St Mark's Church, Brithdir
Encyclopedia
St Mark's Church, Brithdir, is a redundant church
in the hamlet of Brithdir
, Gwynedd
, Wales. It has been designated by Cadw
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
. It is considered to be one of the finest Arts and Crafts
churches in Wales.
on 26 April. The church was designed by Henry Wilson
who was a "leading figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement". It was commissioned by Mrs Louisa Tooth in memory of her second husband, Rev Charles Tooth, who had been chaplain and founder of the Anglican
St Mark's Church in Florence
. Since being declared redundant, it has been in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.
stone; it has slate
roofs. The "external stonework was intended to be left 'untooled' (rough)", because the architect "wished the church to appear as if it had sprung out of the soil, instead of being planted down on it". Its plan consists of a nave
with north and south porches, and a chancel
with north and south transepts. In the west end are two tiers of ogee
-headed windows. Between the windows in the upper tier is a cross in relief
. There are similar windows, asymmetrically placed, on the north and south sides of the church. On the roof, in a position to the west of the transepts, is a two-tier bellcote. In its lower tier is a round-headed arch containing the bell, with a smaller round-arched opening above. At the east end is a stepped buttress
containing a round-arched lancet window
, on each side of which is an ogee-headed window.
and painted, with "rich warm red" nave walls, a blue nave roof and "warm cream, almost a yellow" colour for the chancel. The nave has three-bay
roof; its ceiling is canted
and has a plain cornice
. The north and south doors are in Art Nouveau
style. These are constructed in oak and teak in chevron designs, and have mother-of-pearl
decoration at the points of the chevrons. The lead font
has a circular bowl carried on an octagonal column. It was cast at the Central School of Art and Design
in London, and is decorated with leaf patterns and Christian monogram
s. The pulpit
and retable
were designed by Wilson, and are constructed from beaten and moulded
copper. They are in Arts and Crafts style, the pulpit being decorated with grapes and texts from the Vulgate
.
The chancel is groin vault
ed. The north transept contains an organ and in the south transept is a gallery. The stalls in the chancel are made from Spanish chestnut; they were designed by Wilson and carved by Arthur Grove with zoomorphic
images. These include a hare, a tortoise, squirrels, rabbits, an owl, a mouse, a kingfisher, and a dolphin. The altar rails contain panels between large posts. The altar frontal was designed by Wilson; it is in cast copper and contains figurative panels. These depict, on the left, the Annunciation
with the Virgin Mary
and a dove facing a kneeling angel and, on the extreme right, the Rev Tooth and his guardian angel
. The reredos
is also in beaten copper; it depicts a vine
springing from a chalice
, and at the sides are bluebells
springing from the monogram "IHS"
. The single-manual
organ was built by Peter Conacher of Huddersfield
in 1901.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
in the hamlet of Brithdir
Brithdir, Gwynedd
Brithdir is a small hamlet on the outskirts of Dolgellau, Gwynedd. The Arts and Crafts Movement St Mark's Church is a grade I listed building. Brithdir also includes a village hall, a phone box and a children's nursery....
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, Wales. It has been designated by Cadw
Cadw
-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...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
. It is considered to be one of the finest Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
churches in Wales.
History
The building of the church started in 1895; it was completed in 1898 and was consecratedConsecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 26 April. The church was designed by Henry Wilson
Henry Wilson (architect and designer)
Henry Wilson was a British architect, jeweller and designer.-Career:He was born at 91 Red Rock Street in West Derby near Liverpool on 12 March 1864....
who was a "leading figure of the Arts and Crafts Movement". It was commissioned by Mrs Louisa Tooth in memory of her second husband, Rev Charles Tooth, who had been chaplain and founder of the Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
St Mark's Church in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. Since being declared redundant, it has been in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.
Exterior
The church is constructed in brick, and faced with local grey-green ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone; it has 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...
roofs. The "external stonework was intended to be left 'untooled' (rough)", because the architect "wished the church to appear as if it had sprung out of the soil, instead of being planted down on it". Its plan consists of a 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...
with north and south porches, and a 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...
with north and south transepts. In the west end are two tiers of ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
-headed windows. Between the windows in the upper tier is a cross in relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
. There are similar windows, asymmetrically placed, on the north and south sides of the church. On the roof, in a position to the west of the transepts, is a two-tier bellcote. In its lower tier is a round-headed arch containing the bell, with a smaller round-arched opening above. At the east end is a stepped buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
containing a round-arched lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, on each side of which is an ogee-headed window.
Interior
The interior of the church is renderedStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
and painted, with "rich warm red" nave walls, a blue nave roof and "warm cream, almost a yellow" colour for the chancel. The nave has three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
roof; its ceiling is canted
Cant (architecture)
Cant is the architectural term describing part, or segment, of a facade which is at an angle to another part of the same facade. The angle breaking the facade is less than a right angle thus enabling a canted facade to be viewed as, and remain, one composition.Canted facades are a typical of, but...
and has a plain cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. The north and south doors are in Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style. These are constructed in oak and teak in chevron designs, and have mother-of-pearl
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
decoration at the points of the chevrons. The lead 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:...
has a circular bowl carried on an octagonal column. It was cast at the Central School of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
in London, and is decorated with leaf patterns and Christian monogram
Monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a...
s. The 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 retable
Retable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
were designed by Wilson, and are constructed from beaten and moulded
Molding (process)
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....
copper. They are in Arts and Crafts style, the pulpit being decorated with grapes and texts from the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
.
The chancel is groin vault
Groin vault
A groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
ed. The north transept contains an organ and in the south transept is a gallery. The stalls in the chancel are made from Spanish chestnut; they were designed by Wilson and carved by Arthur Grove with zoomorphic
Zoomorphism
Zoomorphism is the shaping of something in animal form or terms. Examples include:*Art that imagines humans as animals*Art that portrays one species of animal like another species of animal*Art that creates patterns using animal imagery, or animal style...
images. These include a hare, a tortoise, squirrels, rabbits, an owl, a mouse, a kingfisher, and a dolphin. The altar rails contain panels between large posts. The altar frontal was designed by Wilson; it is in cast copper and contains figurative panels. These depict, on the left, the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
with the Virgin Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and a dove facing a kneeling angel and, on the extreme right, the Rev Tooth and his guardian angel
Guardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
is also in beaten copper; it depicts a vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
springing from a 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...
, and at the sides are bluebells
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
springing from the monogram "IHS"
Christogram
A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbol. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity, e.g...
. The single-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ was built by Peter Conacher of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
in 1901.