June 2026 Press Release
On the road north from Dinas Mawddwy, at the very top of the Dyfi Valley where the river has its source and the Biosphere begins, nestles the ancient hill farming village of Llanymawddwy, deep in mountains climbing up to Bwlch y Groes.
Llanymawddwy is the setting of Alan Garner's famous fantasy book, The Owl Service, but it is also the site of the 'mother church' of the patron saint of Mallwyd, St. Tydecho.
St Tydecho Church, dedicated to this 6th century saint who was a relation to St Cadfan, goes back to the Middle Ages and the current building dates to the 14th century. In the 1600s the church was in the care of Dr John Davies the great Welsh scholar who produced the revised edition of the Bible in 1620. Before the church's closure for worship by the Church in Wales in 2006, St Tydecho was a site for traditional Plygain services, the Welsh language carol singing indigenous to this part of Meirionnydd. Local children grew up with stories of Tydecho, a man who lived with the plants and animals as his friends, a farmer himself, who slept outside to be close to nature and performed many miracles, which resulted in this part of the Dyfi Valley being designated as a sanctuary 'for man and beasts’.
A support group to save the church, Ffrindiau Tydecho Friends, was started in 2023 and is now under the umbrella of social enterprise Cwmni Nod Glas. This group of volunteers secured an initial grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund. The grant was used to establish the condition of the closed church and to carry out a public consultation into potential community uses of the building to inform restoration plans.
In spring 2026, consultation and scoping work are now complete, showing that the building can be repaired with sensitive heritage building techniques. Plans are well advanced to use an adjoining field as a natural burial ground, (in partnership with Leedam, a specialist in natural burial grounds). The facility will offer a peaceful, sustainable and scenic resting place for wildlife and people. This partnership will generate income for building upkeep in the years to come. The consultation found widespread support for non-residential cultural and community uses of the building, in keeping with the rural nature and heritage of the valley.
Ffrindiau Tydecho Friends are inviting expressions of interest from community groups, arts and wellbeing projects, and charities who might like to use the building. The group are also interested in a future long-distance walking route, celebrating the story of St Tydecho. Expressions of interest will be used to inform the next grant applications to the Architectural Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore the building.
More information about the church building and the project can be found on website www.tydecho.co.uk and by going to our Facebook page. Groups are invited to make expressions of interest using the online form.
Further information can also be obtained from Project Leader Arfon Hughes on 07426914442.
Local textile artist Katherine Keatley, says, “This part of the Dyfi Valley has such a fantastic history and is so inspiring as an artist, and I believe the St Tydecho project will bring opportunities for local work to the area. I am excited about ideas the public will bring to this stage of the project.”
