View source for Brecon Cathedral

{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox church
| name             = Brecon Cathedral
| fullname         = Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist
| image            = Brecon Cathedral (5726564531).jpg
| imagesize        = 300px
| imagealt         = Brecon Cathedral, viewed from inside the grounds to the south.
| caption          = Brecon Cathedral
| coordinates      = {{coord|51.951111|-3.391944|region:GB|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| location         = [[Brecon]]
| country          = [[Wales]]
| denomination     = [[Church in Wales]]
| previous denomination = [[Catholic]]
| dedication       = [[John the Evangelist]]
| heritage designation = Grade I listed building
| designated date  = 16 January 1952
| diocese          = [[Diocese of Swansea and Brecon]]
| diocese start    = 1923
| province         = [[Church in Wales]]
| bishop           = [[Bishop of Swansea and Brecon]]
| dean             = The Very Revd Dr Paul Shackerley
| precentor        = The Rev'd Canon Steven Griffith
| organist         = Stephen Power
}}
[[File:The Priory Church, Brecon from the Tarall.jpeg|thumb|Priory Church, Brecon (c.1865)]]
'''Brecon Cathedral''' ({{langx|cy|Eglwys Gadeiriol Aberhonddu}}), in the town of [[Brecon]], [[Powys]], is the cathedral of the [[Diocese of Swansea and Brecon]] in the [[Church in Wales]] and seat of the [[Bishop of Swansea and Brecon]]. Previously the church of Brecon Priory and then the Parish Church of St John the Evangelist, it became Brecon Cathedral following the [[Welsh Church Act 1914|disestablishment of the Church in Wales]] in 1920 and the creation of the diocese in 1923.

==History==
Because of the characteristic round shape of its churchyard, the cathedral is thought to be on the site of an earlier [[Celtic church]], of which no trace remains. A new church, dedicated to [[John the Evangelist|St. John]], was built on the orders of [[Bernard de Neufmarché]], the [[Normans|Norman]] [[knight]] who conquered the [[kingdom of Brycheiniog]] in 1093. He gave the church to one of his followers, Roger, a monk from [[Battle Abbey]], who founded a [[priory]] on the site as a daughter house of Battle. The first prior at Brecon was Walter, another monk from Battle. Bernard de Neufmarché also endowed the priory with lands, rights and [[tithe]]s from the surrounding area, and, after his death, it passed to the [[Earls of Hereford]], so giving it greater prosperity. The church was rebuilt and extended in the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] in about 1215, during the reign of [[John, King of England|King John]].<ref name=breconcathedral>[http://www.breconcathedral.org.uk/  Brecon Cathedral: A Brief History]</ref> In the [[Middle Ages]], the church was known as the church of [[Holyrood (cross)|Holy Rood]] or Holy Cross, because it owned a great "golden [[rood]]" which was an object of pilgrimage and veneration until it was destroyed in the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] in the 16th century.<ref name=powys>[http://powysenc.weebly.com/brecon-cathedral---hunt.html  Brecon Cathedral at Powys Local History Encyclopaedia]</ref> The smoke-blackened roof of its hall was built between 1237 and 1267.<ref>Richard Suggett: ''The Townscape, 1400–1600'', in: Helen Fulton (ed.): ''Urban Culture in Medieval Wales'', University of Wales Press, Cardiff 2012, pp. 51–94, p. 93.</ref>

[[File:Brecon Cathedral Font with bird, Green Man and scorpion.jpg|thumb|Font with [[Green Man]] and [[Tree of Life]]]]
In 1538 the Prior was pensioned off, and the priory church became the parish church. Some of the surrounding buildings were adapted for secular use; and others, such as the [[cloister]]s, were left to decay and later demolished. By the 19th century, the church was in poor repair and only the nave was in use. Some restoration took place in 1836, but major renovation of the church did not start until the 1860s. The tower was strengthened in 1914.<ref name=powys/>

The cathedral is a Grade I [[listed building]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Brecon|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wa-6998-cathedral-church-of-st-john-the-baptist-br|access-date=18 May 2014}}</ref>

In recent years, some of the buildings in the [[cathedral close]] have been converted into a diocesan centre, a heritage centre and exhibition, as well as a shop and "the Hours" restaurant.

[[Charles Lumley]] (1824–1858), awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] during the [[Crimean War]], was buried in the cathedral churchyard.

