Medieval church rebuilt

A medieval church which was dismantled and rebuilt stone-by-stone 50 miles away is due to be opened by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

St Teilo's Church has been moved from the West Wales community of Pontarddulais to the St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff and renovated in a project that has lasted almost a decade.

Carpenters and painters have rebuilt and decorated it to look as it did in the 1520s, using inspiration from a set of rare wall paintings dating from the period which were found when the building was being dismantled.

The painstaking project is thought to be the first of its kind attempted in Europe.
Reverend John Walters, the vicar of the new St Teilo's Church in Pontarddulais which replaced the medieval building, said: "The church will be a revelation to everyone and will offer an insight to part of our country's hidden history."

First Minister Rhodri Morgan is one of those welcoming the church's renovation as his great, great grandparents were one of the last couples to be married there.
He said: "I have watched the incredible skills of the restoration team that have reconstructed the building and saved the frescoes.

"This is a stunning addition to the treasure trove of Welsh history contained in St Fagans."
Original materials have been used where possible, with missing items replicated to be as authentic as they could be. Craftsmen used the same tools and techniques as those used hundreds of years ago in the ambitious process.

Those who remember the church at its original site, where it last stood in 1985, have been invited to a service being held by Rev Walters as part of the opening.

From: The Press Association