Probably the forecast of heavy showers combined with cloud and thunder across the mountains put most people off, plus the fact that it was the finals of Wimbledon weekend, but for those who ventured out to join Barrie recently not one drop of rain fell all day whereas at home the rain didn’t stop.
They began from the church at Partrishow (or Patrishow) which is actually called The Church of Merthyr Issui at Patricio and dedicated to St Issui who was an early Celtic Christian. He settled near a spring on the Nant Mair stream (Mary’s Stream) from where he drew his water and most likely lived in a wattle hut or cell, from where he shared his abundant love of God with local tribes. Travellers also stopped to share his hospitality and listened to him and some would apparently find peace and healing in his hands. Unfortunately one user of his simple cell murdered him, most likely in order to steal his meagre possessions and after being found in his cell he was also buried there and the present stone church, which bears his name and is perched on a hillside, was built in the 11th century over what had been Issui’s home. It was built after a pilgrim left a bag of gold there in the mid 11th century in thanks for being cured of leprosy at St Issui’s Holy Well.
Inside alongside his slab-covered grave which has six crosses inscribed upon it is a niche containing a modern statue of St Issui. The original was destroyed during the reformation so in 1995 a new statue was commissioned from Frank Roper who originally hailed from Yorkshire and studied under Henry Moore. Later teaching and becoming Vice Principal at Cardiff College of Art, much of his work can be seen locally in the Cardiff area, including Llandaff Cathedral and for many years he and his family lived in Penarth. In fact two stones taken from the beach near Lavernock Point have been used as grave markers in St Lawrence churchyard in memory of both Mr Roper and his wife, who died in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
The small neat church built before the Norman’s invaded Britain contains a 15th century oak rood screen, wall paintings and a pre-Norman font purported to be one of the oldest in Wales and is inscribed ‘Menhir made me in the time of Genillin’. The Welsh Maen Hir which meant Long Stone was shortened across the years into Menhir which has become the usual method of describing such stones through out the world.
In 1188, Giraldus Cambrensis and Archbishop Baldwin came to preach the Third Crusade to the parishioners who would have listened whilst seated on the stone seats running alongside the church wall, which still survive today and when the order came in 1547, for the destruction of all church crosses, the one standing in the churchyard survived because no one could find the church!
First the group visited the nearby Holy Well of St Issui just below the church, which over the years has gained a reputation for its spiritual and healing powers. The water was crystal clear and the restored well was decorated with various objects. It is the tradition that places with healing powers and usually wells are decorated with pins, coins, pebbles, cones and toys etc which are left by visitors. The branches of the surrounding trees have coins hammered into them and strips of cloth also hang from the branches.
They set off under grey, threatening clouds and descended the hillside into the Grwyne Fawr valley and crossed the river that winds through the beautiful valley below and followed footpaths and tracks gradually up the hillsides of Bal-Bach and Bal-Mawr, the trig point of which stands at 607-metres. Stopping for coffee and sheltering behind a cairn from the blustery wind on the open mountainside they admired the views, before meandering down through the forest to re-cross the fast flowing Grwyne Fawr River.
The Grwyne Fawr rises at Blaen Grwyne Fawr on the southern slopes of Rhos Dirion in the Black Mountains and flows down through the Grwyne Fawr reservoir. Until the 19th century the valley contained more than thirty small farms surrounded by stone-walled fields and when work started on the massive Grwyne Fawr reservoir in 1912 a village was built down in the valley to house the workers. Because of the Second World War and construction problems it took sixteen years to finish the reservoir and the village has since disappeared.
As the sun made an appearance, the group paused by the river for lunch to fortify them for the long haul up through Mynydd Du forest, through which there are two cycle trails. They reached the ridgeway which is part of the Llanbedr horseshoe before taking a rest and liquid refreshment on Pen y Gadair.
It was there in 1943 a Flying Fortress from the US 8th Army Air Force, whilst on a bombing mission to northwest France crashed, with the sad loss of all ten crew members. On 16 September 1993, exactly fifty years later and at the same time as the crash occurred, a memorial service was held in the little church at Llanbedr and a plaque inscribed with the names of the crew hangs on the church wall.
Following a very wet ridgeway for a mile or so, the group eventually descended into the beautiful Cwm Ffrwd valley, where out of the wind the temperature rose and outer clothing was hastily removed at last. Then making their return to Patrishow they arrived at the finish with very wet and muddy boots but had enjoyed the best of the weather.
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