St Mary's Church, Betws Gwerful Goch
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Betws Gwerful Goch, is in the village of Betws Gwerful Goch, Denbighshire
, Wales
. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Penllyn & Edeyrnion, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph
. The church is a Grade II* isted building.
architect John Douglas
in 1881–82. In the process of this restoration, the north door was removed, a vestry
with a chimney was added, and the box pew
s were taken out. The plaster was removed from the walls, windows were replaced, a buttress
was added to the south side, a new screen was erected. A new bellcote with a spire, and the lychgate
were added. In 1985 the bellcote had to be removed.
. The roofs are covered in slate
s, with stone ridge tiles. Its plan consists of a nave
and a chancel
, with a south porch and a vestry to the north of the chancel. At the east end is a stone cross finial
. The east window is part of Douglas' restoration; it consists of three lights with ogee
heads.
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Penllyn & Edeyrnion, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph
Diocese of St Asaph
The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese in north-east Wales, named after Saint Asaph, its second bishop.-Geography:The Anglican Diocese of St Asaph in the north-east corner of Wales stretches from the borders of Chester in the east, to the Conwy valley in the west, to Bala in the south-west, and...
. The church is a Grade II* isted building.
History
The building dates probably from the 12th century although there may have been an earlier church on the site dedicated to Saint Elain. It was restored by the ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
architect John Douglas
John Douglas (architect)
John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...
in 1881–82. In the process of this restoration, the north door was removed, a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
with a chimney was added, and the 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:...
s were taken out. The plaster was removed from the walls, windows were replaced, a buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
was added to the south side, a new screen was erected. A new bellcote with a spire, and the lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
were added. In 1985 the bellcote had to be removed.
Architecture
The church is built in shaleShale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
. The roofs are covered in 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...
s, with stone ridge tiles. 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...
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 a south porch and a vestry to the north of the chancel. At the east end is a stone cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. The east window is part of Douglas' restoration; it consists of three lights with 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....
heads.