrote E.T.Green in The Transactions of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society (1913) "it is cup-shaped and its sole ornament consists of two incised lines near the rim: these are very roughly cut and irregular. It is a rude and primitive-looking font and evidently belongs to an early period before the development of medieval Gothic art". The one memorial on the walls of the church is to George Jeffreys (1820 - 48) of Glandyfi Castle. Two of the stained-glass windows are also memorials: one is to Charles and Lilian Kenyon of Ranger Lodge, the other to members of the Pugh family of Voelas and Cymerau. The third window was erected by Mrs Guy de Laval Landon and her daughter of Llwyncelyn "in deepest gratitude for the Peace of God during the war years 1940 - 45". The brass cross on the communion table and also the lamp standards were given in memory of George Paddock, JP, DI, of Ynys-hir, who died in 1895. The fine wrought-iron chandeliers are the work of Alan Knight, a distinguished Midlands craftsman. The flower stands commemorate William Hubert Mappin who lived at Ynys-hir from 1929 to 1965 and was a very generous yet unassuming benefactor of the church and parish.

In the churchyard, as well as the many modern gravestones, there are a few very old stones, rough and undated. The earliest dated stone is that of 'Owen Rees, died 1699'. It is easily found near the eastern edge of the churchyard. A recent grave is that of the playwright N.C.Hunter (1908-71), the main part of whose work was written in Mid Wales. There are many trees all round the church ranging from flowering cherries and rhododendrons to a massive old sycamore. Between the lych gate and the church are three yews of apparently very different ages, the one nearest the gate looking old enough to have been planted at the founding of Capel Edwin. This would give it an age of 363 years which, for a yew, is quite youthful. In the spring the churchyard is adorned by many beautiful wild flowers.

Among well-known people associated with the church was the Rev. Thomas Jones (1752 - 1845), one of the founders (with Thomas Charles of Bala and others) of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He was curate in charge of Eglwysfach and Llangynfelin in 1774. The English novelist and poet, Thomas Love Peacock (1785 - 1866), travelled in Wales in his early days, sometimes with the poet Shelley. In 1820 he was married in Capel Edwin to Jane Griffith, the vicar's daughter. A celebrated name of the 20th century is that of the poet R.S.Thomas, who was vicar here from 1954 to 1967. His wife, who paints under the name of M.E.Eldridge, is a distinguished artist.

The history of a church is the history of a community. The crowded stones in the graveyard tell something of the story. Many other fragments can be gleaned from the well-kept parish registers from 1754 to 1931 which are now preserved in the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth.

(This account of the church's history was written by William Condry with assistance from A.O. Chater, in the mid 1980's)