TODAY we look at the history of the St Tybie Church in Llandybie, which is believed to be the site of the murder of a Welsh saint.

Nestled in Llandybie is the ancient St Tybie Church. It is believed that prior to the present church being built, the site was used for Christian worship due to the circular shape of the original churchyard boundary.

The church takes its name from St Tybie, one of the daughters of the 5th century Welsh king Brychan Brycheiniog, who is said to have lived there alongside her sister St Lluan.

The two sisters were devout Evangelists for the Christian faith and it is believed they resided peacefully in what is now the town of Llandybie until they were killed by Irish pagans. St Tybie is celebrated with a feast day on January 30.

The initial place of worship was believed to have been in the hands of the Deanery of Stradowy before coming into the ownership of King Edward I.

It is believed that work on the current church began after 1284, following the parish of Llandybie being put under the Bishop of St Davids that year by King Edward I.

It's during this period and around the 14th century that it is believed the nave and chancel of the church were built. It is a limestone structure with sandstone and yellow oolite.

In the 16th century, the tower was built and it was given a castellated top to use as defence if the church or nearby town was attacked.

It is known that one of the three bells in the tower was installed around 1681.

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It is said that there was extensive restoration carried out in the mid-19th century which was funded by a woman called Caroline Du Buisson who gained her fortune after her family in London in 1815 were the first in Britain to hear about Napoleon’s Waterloo defeat.

She asked George Gilbert Scott, one of Britain’s leading architects who was later knighted for his efforts, to take charge of the restoration.

She also hired a Llandeilo builder called John Harries. During this period, pews, fittings, flooring and windows were renewed.

There were also a number of memorials to the Du Buisson family placed inside the church and one to Sir Henry Vaughan.

The man in charge of the Derwydd Estate was killed in a horse-riding accident on Boxing Day, 1676.

The church has a memorial to him which includes his helmet and other military objects from the Civil War where he fought for King Charles I.

He is said to have been imprisoned in Tenby Castle during the war, which echoes his father, also called Henry.

Henry Sr fought in the Battle of Naseby and was captured and imprisoned for a number of years.

Another memorial item for Sir Henry Vaughan that is located in the church is his funeral hatchment – displayed as a diamond-shaped plaque with a coat of arms.

It is believed this is the oldest hatchment in a church in South Wales.

The organ that is in the church was first used around Christmas 1914. It was built by Noman & Beard in Norwich that year and was due to have been taken to the church earlier but it was delayed as the transport of soldiers and war materials took priority.

The church is the home to more recent memorials as well, with multiple commemorating the locals who died in both World Wars.

A memorial to the victims of the First World War is in the form of a clock in the tower which was made and installed by JB Joyce of Whitchurch in 1920.

Inside the church is a wall tablet which commemorates the dead from the Second World War.

The church is now a Grade II listed building.