A successful reopening weekend was held last weekend at an historic Breconshire church.

Llansantffraed Church, one of six churches in the Beacons Benefice group, had been closed since lockdown in early 2020.

Following a series of meetings with the local community in the Talybont-on-Usk area aimed at keeping the church open for public use, a new church committee has been formed to operate and maintain the church.

More than 80 people attended the open day on Saturday or the thanksgiving service on Sunday.

Further services will be held on the second Sunday of each month at 10.00 am and an afternoon choral concert is planned for Sunday, October 18.

Llansantffraed Church was impressively rebuilt in Victorian times and has a landmark Italianesque tower. The church is associated with Breconshire’s renowned 17th-century poet Henry Vaughan who lived nearby at Scethrog and whose grave lies in the churchyard. A setting of Vaughan’s poem ‘My soul, there is a country’ was sung the late Queen’s funeral.

Local minister Rev Liz Bramley said: “It is a credit to this church’s heritage that Vaughan’s poem was chosen by the Queen as an anthem of great hope, and how fitting that it had reopened.”

For further information on Llansantffraed Church, please search for ‘Beacons Benefice’ on Google.