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Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Priest

‘Priest’ comes from the Greek word for ‘elder’. Priests in the Church in Wales are those authorised specifically to proclaim forgiveness of sins, preside at the Eucharist and bless God’s people, as well as other responsibilities.

Home Brecon Cathedral Tithe Barn

Tithe Barn

The building now known as the Tithe Barn was built by the monks of the Priory some time after 1522, although the west wall is said to date back to medieval times. It was described at the time of its construction as a ‘new barn for tithe hay’[1]. Tithing was a social and economic system ordered by the Church, in which all of the local people (who were not clergy) had to give one tenth of their annual produce to the local parish for the upkeep of the Church and clergy[2]. This was to pay for the services of the priest. The tithes allowed him to concentrate on prayer and worship rather than having to labour at a trade, though in Wales many of the livings were so poor that priests were also small-scale farmers. In pre-Reformation England, tithe barns could be found across the country, as well as across much of Northern Europe[3]. In 1538, the barn was sold alongside the rest of the monastic buildings, as part of King Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries[4]. The building was altered many times over the centuries, and was used for secular (non-church) purposes which can be seen in some of its features. A wide fireplace from the early 17th century alongside mullioned windows suggests that at least parts of the building were used at some point for housing. The barn is also said to have agricultural uses: timber and brick divisions, accompanied by hooks and harnesses, suggest that the barn was used as a stable. Some 18th century documents mention ‘Mr Mayberry’s stable’, which might refer to this tithe barn. The Tithe Barn was returned to the Cathedral in 1934 by Lord Camden, and from 1996 to 2021 was used as a Heritage Centre. You can now dine in the Tithe Barn while spotting the original features all around you.

On the outside of the building, visible from Priory Hill, the Tithe Barn also features some gargoyles pulling grotesque faces. We don’t know very much about them, including how old they are, but they have certainly been moved from somewhere else within the Priory complex, possibly during either the 18th century or 20th century renovations. They now pull mischievous faces at all the passing traffic. Amongst them is a very rude figure who, thanks to damage from passing lorries, has now been moved inside the Tithe Barn. See if you can spot him!

[1] The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, Brecon: An Architectural Study, (Brecon: Friends of Brecon Cathedral, 1994) 66.

[2] R.N. Swanson, “Pay back time? Tithes and Tithing in Late Medieval England,” Studies in Church History 46, (2010): 124-133.

[3] National Trust, “Middle Littleton Tithe Barn,” National Trust, accessed June 1, 2020, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/middle-littleton-tithe-barn/features/middle-littleton-tithe-barn-

There are 14 different stories on the trail. You can explore them in any order. Just point your phone camera at the QR code when you spot the Cathedral logo. You can download the trail map here.