St Cewydd

The Name Aberedw means “the mouth of the estuary of the edw river.” “Aber” signifying a river running into the sea or into another river.

The Patron saint of the parish is Saint Cewydd (pronounced Kewith, with the “th” soft as in with). He is reputed to have flourished c.500A.D. to 532 A.D. He is a water or rain saint like the later saxon Saint Swithin.

Cewydd was the son of a celtic chieftain called Caw, and it is thought that King Arthur gave Caw’s children lands in Siluria (Radnor) hence Cewydd’s connection with Radnor.

Cewydd is also the patron saint of the parish church of Cusop in Herefordshire, as well as the patron of Disserth or Howey beyond Builth Wells.

It is interesting to note how the memory of St Cewydd is perpetuated locally: Maengowyn in the neighbouring parish of Llanfaredd is a corruption of Maen Cewydd. (Cewydd’s rock or stone) and a path up Llandeilo Hill is called Rhiw Cewydd a contraction of Rhiw Gewydd, (Cewydd’s hill or ascent). Again there is a field on Trevaughan Farm known as Cefn y Sant which may refer to the saint’s (Cewydd) Hill.