Welsh Bicknor, Herefordshire

St Margaret’s Church, Welsh Bicknor, Herefordshire

The church is approached down a very narrow lane which is in poor condition. It leads to the youth hostel and the church is alongside the main building. It sits on flat land just above the River Wye; exactly the kind of location chosen by Celtic Christians.

I’m very grateful to the website www.wyevalley-no.org.uk for producing a guide to the Celtic Christian sites along the lower River Wye and the information provided. It meant we could find sites with ease and have some background information. Quoting,

‘The Book of Llandaff mentions a church here in 575AD…..it was called a ‘Bishop’s House’. If it was located at Welsh Bicknor then it was the bishop’s seat from the late 6th to early 10th century.’ This suggests a place of some importance within the early Celtic church.

Sadly the modern church was locked so we sat outside to pray, near the ruins of what looks to be a much earlier church. My husband felt the Lord saying, ‘This is My land and I will redeem it.’

I too had a sense that God hasn’t left this place. He was aware of the embers of previous generations’ prayers still glowing. The place felt impregnated with prayers from the past and there is a residual flame which needs the breath of God, like from a bellows, to fan it into flame.

I had a similar sense as we sat in the sunshine listening to God. It was as though I could ‘see’ both God’s fire and a pool of water. The sound of wind rustling tree leaves suddenly became acute. The Holy Spirit asked, ‘Can you hear that?’  ‘Yes, I can hear that’, I replied.

‘It’s the breath of my Holy Spirit moving once again in this beloved land of song and praise. Pray for my Spirit to be released in the full ferocious force of my love.’

So that’s what we prayed in obedience.

Access: grid ref SO593176. The access by car is via narrow and sometimes bumpy lanes down to the youth hostel. The church is adjacent but locked and the grounds only available if the youth hostel don’t have a school trip staying.