History
The original church was built in the 12th century as a daughter temple of the Benedictine Abbey of St. John, or later the cathedral of Brecon. From 1200 there is information about the donation of 12 pence by the city council for a lighting of a taper to burn, during mass for the souls of donors. In the fourteenth century, the church was thoroughly rebuilt and enlarged by a tower in 1521, founded by Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. At the beginning of the 19th century and then in 1857, the building underwent renovation.
Architecture
At the end of the Middle Ages, the church consisted of three aisles on an elongated rectangular plan. The central nave had no external chancel, and the northern and southern aisles were slightly shorter. Inside, the central nave to the south opened with seven arcades, and to the north with five. On the west side, a 27-meter-high four-sided tower was added to the nave. In its north-eastern corner there was a polygonal turret with a staircase added. The entrance to the southern aisle was preceded by a small porch.
bibliography:
Salter M., The old parish churches of Mid-Wales, Malvern 1997.
Website historypoints.org, St Mary’s Church, Brecon.
Website stmarysbrecon.org.uk, History.