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St Gwrhai’s, anglicised as St George’s, is an active Anglican church in the hamlet
Rural settlement smaller than a village. of Penstrowed, Powys, about two miles (3.2 km) west of Newtown.[1] It is in the Diocese of Bangor.[1][2]
The church was reputedly founded in about 520 by St Gwrhai, who is said to be buried in the churchyard, but the present building dates from 1863, when the original structure was totally rebuilt.[1]
In 2025 St Gwrhai’s became one of only two champing sites in Wales. Champing is a portmanteau word blending “church” and “camping”, meaning to offer overnight accommodation in historic churches no longer used for regular services.[3]
Architecture
St Gwrhai’s consists of a nave
Central part of a church, used by the laiety. and chancel
Part of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy., a south porch
Vestibule before the main entrance to a Christian church, less sacred than the church proper., north vestry
Room in Christian churches for the storage of liturgical vestments, sacred vessels and parish records. and a western bell cote
Shelter containing one or more bells. with a single bell. It is built from medium-sized blocks of quarry-cut, grey sedimentary rock with buff yellow sandstone dressings, and has a slate roof. There is no differentiation between the nave and the chancel, but the area around the altar, known as the sanctuary, is raised by a single step.[1]
Organ
The organ was installed by Ginns Bros, of Merton in London, in 1890, and was repaired by Philip Cardwell in 2008. It is located in the north chancel.[4] The bellows for the organ are beneath the church’s wooden floor.[1]
