England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Rhayader St Clement

The Parish

The parish of Rhayader lies in western Radnorshire roughly 16 miles northwest of the town of New Radnor and 13 north of Builth Wells in Breconshire. Rhayader stands at the junction of the A480 road from Builth and the A44 running in from Kington. Rhayader is a small market town which sits on the eastern banks of the Afon Gwy/River Wye. Rhayader is a planned settlement, one of a number created across mid-Wales, protected by twin castles, both of which are only remaining as traces of ruins. By 1360 the small town was granted its market and for much of its existence it has supported the local farming community as a centre for trade and specialist skills. The town was originally within the parish of Nantmel only being separated in 1735. The 18th century saw a limited woollen industry develop which was barely competitive with mechanised northern English mill towns. The same period saw the completion of turnpike roads in from Kington and onwards to Aberystwyth and Rhayader, thus, became a coaching town, a role it preserves to some extent today. Today's Rhayader is still divided by its twin main roads with most properties lining one or the other, across the Wye's bridge sits the subsidiary settlement of Llansantffraed Cwndeuddwr which is a separate parish but integral with Rhayader as an entity. Modern developments came and went from the parish, the railway line linking to Builth arrived in1864 but is now closed and largely dismantled. Rhayader is drained southwards by the Wye which makes a turn at Gladestry to pass through Hereford before meandering south to the outer Bristol Channel through the port of Chepstow. Rhayader is sited between 210 metres at its centre and 250 metres above the sea at its northern extent, mountainous terrain surrounds on all sides with Moel Hywel to the northeast being the highest summit at 505 metres whilst westwards Esgair Penygarreg  reaches 524 metres. The historic parish covered little more than the town,itself, just 188 acres which supported a town of close to 750 parishioners. Like most of Wales Rhayader is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

Whilst there undoubtedly had been a church on this site from the earliest times of the 14th century planned settlement today's St Clement is a thoroughly modern church which would be unrecognisable for the participants in these marriages. A long succession of changes has been wrought since the demolition and rebuild of the old church in 1733. The western tower was the first great change being rebuilt in 1783, that tower lasted barely a century. A Georgian restoration of 1829 made many changes including the installation of a gallery only for it too to be removed by later changes. The entire church including the western tower was rebuilt in 1887, reusing some of the earlier masonry, a sanctuary added and the whole church clad in rock-dressed masonry. The final act was further work in 1899 which removed the 1829 galley, re-seated the church and added the northern aisle. There is some limited parking in New Road opposite, the church stands in a churchyard with all of the favourable southern aspects available for the photographer.