The New Year will see progress in saving Llanarth Church

Since September The Village Alive Trust, a local buildings preservation charity,  has been formulating a tender seeking consultants to research the business case for conserving and adapting the closed St Teilo’s Church at Llanarth, near Raglan. The Architectural Heritage Fund has offered a £10,000 project development grant for the  Calon Llanarth Project, which the Trust has match funded through donations.

It is over ten years since the Grade II* church was shut for worship – made ‘redundant’. Since 2019 Village Alive has been working to find a way of saving this landmark building for community use, and regular access to its heritage. The Church in Wales is offering the Trust a long lease, at peppercorn rent, if the building can be opened after expensive conservation and adaptation, with essential facilities incorporated into the space.

Following the tendering process the Trust has now offered the business case development research to a chosen applicant for work to begin in the New Year. Part of the consultant’s research will include meeting potential users, local residents and stakeholder groups. It is planned that a café would give someone a business opportunity…is that you or someone you know? Get in touch at this design stage as we are hoping a café offering welcome refreshments will generate an ‘open door’ opportunity for visitors, walkers, cyclists and local groups to enjoy this ancient heritage site.

Wellbeing is at the centre of the current project plans…somewhere for specific groups and therapists to operate in this rural area. With a welcoming café on offer we can create a local venue for meeting others or maybe to use the internet if you are a mobile or home worker needing a refreshment stop. It is planned to reinstate the church bells and run regular training sessions as there is currently no bell ringing school in South East Wales to foster this ancient skill.

In early 2024 a survey to gauge ongoing community support will be made widely available to local people and potential users.

The huge funding bids needed to save and reopen this quiet space for everyone will need community support, and an up-to-date survey can help to prove this to grant bodies. If we are successful the bells will eventually ring out again too, something which was requested by a majority of respondents in an initial survey, pre Covid.

The Trust website is www.villagealivetrust.org.uk