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Brief
description of the church today
The church dates from the 12th century,
however apart from the tower it was
rebuilt in 1853 with the addition of a
side aisle. Between 1889-94 the top of the
tower was altered, a clock added, the peal
of five bells recast and the interior of
the church extensively renovated.
Today Clyro church is still at the
centre of this small village and the much
more widespread country area it serves. It
seeks to minister to them as Kilvert did
over one hundred years ago.
Clyro parish has two churches, the
other being the chapel of ease at Bettws.
Francis
Kilvert
Life in mid Victorian times at Clyro
has been captured for prosperity in the
diary kept by Francis Kilvert, curate of
Clyro 1865 to 1872.
Francis Kilvert is famous for keeping a diary.
He was born on 3rd December 1840, and died
on Sept. 23rd 1879 age 38. For part of his
ministry he was the
assistant, or curate, of Rev. Richard
Venables who was the vicar of Clyro. He
lived in Clyro in a house called Ashbrook, which is now
the Kilvert Gallery.
He wrote his diary in small note books.
The most interesting parts were printed,
unfortunately the rest of the diary was
then destroyed, probably by his wife. Only
three note books survived, and are now in the National
Library of Wales at Aberyswtyth.
Kilverts father was Rev. Robert
Kilvert,
rector of Hardenhuish, near Chippenham in
Wiltshire. Kilvert was educated privately
and graduated at Wadham College, Oxford,
before being ordained.
On the 20th August 1879 Kilvert married
Elizabeth Anne Rowland of Wotton by
Woodstock in Oxfordshire, returning to
Bredwardine in Herefordshire on 13th
September, ten days latter he died of
peritontis.
During the last ten years of his life
Kilvert had kept the diary which was
published by Jonathan Cape in 1938 to
1940.
A Kilvert Society was formed in
1948. For further details of Kilvert, and the society which seeks to
foster an interest in Kilvert and the
countryside he loved, see the Kilvert page
which is being developed by the children
of Clyro School. Clyro
School's page on Kilvert.
You can also
look at the 'Kilvert
throught the Year', a flower festival
held in Clyro in 1999.
References above are
links to the Church and School web sites.
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