This photograph of Cwm yr Eglwys Churchyard, taken in 2005, gives a false impression of timelessness. This scene has not remained unchanged for centuries. The 1859 storm that destroyed the Church (while a service was taking place – miraculously there were no casualties) also swept away a good part of the churchyard and articles by Gwynrug in  the ‘Fishguard and Goodwick County Times 1908-1909, describe the effect of numerous storms between 1860 and 1880:

The sea made incursions into the graveyard in Cwmyreglwys in the sixties and seventies. Torn coffins with human remains protruding from them, were hanging in the bank above the beach. Pieces of coffin and human skeletons were strewn all over the shore. The sight was harrowing and ghastly!

As a consequence many gravestones are thought to have been lost or removed. A sea wall was constructed to protect the Churchyard in 1882 and dispersed human remains were collected and buried behind it. Further ground works in the 1960s and 1980s left no record of changes made. From photographic evidence it appears that many of the gravestones in the middle of the Churchyard remained undisturbed; many others have been moved or have disappeared altogether.

Fifty years ago the writing on the gravestones was still mainly legible but at the time  no one thought to document the inscriptions. In the interim some of the writing has completely disappeared

and some just allows the reader a guess at the original.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _the Remains o _ ANN MORGAN _ _ this Parish who di_ _ _ _rch. ve 2nd 1809 Aged 19 Years Yr ARGLWYDD a roddodd ARGLWYDD a ddyg _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ M ARG _ _ _ _ _ _who died 2nd of May 1810 Aged Years _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Yr hwn a n_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _allan o feddi _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ymm_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _oi anwyl _ _ _ (Stonemason’s style is flowery italic lines)

In Memory of MARGRED HARRIES Hescomb in this P.sh _ _ _ _ _ _ 1790 aged 71 year_

to the Memo_ _ EVAN HAR_ _ _ES. Aged 37 Years ¬_ _ _ _ er of the Schooner Caracta _ _ _ which drowned together w _ _ _ all his crew in a Violent gale fro _ _ _ _ N.N.W. on the 23d of Novemb_ _ _ _ 52 between Lundy Island _ _ _ the Cape of Cornwall, some of _ _ _ ship’s Materials were wash_ _ _shore in Bude’s bay __________________ Also of ALFRE_ _ARRIES. Post-master of Din_ _ _ross which Died after a lingerin_ _ llness on the 29. Novr 1857 A_ _d 31 Years Much Respect_d ____________________ And of ELIZA HARRIE_ died Septr 9. 1825 Aged 7 Years DAVID HARRIES die_ Jan 6th 1827 Aged 3 Years. The Offsprings of DAV_ D and ANNE. HARRIES of this _arish. Ceir sail cof a dail_ _ o d ir – meirw O’r moroedd fe _ _ _ esg_i_r Tyrau monwen_ _ _ yn wir Drwy’r eigion c_ _ _aw a rwygir J.J.

Some of the stones are still beautifully legible, however; were they more sheltered from the wind and seaspray, were the families able to choose better quality stone, or the chosen stonemasons more skilled?

THOMAS MARY twins of John & Charlotte Griffith late of this Parish, the former born May 19th 1828 died Feby 2nd 1829 the latter died March _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sacred To the Memory of HENRY OLIVER of this Parish, who died Sep 30th 1826 Aged 91 Years Y bedd yw’r ty lle nad oes gwaith Tua’r bedd bob awr y mae ein taith Bydd pawb yn gydradd yn y bedd Yn oer eu lle yn wael eu gwedd Mi dybiais innau ar riw bryd Mai gyda chwi cawn dreilio’n byd Ond dod i Dduw nid felly bu Daeth Crist in hol och cwmni chwi

HERE Lieth the Remains of JOHN LEWIS of this Parish Who Died May the 11th 1805 Aged 79 Years The Rose is Red the Grass is green The time is past that I have seen Both Kings and Queens they all must And turn to Dust as well as I // die

Over the past 50 years we have become more interested in family history and between 2004 and 2006 all sixty of the surviving gravestones were surveyed, recorded and photographed by members of the Dinas Historical Society. It’s sad to see that about half the burials are of children.

Most of the information above has come from this fascinating book:  ‘Cwmyreglwys – Church and Churchyard’ by Rex Harries and Rhiannon Comeau. Its scope extends from the early history of the Church to modern times. There are lots of photos and illustrations, references to the families and houses of Cwmyreglwys and quotations of commemorative poetry. I strongly recommend it to anyone who has any connection to Dinas.

The book is on sale from the ice-cream van in Cwmyreglwys or from Rex Harries himself.