Introduction
Ffrindiau Tydecho Friends (FfTF) undertook a community consultation to share our plans and ideas for the restoration as use of the St Tydecho Church building. The information shared below was also contained within the consultation questionnaire in an abridged form.
Either scroll through the content below, use the shortcuts below to jump to a particular section, note the consultation closed on 13th June.
How we got here
In 2006 the Church in Wales closed St Tydecho Llanymawddwy for worship. St Tydecho is a Grade II listed building considered to be of importance to the Mawddwy Community and beyond. Following a public meeting in Dinas Mawddwy Village Hall in 2023 the Community approached the Church in Wales who offered to donate St Tydecho to the Community. Volunteers formed Ffrindiau Tydecho Friends (FfTF), a group looking at options to support St Tydecho’s future. Our aim is to restore the Church to good condition and to make it available for Community and other uses.
Funds were raised through the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) to cover the initial cost of assessing the condition of St Tydecho. Inspections revealed the need for a new roof and other significant repairs to render the building suitable for community use. We plan to provide the building with mains water, drainage and toilet facilities, none of which exist at present. Subject to a further grant from AHF we will commission more detailed investigations to allow design and development plans to be drawn up along with cost estimates. These will be presented to the community and also form the basis for the funding and planning applications required.
Our current view is that the best way to fund the repair and upgrade work is through the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF). The value of the work required even using ball park estimates are likely to be in excess of £250,000. To raise this level of funding will involve a significant effort from a number of volunteers to provide the detailed information in a form acceptable to NHLF.
What we need
To secure funds from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to facilitate the necessary repairs and improvements we need to demonstrate:
- Significant ongoing community support for the scheme.
- Proposed uses for the building.
- Realistic proposals for managing the building in the years to come.
- Plans for generating income to cover the building’s upkeep once renovation works are complete.
Each of the four elements above are explored in more detail in the following sections.
Community Support
The potential funders we are looking at to support us, currently the Architectural Heritage Fund and the National Heritage Lottery Fund, require us to demonstrate community support for the project. This support can come in a number of ways:
- Letting us have your views by completing this consultation survey, the more responses the better so we can get a good view on what the people of Mawddwy want from this project.
- Volunteers to help produce or lead the funding bid documentation for submission. This will cover a number of areas and may be a good way of sharing or developing your skills and knowledge.
- Volunteers to be part of Ffrindiau Tydecho Friends and help manage the project to a successful conclusion.
- Trustees to take a formal role as part of a Community Trust to manage the St Tydecho building, the Natural Burial Ground pasture and the relationship with the burial ground operator.
- Potential paid part-time roles:
- St Tydecho building housekeeping/bookings, depending on eventual use.
- Natural Burial Ground celebrant – the welcoming face of the burial ground.
Proposed uses
FfTF have identified a number of potential uses for St Tydecho once it has been restored and provided with mains water, drainage and toilet facilities. They are:
- A heritage centre celebrating the culture, language and history of the Mawddwy area.
Bi-lingual information boards featuring mythological and historical themes, annotated photographs and illustrations, local characters and stories. - A creative arts studio available for short to medium term lets with no accommodation.
Possibly combined with elements of (1) above. The letting would be managed and vetted through a community trust with the potential for paid part-time work. - A creative arts studio available for short to medium term lets with simple living accommodation.
Possibly combined with elements of (1) above. The letting would be managed and vetted through a community trust with the potential for paid part-time work. - Occasional community events, concerts and festivities including an annual Plygain service.
- Marriage/civil partnership ceremonies.
We are keen to get feedback from the community on these ideas so they are all listed in the consultation questionnaire.
We are also keen to receive further suggestions. It could be that a number of these options could be adopted alongside each other.
Building Management
Depending on the final use of St Tydecho there will be a need for community involvement in managing St Tydecho on a day-to-day basis. We plan to create a new charitable trust (or similar organisation) possibly under the overall control of existing community interest company Cwmni Nod Glas. The organisation will oversee day to day maintenance (which should be minimal given that the building will have been completely refurbished), arranging insurance, occasional repairs, cleaning and the payment of other sundry expenses arising from the community ownership of the building. If the building is made available for community use then arranging access for occasional events and cleaning will be necessary.
If the building is let as a creative arts studio or similar use then management of the building will extend to taking bookings and checking users of the building in and out. It is possible that this could be undertaken by a third party organisation in return for an appropriate fee.
It is envisaged that the new management structure would liaise with Leedam Natural Burials (see below). There would be the possibility of paid employment funded by the income generated by the operation of the burial ground.
The level of activity would be commensurate with running a small village hall. It will be up to the new management organisation to agree how to run the new facility. There is an enormous amount of information and advice available both locally, nationally and online to get the ball rolling.
In the first instance we need your help in getting a group together interested in taking this project forward. The experience will be rewarding!
Natural Burial Ground
FfTF have reached agreement with the Church in Wales to donate the church building along with two acres of land owned by the Church (situated just across the road) to establish a natural burial ground. Operation of the natural burial ground will generate an income sufficient to cover the costs of running the building, i.e. day to day running costs, insurance, utility charges and routine maintenance. We have been in discussions with Leedam, a well-respected and experienced natural burial ground operator, who would operate the site and share net profits with the Community.
The impact on the local surroundings would be minimal. The burial ground would contain no markers other than a small memorial shelter to house commemorative slate plaques near the entrance. Parking would be provided on-site for visitors to the burial ground and to St Tydecho itself. We are proposing that the burial ground operations be managed by Leedam Natural Burials with a 50/50 split of the profits between Leedam and a Community Trust. Our income forecast is based on at most two to three burials per month.
The land would continue to be available to graze sheep and cut hay and would look very much as it does today.
Leedam
Leedam are a Monmouth based family firm running a number of sites in the UK, three of which are in Wales. Please take a look at a presentation by Leedam giving more detail:
Community Consultation
The community consultation covered the entire Mawddwy community with a paper copy of the questionnaire posted to every occupied address therein. The questionnaire was also accessible through a bilingual online survey with the direct link on this page.
An information board was displayed for the duration of the consultation at Caffi’r Hen Siop, Dinas Mawddwy along with posters at key points in the local area including outside St Tydecho. They included web address links to the questionnaire via text and QR codes to allow any interested individuals to take part in the survey.
The results of the consultation will form a key part of our submissions for the required funding to the AHF and the NLHF. We held a community feedback event at the Red Lion, Dinas Mawddwy on Thursday 3rd July.
Prize Draw
To encourage the widest participation form the community we offered a chance to win a £75 voucher for every individual completed consultation questionnaire. To comply you would have had to do the following:
- Submit the questionnaire by the closing date of Friday 13th June 2025 either,
- Online via this website,
- Drop in the blue collection box at Caffi’r Hen Siop, Dinas Mawddwy, or
- By post to Ffrindiau Tydecho Friends, Ty Isaf, Llanymawddwy, Machynlleth SY20 9AQ.
- Include your contact details with a minimum of either,
- Name and email address, or
- Name and telephone number.
The Prize Draw was held on Thursday 3rd July 2025 at the community feedback event at the Red Lion, Dinas Mawddwy and the winner was announced and contacted by FfTF.