My sister and I were having a day out and driving along the lanes of Shropshire and Montgomeryshire between Ludlow and Newtown. We went to Knighton and found the graves of our grandparents in the churchyard, cleaned it up a bit and then hopped back in the car towards Clun.
The lanes of this part of Powys (Radnorshire & Montgomeryshire) are narrow and the hedges are overhanging at this time of year, with hedge parsley and other wild flowers. There were a couple of cyclists and walkers and a few agricultural vehicles, but apart from that, the lanes were very quiet.
Rural churches in Britain in general are beautiful, historic and in various states of repair. Some are sadly falling into disrepair and suffering from an aging and dying congregation. This was not the case at the church in Bettws-y-Crwyn.
There were a handful of people sitting in the porch chatting and a few wandering around the churchyard taking pictures and admiring the view down the valley towards Newcastle-on-Clun. It really is a most picturesque, quiet and serene place. The church is a very well-maintained building and the graveyard well kept.
But this little church has an historic secret. Lying in the corner of the graveyard under an old yew tree is an ancient Celtic stone cross.
The story of the stone goes back to 1691 when the body of a dead peddler was found on the Kerry Ridgeway. The cross broken apart where it was placed at the sight of his death and was brought to Bettws-y-Crwyn church and placed upon his grave. It is still there today, very little visited and being reclaimed by weeds and moss.
We cleaned it off to reveal the intricate design of the cross. So for us, the day was one of visiting graves, of our grandparents and of a peddler who died over 350 years ago and was treated to a decent burial and a tremendous carved Celtic Cross in one of Shrophire’s most beautiful village churches.