St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
Encyclopedia
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog is a medieval church near Llangwyllog
, in Anglesey
, north Wales. St Cwyllog
founded a church here in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. The existence of a church here was recorded in 1254 and parts of the present building may date from around 1200. Other parts are from the 15th century, with an unusual annexe (possibly intended for use as a schoolroom) added in the 16th century. The church contains some 18th-century fittings, including a rare Georgian
three-decker pulpit
and reading desk.
The church is still in use for worship by the Church in Wales
. It is a Grade II* listed building, a national designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is regarded as a "good rural medieval church" with some features from the 15th century, as well as the 18th-century fittings.
, about 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Llangefni
, the county town, and a short distance from the small village of Llangwyllog
. The village takes its name from the church: the Welsh word originally meant "enclosure" and then "church", and "–gwyllog" is a modified form of the saint's name.
The first church on this site was established by Cwyllog
, a female saint, in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. She was one of the daughters of St Caw, a king in northern Britain who lost his lands and sought safety with his family in Anglesey
, where the ruler Maelgwn Gwynedd gave him land. There was a church here at the time of the Norwich Taxation in 1254, and the present walls may date from around 1200. In the 13th century, the church was under the control of the Augustinian canons of the priory
at Penmon, on the east of Anglesey, with the priory gaining the income from the tithes paid to the church. The priory gradually diminished in size and importance, and in 1522 the prior and two canons (the entire community, at that stage) affixed their signature to the lease of Llangywllog church to Richard Bulkeley (a member of a prominent family from the Anglesey town of Beaumaris) for the period of 100 years at an annual rent of £1.
The north doorway and the east window are from the late 15th century. An annexe was added at the west end in the latter half of the 16th century. Some restoration work was carried out in 1812, funded by Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley
, with further work in 1854.
St Cwyllog's, now part of the Church in Wales
, is still used for services, although in 2011 a service was only scheduled on the third Sunday of each month in the afternoon. The church is one of three in the parish of Llannerch-y-medd, which is part of a combined benefice
with four other parishes (Llandrygarn, St Twrog's Church, Bodwrog
, Heneglwys
and Trewalchmai). The parish is in the deanery
of Malltraeth
and the archdeaconry of Bangor
, within the Diocese of Bangor. As of October 2011, the position of vicar
is vacant (and has been since December 2000), but the church is served by a curate
, the Reverend E D Jerman.
with very large boulder quoins; the roof is made from slate
with stone coping
s. The main part of the church is 45 feet 6 inches long by 15 feet 3 inches wide (13.87 by 4.65 m); the annexe at the west end measures 20 feet 6 inches by 15 feet 6 inches (6.25 by 4.72 m). At the west end of the roof of the nave, there is a bellcote with a single bell decorated with three bull heads, dated 1661; at the east end, there is a cross. There is no structural division between the nave
and the chancel
. The annexe at the west end is smaller and lower in height than the main building, and was built in line with it. It may have been built for use as a schoolroom. It has a 16th-century doorway at the west end, converted into a window in the 19th century, and a modern door at the east end, as well as an 18th-century fireplace. The main entrance into the church is on the north side of the nave, dating from the late 15th century. The doorway is pointed, in a square frame.
The east window in the chancel is from the 15th century. There are three lights, headed with trefoil
s, in a pointed arch. Stained glass by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Henry Holiday
was added in 1882. The windows in the north wall are from the late 16th century, and have square heads. The south wall has one similar window, and two copies from the 19th century.
The church has a cylindrical stone font
dating from the 13th century, carved with decorations, particularly an elaborate leaf design and a knotwork pattern. The decoration, however, is incomplete and about one-third of it was left unfinished. Other fittings date on the whole from the late 18th century, as St Cywllog's was refurbished in 1769. They include a triple-decker pulpit
combined with a reading desk, with panelling to the front and sides and further panelling at the back of the pulpit. It bears an inscription "M T I I WARDENS 1769". The altar has communion rails on three sides, which are probably of similar date to the pulpit, and seats nearby in the chancel on the north and south walss. There are various 18th-century memorials. To the east of the pulpit, one box pew
dates from the 18th century, another from the 19th; to the west, there are open benches. The church's chest is dated 1804, and there are hat pegs on the walls.
St Cwyllog's has three chalice
s, made from silver, from the 16th century. The lid of one of them (dated 1578) was returned to the church in 2010 by an antiques dealer who had purchased it several years before, thinking it to be a Tudor sugar lid. Further investigations showed that it had once belonged to a nearby closed church that had transferred its silver to St Cwyllog's. A chance conversation between the antiques dealer and a local clergyman at an archeology group led to the discovery that the lid had the same silversmith's mark and fitted one of the chalices, and the dealer thereafter decided that she ought to return it to the church.