==Deans of Brecon==
The present Dean is [[Paul Shackerley]], who was appointed in September 2014, in succession to Geoffrey Marshall who retired earlier that year.
*From the diocese's erection until 1939, the bishop was ''ex-officio'' dean; Roberts was Sub-Dean.
*1939–1949 (ret.): [[Edward Roberts (priest)|Edward Roberts]], Vicar of Brecon<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Roberts, Very Rev. Edward Albert Trevillian
| id = U55178
| type = was
| volume = 1920–2015
| edition = April 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*1950–1964 (res.): [[William Jones (1897–1974)|William Jones]], Vicar of St Mary's, [[Brecon]]<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Jones, Very Rev. William Edward
| id = U156232
| type = was
| volume = 1920–2015
| edition = April 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*1964–18 February 1967 (d.): [[Gwynno James]], Vicar of St Mary's, Brecon and Battle<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=James, Very Rev. John Gwynno
| id = U47564
| type = was
| volume = 1920–2015
| edition = April 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*1967–1978 (ret.): [[Ungoed Jacob]], Vicar of St Mary's, Brecon and Battle<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Jacob, Very Rev. William Ungoed
| id = U165731
| type = was
| volume = 1920–2015
| edition = April 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*1979–1982 (res.): [[Alwyn Rice Jones]] (became [[Bishop of St&nbsp;Asaph]]; later [[Archbishop of Wales]])<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Jones, Rt Rev. Alwyn Rice
| id = U22254
| type = was
| volume = 1920–2015
| edition = April 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}} (''nb'': ''Who's Who'' is in error; Alwyn's surname was Rice Jones, not Jones.)</ref>
*1982–1993 (res.): [[Huw Jones (bishop)|Huw Jones]], Vicar of Brecon, Battle and Llanddew (became assistant bishop in [[Diocese of St&nbsp;Asaph]]; later [[Bishop of St&nbsp;Davids]])<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Jones, Rt Rev. David Huw
| id = U33677
| volume = 2014
| edition = November 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*1993–1998 (ret.): [[John Harris (priest)|John Harris]], Vicar of Brecon with Battle and Llanddew<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Harris, Very Rev. John
| id = U19169
| volume = 2014
| edition = November 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*1998–2000 (ret.): [[Geraint Hughes]]<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Hughes, Very Rev. Geraint Morgan Hugh
| id = U21087
| volume = 2014
| edition = November 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*2000–2008 (res.): [[John Davies (bishop of Swansea and Brecon)|John Davies]] (became [[Bishop of Swansea and Brecon]])<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Davies, Rt Rev. John David Edward
| id = U13047
| volume = 2014
| edition = November 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*2008–2014 (ret.): [[Geoffrey Marshall (priest)|Geoffrey Marshall]]<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Marshall, Very Rev. Geoffrey Osborne
| id = U247202
| volume = 2014
| edition = November 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>
*2014–present: [[Paul Shackerley]]<ref>{{Who's Who
| title=Shackerley, Very Rev. Dr (Albert) Paul
| id = U282068
| volume = 2014
| edition = November 2014 online
| access-date = 6 May 2015
}}</ref>

==Organists==
A specification of the pipe organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. {{See also|List of musicians at Welsh cathedrals}}

===Organists===
*1923  John Humphrey Carden
*1956  [[David Gwerfyl Davies]] (formerly organist of [[St. Nicholas' Church, Kings Norton|The Church of St. Nicholas, Kings&nbsp;Norton]])
*1963  [[Michael Bryan Hesford]] (later organist of [[St Mary's Church, Melton&nbsp;Mowbray]])
*1966  [[David Patrick Gedge]]
*2007  Mark Duthie
*2017  Stephen Power

==Bells==
There are ten bells, rung in the traditional full-circle manner of ringing, the tenor weight being 16 cwt.<ref>Dove ''Bellringer's Guide''; 10th ed., 2012, p.18</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Brecon Cathedral}}
* [http://www.breconcathedral.org.uk/ Brecon Cathedral]
* [https://www.flickr.com/groups/breconcathedral/pool/ Brecon Cathedral photographs (Flickr photo group)]
* [http://www.powpics.info/?c=2476 Brecon Cathedral photographs (Roughwood Places of Worship)]

{{Cathedrals of the Church in Wales}}
{{Deans in the Church in Wales}}
{{Deans of Brecon Cathedral}}

{{Benedictine houses of England and Wales}}

[[Category:1920 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Brecon]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1920]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Powys]]
[[Category:Anglican cathedrals in Wales]]
[[Category:Museums in Powys]]
[[Category:Religious museums in Wales]]
[[Category:Grade I listed churches in Powys]]
[[Category:Grade I listed cathedrals in Wales]]