The Church Yard

The churchyard is sub-circular with no evidence of having been extended at any time. It is well-kept on the south side, where unmarked graves and slabs have been laid flat and grassed over.Boundaries: a stone wall acts as a retaining barrier, and only to the east of the church does it rise above the internal banking.

Monuments: it has been suggested that there were no burials on the north and north-west sides of the church up to and beyond the early 19thC; the area was apparently in use as a common playing ground.

19thCentury slabs lie to the west of the porch and the nave. Late 18thCentury to mid-19thCentury slate slabs lean against the west boundary wall. The earliest stone is of 1671 under a yew on the west side of the church.

Furniture: 18thCentury sundial with sandstone baluster pillar and a square plinth stands on a raised circular base with graduated steps, on the west side of the path leading south-eastwards. The dial, now gone, was dated to 1770.

Earthworks: a raised but very spread mound on the north side of the church is reputedly St Garmon's preaching mound, 'Twmpath Garmon'. The mound is considerably overgrown and has graves dug in it. There are 19thCentury records of two cockpits here: one immediately to the east of the mound, the other outside the south-west gate.

The churchyard is raised, about 1m on the east, up to 3m on the north where there is also an inner embankment, and 0.6m or so on the south, but is virtually level on the west.

Ancillary features: main entrance is through a timber lych gate supported on stone walls, with a kissing gate adjacent. The concrete floor has a slate cross set in it, and there are benches to either side. Other entrances close to north and west corners. New gravel paths lead to the south door from these entrances. A public footpath crosses the churchyard north of the church.

Vegetation: several large yew trees surround the south-west and south-east perimeter of the churchyard; other smaller ones on the north-eastern edge. An Irish yew is sited near St Garmon's mound. Well-cut rhododendron bushes line the south path.

extract taken from cpat.org.uk