PGW(Dy)67(PEM)

St Brynach's Churchyard, Nevern  

II  

01/02/2022  

Designated  

Pembrokeshire  

Nevern  

208347  

240021  

Gardens, Parks and Urban Spaces  

Churchyard  

Twelfth century; fifteenth century; 1864.  

Registered for its historic interest as a churchyard with a magnificent and unusual avenue of yew trees, probably dating to the medieval period, on the approach to the church entrance. Also important for its group value with the listed churchyard, which also contains unusual walled family vaults, listed church and scheduled monuments PE151 and PE164. The church of St Brynach is situated at the heart of the small village of Nevern (Cadw LB 12746). It lies at the foot of a steep south-west-facing hillside which flanks a small valley whose stream, the Caman, runs southwards to join the river Nyfer at the south end of the village. The churchyard, used as a cemetery, lies mainly to the north, east and south of the church and rises northwards, becoming steeper to the north and north-east. It is bounded by a stone wall of variable height. The main entrance, off the B4582, lies opposite the south porch, through a simple iron gate flanked by tall piers of squared stone, with tapered tops and ball finials. A straight tarmac path from the entrance to the south porch is flanked by a fine avenue of four evenly-spaced, large, widely branching yew trees, believed to date to the medieval period, possibly the fifteenth century, when the major part of the church was built. The only other planting in the churchyard is a closely-set row of Irish yews, probably dating to the restoration phase of 1864, along the south-east boundary wall. The churchyard is also notable for its early medieval High Cross (Cadw PE151) and a number of significant family graves dating from the eighteenth century. Sources: Cadw 2002: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire,260-1 (ref: PGW Dy67(PEM)). Additional notes: C.S.Briggs