Ewenny Priory from the outside by Revd Mike Komor
An historic priory church tucked away in the Vale of Glamorgan is preparing for its first Royal guest for more than 600 years when HRH The Prince of Wales visits.
Ewenny Priory Church, which is the most complete Norman church in South Wales and is still a thriving centre of Christian worship, will welcome the Prince during his visit to Wales on December 13.
The Prince will be following in the footsteps of his ancestor, King Henry 1V who stayed at the former Benedictine Priory in 1405. Another famous visitor was the artist JPW Turner who painted a watercolour of the transept of the Priory church in 1795.
The Archdeacon of Margam and priest-in-charge of Ewenny, Philip Morris, will greet the Prince and show him around the church which was built in 1126. Today, the building is in two parts – the nave, which is used for worship today and the monastic end which has been restored by Cadw.
During the visit, the Prince will meet several of the parishioners. They include:
- The Jenkins family, who have been making the internationally-famous Ewenny Pottery for eight generations. Ewenny Pottery is the oldest family working pottery in Wales and some pieces made there are at Llwynywermod, the Welsh home of The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. The Prince will meet Alun Jenkins, who is also churchwarden at Ewenny, his wife Jayne and their daughter Mrs Caitlin Davies. Mrs Davies will display some of the pottery and present the Prince with a traditional Ewenny Pottery Wassail Bowl;
- Michael Felton, publisher at Seren Press, who will present the Prince with a copy of the book The Harp in Wales, by Bruce Cardwell, which features Royal harpists;
- Dr Eurof Evans OBE, chairman of the Ewenny Priory Church Preservation Trust and the Cadw appointed Key Keeper for Ewenny Priory. Dr Evans will lead the Prince around the Priory section of the Church, which is cared for by Cadw;
The Prince will also meet:
- Jeremy Picton-Turbervill and his family. The Priory House has been owned by the Turbervill family, since the Priory was dissolved in the 16th Century;
- Artist Alexander Beleschenko, based in Swansea, who designed the Pulpitum Screen at Ewenny Priory Church, which was erected in 2006 to divide the two sections of the building, and is currently working on a design for a glass door for the church;
- Jonathan Berry, senior inspector of Ancient Monuments and Archaeology, Cadw;
Before leaving the church, the Prince will listen to carols sung by children from the choir of St Brides Major Church in Wales Primary School, led by their headteacher, Mrs Claire Matthews. The Prince will then sign the visitors’ book.
Archdeacon Philip said, “The congregation is delighted that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is making a special visit to Ewenny Priory Church. Ewenny Priory is one of the hidden treasures of Wales, a remarkable example of Norman architecture and very much a living church today. A highlight of the visit will be carols sung by the children of St Brides Major Church in Wales Primary School, many of whom live in Ewenny.”
To find out more about Ewenny Priory Church and see video footage, as well as directions how to get there, please see the website http://bit.ly/1gioZpi
