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Early Medieval iron hand bell
Quadrangular bell with loop handle at top and smaller loop inside for the clapper (now missing)
St Cenau's bell, 800-1200 CE.
Handbells were used in early churches. They are mentioned in the stories about Welsh saints that were written down in early manuscripts. This bell was made by forging iron – first into a sheet, then cutting, folding and rivetting. Finally it was brazed to copy bronze bells.
SC5.3
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Site Name: St Ceneu's Chapel, Llangenau
Notes: According to T. Jones in his 'History of Brecknockshire' (1809), the bell was dug up some years previous to 1809 on the site of the original chapel or oratory of St. Cenan (not spelt Ceneu), on a farm, eastward of the parish church, called Pen-y-daren, in LLangenau.