Llanspyddid

Nearest town: Brecon

Site type: churchyard

Access: Public

Church name: St Cattwg

Diocese: Swansea and Brecon

County: Powys

Country: Wales

Grid ref: SO01172820

Lost yew site: Yes

Date visited: 5-Aug-98

Recorded by: Tim Hills

Protection & responsibility: Church in Wales

Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 4m-5m, Ancient 5m-7m, Ancient 7m+, Lost, Notable

Notes: This church is considered to have an early medieval foundation. It was described in 1775 as a 'Church embosomed in a Grove of the noblest Yews I ever saw'. Of its oldest trees several ancients survive. The size of the stumps on the south side reveal that that there were once many more significant yews at this site. On the plan tree 1 is ancient (7m+) tree 9 is ancient (5/7m) and trees 10 and 11 are ancient (4/5m). Trees 5,6 and 8 are stumps and tree 7 is the most recent planting. Paul Wood's 2017 interpretation of the site suggests that the churchyard might once have been considerably larger - seen in the 2nd and 3rd images - possibly including the tree shown in image 4, which grows in the garden of a house opposite the churchyard entrance, on the other side of the A40.

Site files:

Llanspyddid-2019.pdf