The Gladestry Community
The Gladestry Community
Colva Church
Coat of Arms at Colva Church
Skull and Crossbones
Colva is is an upland sheep farming community, lying between Gladestry and Glascwm, reached only by single track roads.
It lies on the south side of heather moorland, at about 1250 feet (380m) above sea level. When snow comes in winter, the roads are often impassable.
Colva is on a former drovers' road. At the heart of the hamlet, the former Sun Inn (now Colva Farm) served as an overnight stop for the drovers. Colva Church Colva church (St. David's) is the only communal building for this scattered community. It is actually the highest church in Wales, and dates from the 13th century. The yew trees around the church are likely to be even older. Inside, the font is 12th century, and is still used for christenings today. On the walls are some damaged medieval paintings, and several 18th century texts.
There is also a momento mori of a skull and crossbones, behind the font.
High on the west wall is a royal coat of arms dated 1733. This was from the period between the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745, when the government was anxious that the people of Britain demonstrate and display their loyalty to the house of Hanover.
The Reverend Francis Kilvert, the renowned 19th century diarist, visiting in 1870, recorded the notable "Colva Echo", heard when standing in the field to the west of the church, facing the west end of the church tower.