Welsh hymn writer burial site sale plan halted
St Michael's Church in Powys is the final resting place of Welsh hymnist Ann Griffiths
- Published
It is one of the most instantly recognisable Welsh tunes, heard in chapels, at weddings and in rugby stadiums for well over a century.
Calls have now been made to preserve the final resting place of the writer whose lyrics were used in the Welsh-language hymn Cwm Rhondda.
Ann Griffiths is buried at St Michael’s Church in Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa, Powys.
The Church in Wales planned to sell the church, but that has now been postponed after more than 1,000 people signed a petition.
Ann Griffiths wrote the lyrics to Cwm Rhondda
The petition said the church "has a special place in the history of Wales" as it is where Griffiths, "one of the greatest religious poets in Europe", was baptised, married and buried.
Griffiths was buried at the church in 1805 following her death in August that year at the age of 29.
The Church in Wales says it will postpone the auction for a year so that further discussions can take place
Elwyn Vaughan, who represents the Glantwymyn ward on Powys council, told Radio Cymru he recognised money would need to be spent to renovate the site.
"We see the enthusiasm on social media and that people want to save and preserve this special building.
"But the reality is that this church - like many churches and chapels - has significant costs and therefore we need time to take stock to see what the opportunities are, what resources are available and what sustainable plans there are for the future.
"It's one thing to save the place, but what they do with the space afterwards is the big question."
The Church in Wales said: "As people have expressed their interest in the future of St Michael's Church, we will postpone the auction for a year so that further discussions can take place."