St Teilo's Church, Trelech-a'r-Betws, is situated within a roughly circular churchyard, bounded by a road on its north side. The church was a parish church during the medieval period, belonging to the Deanery of Carmarthen. It was a posession of the Bishops of St Davids as a prebend of the collegiate St David's Church, Llanddewi Brefi (NPRN 96671), and was in the patronage of the Bishop of St Davids in 1833. An upright stone stands in the northern section of the churchyard. Historic (1889 and 1908) Ordnance Survey mapping depicts a property to the north of the church as 'Glebeland'. A bridge over the Dewi Fawr river is depicted as Pont yr Eglwys on modern and historic Ordnance Survey mapping, and a track or narrow road leads from the bridge to the church.

The earlier church consisted of nave and chancel, with a porch present by 1826. A partition between the nave and chancel was mentioned in 1735, and at least some of the windows were medieval at that time. Also in 1735 it was noted that the floor was very uneven due to the number of graves underneath it. In 1820 the floor may have been lowered and a number of minor repairs were carried out. The church was entirely demolished in 1834-1835, and rebuilt on the same site and location as its predecessor, but retaining nothing from the earlier fabric. The northern half of the present church is surrounded by a deep, wide external cutting, probably dating from the construction of the present church. Spoil from the cutting was used to form a platform beneath the southern half, and this overlies any physical evidence of the earlier church.

The present church, constucted in 1834-1835, is of local rubble stone, and consists of four-bayed nave and chancel, west porch, transeptal vestry above a below-ground heating chamber (north of the east bays). The church had one window in its north wall and two in the south, all with sixteen-pane timber frames. The interior had a plaset ceiling. The church was restored in 1902, to the designs of D. Jenkins, Llandeilo. The vestry and heating chamber were added at that time, and the church was refenestrated with its present two and three light windows. The ceiling was removed and the church was refloored and reseated. The external south and west walls were rendered in the earlier twentieth century. In 1974 a benefactions board, dating to after 1804, and including a painting of a contemporary school room was noted. The painting is thought to almost certainly be by a local artist.

Sources include:
Cambria Archaeology, 2000, Carmarthenshire Churches, gazetteer, 48
Richard Suggett, Painted Temples: Wallpaintings and Rood-screens in Welsh Churches, 1200–1800, (RCAHMW 2021), pp. 276.

RCAHMW 2022






WALLPAINTING
Benefactions board [post-1804] including a painting of a contemporary schoolroom, meant to be the one established by the charity. Almost certainly by a local painter. [DJR'75].
Refs: Carms.Ant.1974,74. post-1804.
Source: RCAHMW Wallpaintings 2004.09.09/RCAHMW/SLE