In a quiet, remote corner of Pembrokeshire this remarkable place of healing and blessing shows that God has not forgotten this part of Wales.
With romantic misted hills as background the evening light settles over Ffald-y-Brenin (‘The Sheepfold of the King’). This is an atmospheric place of great charm and beauty clinging to the rugged mountainside overlooking the quiet Gaum Valley in this wild remote corner of SW Wales.
As part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park this area is a favourite destination of many holiday-makers with its beautiful beaches and dramatic cliffs. Near here lie the Preseli Hills, source of the ancient Blue Stones used in the construction of Stonehenge’s inner ring.
A ‘Thin Place’
In the 6th century an Irish Christian monk, Brynach, came here to bring the Christian faith to these parts.The records say that he used to come regularly to the hill above this Centre to pray. A number of old Celtic crosses remain in this part of Pembrokeshire together with several ancient pilgrim routes leading to St David’s, 20 miles away. With such a spiritual heritage it is not surprising that this much prayed-over place is still special today. The Celtic concept of ‘thin places’ where heaven seems to meet earth seems to be still very much alive here.
A Place of Blessing
The Retreat Centre was founded as a place of refuge, where people could come and be refreshed and meet God in creation and in simplicity of life. Ffald-y-Brenin has certainly fulfilled that dream and more. The life of this ‘House of Prayer’ centres around a daily rhythm of prayer. Four daily prayer services are held in the chapel. This is a place of community, seeking to be a blessing to others in the spirit of the ancient Celtic Christian monasteries like Iona.
In recent years under the leadership of Roy and Daphne Godwin wonderful things have been happening here. People have been seeing visions of Jesus and faith has been restored. Marriages have been healed, broken lives put together and the sick healed. One profoundly deaf visitor was concerned shortly before leaving that he had lost his essential hearing- aid. To his great surprise it suddenly dawned on him that during his stay his hearing had returned completely and his hearing-aid was now redundant! Recently a young blind mother, with several children at home whom she had never seen, received her sight. What a joyful homecoming there must have been in that household! Another visitor left this note recently in the visitors’ book, “My chains are all gone”.
The stories are reminiscent of what was happening in Galilee in Christ’s ministry. As then, many return home refreshed by their meeting with Jesus, their faith rekindled and a new spring in their step. Sceptics have gone away convinced followers of Jesus. Even workmen on the site have been deeply impressed by the atmosphere.
The small chapel and the cross which was erected in the Centre grounds both seem to be specially ‘thin places’. Many people have experienced a deep sense of the presence of God here. Friends of ours came to Ffald-y-Brenin several years ago but sadly we have never visited, but since reading Roy’s story in ‘The Grace Outpouring’ I have been inspired by this place.
It is a quiet work without modern hype, and little publicity. Most healings have occurred, not through services or special prayers, but spontaneously. There seems to be a healing atmosphere here. But it is not all excitement. Many days are quite ordinary with nothing special happening but there is always an atmosphere of peace, and a sense of God’s presence.
A Singing people
The people of Wales have always been a singing people and in past days they had much to sing about with regular religious revivals in full-tide and full churches. But today, as holiday makers will have noticed, disused chapels abound, many turned into warehouses or private homes. But at Ffald-y-Brenin, Wales is rediscovering its true Christian heritage as a blessing to the nations. No wonder this place draws increasing numbers of overseas visitors eager to start similar ‘houses of prayer’ in their own countries.
Many of the people of Wales may have largely forgotten God, but it seems that God has not forgotten Wales. New voices of praise are being heard in the valleys and over the wild and rugged hills of this beautiful land that God has so blessed and made a blessing in past days.
“Let all the people praise Him , then will the earth give forth her increase and God, our own God, will give us his blessing” From Psalm 67
Thank you for joining me. To take a further look visit http://www.ffald-y-brenin.org/
If you can’t get to Fald-y-Brenin yourself, maybe something of the spirit of that place could come to you – visit ‘Water into Wine’.
Top featured photo also by Pete Walker
A Listening Heart 
Thank you, Richard. x
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Wishing you Jane, and all of us, some of Ffald-y-Brenin’s blessing.
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Ffald-y-Brenin sounds like a wonderful, special, place, Richard; it certainly looks it. Pembrokeshire is beautiful in any event. I love the idea of ‘thin places’!
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It certainly does Mike. Such places are worth searching out. Perhaps there are more ‘thin places’ than we realise, even nearer at home! I too, love Wales and have enjoyed many holidays among its beautiful hills and coasts.
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I love the term “thin place”, Richard – I’d never heard it before but as soon as I read the word, I knew what it meant. Those places are always blessings, thank you for such a thoughtful post.
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Thank you Lynn. Another similar phrase I like is ‘living under an open heaven’. Full of blessing and wonderful possibilities as in Bible days!
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Dear Richard, I am your distant cousin Shirley from Canada. Met Matt a couple of times. Have been reading and enjoying your blogs. I did visit beautiful England twice.
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Dear Shirley, I’m surprised you’ve discovered this blog and delighted to hear from you, Matt spoke highly of his visit to you. He and family (two boys) are doing well. We hope all is well with you. We love it here and send you greetings from Sussex.
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Richard this looks and sounds like a wonderful place, I do love the expression ‘thin places’ which speaks of the sacredness of life and of place.
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Yes indeed Andrea. I remember your post on the similar expression, ‘Soul Places’. It was what drew me to your blog. Our far too secular age needs to be reminded of such life and place.
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I am slowly catching up in my blog reading and have just had the pleasure of reading this post. How it pleases me that there are such places where people can find healing and peace and where God’s love for us is so evident. I had not heard of Ffald-y-Brenen before and would love to visit! I have been blessed to have been healed at Walsingham. I didn’t go on pilgrimage there for healing but to get to know the good people at church who had been so welcoming to me. It was 26 years ago and I was crippled with rheumatoid arthritis and was still very unhappy because my former husband had left me and my daughter seven years earlier. I had a lovely day and took part in all the services including being anointed. My daughter who had come with me was very sick when we got home and I spent the evening looking after her. The following day I realised all my pain had disappeared and what was even better, my resentment and anger towards my ex-husband had disappeared too. I was free. I met Richard shortly after this and we married in 1994. My arthritis returned after my second daughter was born in 1997 but somehow I can bear it this time. God be praised!
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A lovely story Clare. God is indeed good, even though things can get difficult at times. Then he gives us strength to cope. I have some more wonderful stories of people healed at Ffald-y-Brenin. They are waiting for another post sometime – perhaps more on ‘thin places’.
Every blessing to you, Richard, and Elinor..
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Thank you, Richard. I look forward to hearing more. God bless you and your family.
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Richard – Thank you for this special Blog on Ffald y Brenen. I know several who have visited and been very affected by the presence of God there. I would love to visit one day plus St David’s. So uplifting and hopeful to read of this beautiful place where the presence of the Lord is strongly felt. God bless Sue
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It is the greater felt presence of God at Flald y Brenin that makes the place so attractive. Our daughter and son-in-law had booked to go there this summer! Hopefully they can re-book some time soon. I’m glad you’re hungry for a greater sense of God’s presence as many of us are. Blessings Sue.
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