(the Welsh Assembly Government
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) also notes the 18th-century fittings and memorials, and adds that the addition of a west annexe is unusual for Anglesey.
The 19th-century antiquarian Angharad Llwyd
described the church as "small, but remarkably well built", and mentioned the "ancient and curious chapel at the west end of the nave." Writing in 1859, the clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones
said that St Cwyllog's had "rather better architectural features about it than most of the small churches in Anglesey." A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region describes the 1854 restoration as "tactful", and notes the "rare surviving Georgian fittings", including the pulpit. A 2011 guide to the religious buildings of Wales says that St Cwyllog's has "the earliest and finest of several pre-ecclesiological church interiors in Anglesey".
Llangwyllog
Llangwyllog is a small village and ancient parish in the centre of Anglesey, Wales.It is found three miles to the north of the island's capital, Llangefni, and two miles north of Llyn Cefni, the island's second largest body of water...
, in Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, north Wales. St Cwyllog
Cwyllog
Saint Cwyllog was a Christian holy woman who was active in Anglesey, Wales, in the early 6th century. The daughter, sister and niece of saints, she is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog, in the middle of Anglesey, where a church is still dedicated to her.-Life and...
founded a church here in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. The existence of a church here was recorded in 1254 and parts of the present building may date from around 1200. Other parts are from the 15th century, with an unusual annexe (possibly intended for use as a schoolroom) added in the 16th century. The church contains some 18th-century fittings, including a rare Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
three-decker pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and reading desk.
The church is still in use for worship by the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
. It is a Grade II* listed building, a national designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is regarded as a "good rural medieval church" with some features from the 15th century, as well as the 18th-century fittings.
History and location
St Cwyllog's Church is in a rural location in the middle of AngleseyAnglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, about 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Llangefni
Llangefni
Llangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
, the county town, and a short distance from the small village of Llangwyllog
Llangwyllog
Llangwyllog is a small village and ancient parish in the centre of Anglesey, Wales.It is found three miles to the north of the island's capital, Llangefni, and two miles north of Llyn Cefni, the island's second largest body of water...
. The village takes its name from the church: the Welsh word originally meant "enclosure" and then "church", and "–gwyllog" is a modified form of the saint's name.
The first church on this site was established by Cwyllog
Cwyllog
Saint Cwyllog was a Christian holy woman who was active in Anglesey, Wales, in the early 6th century. The daughter, sister and niece of saints, she is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog, in the middle of Anglesey, where a church is still dedicated to her.-Life and...
, a female saint, in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. She was one of the daughters of St Caw, a king in northern Britain who lost his lands and sought safety with his family in Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, where the ruler Maelgwn Gwynedd gave him land. There was a church here at the time of the Norwich Taxation in 1254, and the present walls may date from around 1200. In the 13th century, the church was under the control of the Augustinian canons of the priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
at Penmon, on the east of Anglesey, with the priory gaining the income from the tithes paid to the church. The priory gradually diminished in size and importance, and in 1522 the prior and two canons (the entire community, at that stage) affixed their signature to the lease of Llangywllog church to Richard Bulkeley (a member of a prominent family from the Anglesey town of Beaumaris) for the period of 100 years at an annual rent of £1.
The north doorway and the east window are from the late 15th century. An annexe was added at the west end in the latter half of the 16th century. Some restoration work was carried out in 1812, funded by Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley
Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley
Thomas James Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley, later Warren-Bulkeley, was an English aristocrat and politician.-Life:...
, with further work in 1854.
St Cwyllog's, now part of the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
, is still used for services, although in 2011 a service was only scheduled on the third Sunday of each month in the afternoon. The church is one of three in the parish of Llannerch-y-medd, which is part of a combined benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
with four other parishes (Llandrygarn, St Twrog's Church, Bodwrog
St Twrog's Church, Bodwrog
St Twrog's Church, Bodwrog is a small rural church, in Anglesey, north Wales. Built in the late 15th century in a medieval style, some alterations have been made but much of the original structure still remains. It has two 15th-century doorways and some 15th-century windows...
, Heneglwys
Heneglwys
Heneglwys is a village in Anglesey, in north-west Wales....
and Trewalchmai). The parish is in the deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Malltraeth
Malltraeth
Malltraeth Malltraeth Malltraeth (origin: Mall (corrupt, blasted, desolate, + Traeth (beach)) is a small village in the southwest of Anglesey, in the area of Bodorgan...
and the archdeaconry of Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, within the Diocese of Bangor. As of October 2011, the position of vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
is vacant (and has been since December 2000), but the church is served by a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
, the Reverend E D Jerman.
