| There has been a
place of Christian worship in Melverley for about a 1000 years. In late
Saxon times there was a small hermitage in Melverley on the river bank
by the ancient trackway near the crossings of the Rivers Vyrnwy and Severn. |
| In 1401 the original wooden chapel was
burnt down by the Welsh chieftain Owen Glyndwr. The present church was
built in 1406, and is made of local Melverley oak. |
| Melverley Church is a rare example of
timber, wattle and daub construction. The white sections are narrower than
the timbers, which is a sign of an early timber building. The entire structure
is held together with wooden pegs, and no nails have been used. |
| The two yew trees in the churchyard are
estimated to be between 380 and 450 years old, so were planted many years
after the church was built. A third yew has been planted in the new churchyard
to celebrate the Millenium, and is a cutting from an ancient yew (at least
2000 years old). |
| The church serves a scattered parish of
just 55 houses but regular services are held here every Sunday. |
