St. Issui Traditional Geocache
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Size: 
(small)
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After a short sharp climb from the parking area, the cache is a 0.45L plastic container within a camouflage bag hidden under some stones.
The cache is located in the hamlet of Partrishow near the beautiful little church of St. Issui and the Holy Well of the same name, both worth visiting.
Parking is best at the bottom of the hill near the Well. N 51 53.723 W 003 03.082
A pilgrims flagstone incised with a Maltese or Crusader’s Cross lies at the side of the road and path leading to St. Issui’s Well.
Issui, a hermit and holy man, is said to have tended the well that possessed healing powers near Nant Mair (St Mary’s) brook. According to legend the incised stone is where Archbishop Baldwin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, preached when he visited with ‘Gerald of Wales’, the Archdeacon of Brecon, in AD 1188.
Up the steep road you will come to the Church. An ancient tiny chapel was built here as a result of a generous donation from a wealthy pilgrim who had been cured of leprosy after a visit to the Well.
The old chapel was rebuilt in the 13thand 14th centuries and a visit inside the church reveals an abundance of interesting historical features:-
A Norman style stone font which dates from 1050, evidence of the early chapel.
A fantastic intricately carved late 15th century Irish Oak Rood Screen
Pre Reformation wall paintings
A dug-out parish chest and a copy of a rare 1620 Welsh Bible.
Certainly a gem in this secluded and peaceful place. Take time to soak up the atmosphere. The cache is not in the churchyard.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)