Architecture and fittings
The church is built from rubble masonryRubble masonry
Rubble masonry is rough, unhewn building stone set in mortar, but not laid in regular courses. It may appear as the outer surface of a wall or may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or cut stone....
with very large boulder quoins; the roof is made from slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
with stone coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
s. The main part of the church is 45 feet 6 inches long by 15 feet 3 inches wide (13.87 by 4.65 m); the annexe at the west end measures 20 feet 6 inches by 15 feet 6 inches (6.25 by 4.72 m). At the west end of the roof of the nave, there is a bellcote with a single bell decorated with three bull heads, dated 1661; at the east end, there is a cross. There is no structural division between the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The annexe at the west end is smaller and lower in height than the main building, and was built in line with it. It may have been built for use as a schoolroom. It has a 16th-century doorway at the west end, converted into a window in the 19th century, and a modern door at the east end, as well as an 18th-century fireplace. The main entrance into the church is on the north side of the nave, dating from the late 15th century. The doorway is pointed, in a square frame.
The east window in the chancel is from the 15th century. There are three lights, headed with trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
s, in a pointed arch. Stained glass by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Henry Holiday
Henry Holiday
Henry Holiday was an English historical genre and landscape painter, stained glass designer, illustrator and sculptor. He is considered to be a member of the Pre-Raphaelite school of art.-Early years and training:...
was added in 1882. The windows in the north wall are from the late 16th century, and have square heads. The south wall has one similar window, and two copies from the 19th century.
The church has a cylindrical stone font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dating from the 13th century, carved with decorations, particularly an elaborate leaf design and a knotwork pattern. The decoration, however, is incomplete and about one-third of it was left unfinished. Other fittings date on the whole from the late 18th century, as St Cywllog's was refurbished in 1769. They include a triple-decker pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
combined with a reading desk, with panelling to the front and sides and further panelling at the back of the pulpit. It bears an inscription "M T I I WARDENS 1769". The altar has communion rails on three sides, which are probably of similar date to the pulpit, and seats nearby in the chancel on the north and south walss. There are various 18th-century memorials. To the east of the pulpit, one box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
dates from the 18th century, another from the 19th; to the west, there are open benches. The church's chest is dated 1804, and there are hat pegs on the walls.
St Cwyllog's has three chalice
Chalice
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. This can also refer to;* Holy Chalice, the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve the wine* Chalice , a type of smoking pipe...
s, made from silver, from the 16th century. The lid of one of them (dated 1578) was returned to the church in 2010 by an antiques dealer who had purchased it several years before, thinking it to be a Tudor sugar lid. Further investigations showed that it had once belonged to a nearby closed church that had transferred its silver to St Cwyllog's. A chance conversation between the antiques dealer and a local clergyman at an archeology group led to the discovery that the lid had the same silversmith's mark and fitted one of the chalices, and the dealer thereafter decided that she ought to return it to the church.
Assessment
The church has national recognition and statutory protection from alteration as it has been designated as a Grade II* listed building – the second-highest (of three) grade of listing, designating "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". It was given this status on 12 May 1970, and has been listed as "a good rural medieval church which retains some C15 features and the original simple medieval plan". CadwCadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
(the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) also notes the 18th-century fittings and memorials, and adds that the addition of a west annexe is unusual for Anglesey.
The 19th-century antiquarian Angharad Llwyd
Angharad Llwyd
Angharad Llwyd was a Welsh antiquary and a prizewinner at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.She was born at Caerwys in Flintshire, the daughter of Rev. John Lloyd, himself a noted antiquary. Her essay entitled Catalogue of Welsh Manuscripts, etc. in North Wales won a prize at the Welshpool...
described the church as "small, but remarkably well built", and mentioned the "ancient and curious chapel at the west end of the nave." Writing in 1859, the clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones
Harry Longueville Jones
-Life:Jones was the son of Edward Jones by Charlotte Elizabeth Stephens, was born in Piccadilly, London, in 1806. His father was second son of Captain Thomas Jones of Wrexham, who adopted the additional name of Longueville on succeeding to a portion of the Longueville estates in Shropshire. Jones...
said that St Cwyllog's had "rather better architectural features about it than most of the small churches in Anglesey." A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region describes the 1854 restoration as "tactful", and notes the "rare surviving Georgian fittings", including the pulpit. A 2011 guide to the religious buildings of Wales says that St Cwyllog's has "the earliest and finest of several pre-ecclesiological church interiors in Anglesey".