St Twrog's Church, Bodwrog
Encyclopedia
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 (one later converted into a window) and some 15th-century windows. The bull's head decoration used on the church denotes a connection with the Bulkeleys of Beaumaris, a prominent north Wales family over several centuries. Set in a remote part of the countryside in the middle of Anglesey, it is dedicated to St Twrog, who was active in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The church's tithe
s were paid for at least two hundred years to Jesus College, Oxford
, which has historically strong links with Wales, and the college at one point built a house for the priest who served St Twrog's and a neighbouring parish.
The church is still used for worship by the Church in Wales
, as one of seven churches in a combined group of parishes. It is a Grade II* listed building, a national designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", in particular because it is regarded as "a good rural late Medieval church". It is built from rubble masonry
with a slate roof. The interior is lit by gas lamps.
, Wales
, about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the county town of Llangefni
, at the side of a small road between Gwalchmai
and Llynfaes. The date of first construction of a Christian building at this location is unknown. The parish takes its name from Twrog, a saint who lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries, to whom the church is dedicated: the Welsh word means "abode" or "dwelling", and "-wrog" is a modified form of the saint's name – i.e. "Twrog's dwelling". One of his brothers, St Gredifael, is commemorated in another Anglesey church, St Gredifael's Church, Penmynydd.
The present church dates from the time of King Henry VII
(ruled 1485–1509), when a significant amount of building work took place in Wales. Some more windows were added in the 17th or 18th century, and the church was restored in the mid to late 19th century. The writer Samuel Lewis recorded in 1849 that St Twrog's was attached to St Trygarn's Church, Llandrygarn, with the priest serving the two parishes residing in Llandrygarn. The church tithe
s had been paid to Jesus College, Oxford
(who had built a "neat parsonage-house" in Llandrygarn) since 1648, Lewis said, subject to a small deduction for distribution to the poor of the parish. The tithes were given to the college (which has had strong connections with Wales since its foundation in 1571) by a Dr Wynne, Chancellor of Llandaff Cathedral
.
St Twrog's is still in use for worship by the Church in Wales
. It is one of seven churches in a group of parishes served by the same priest (Llandrygarn with Bodwrog with Heneglwys with Trewalchmai with Llannerch-y-medd). Other churches in the combined parishes include St Cwyllog, Llangwyllog
and St Mary, Llannerch-y-medd. It is within the deanery
of Malltraeth, the archdeaconry of Bangor
and the Diocese of Bangor. The position of rector has been vacant since December 2000; as of October 2011, the curate
is the Reverend E D Jerman.
, dressed with limestone
; the roof is made from slate, with a stone bellcote at the west end and a bell dating from 1668. There is no structural division between the nave
and chancel
, although there is a step and a rail denoting the sanctuary, and overall the church measures about 46 by. On the south side of the church, there are two windows and a 15th-century square-framed entrance door, which is at the west end; there are three windows on the north side. The east window and the two eastern-most windows on the north and south sides date from the late 15th century. Like the rest of the windows, these are made wholly or mainly from clear glass; none of the windows is made entirely of stained glass. The east window has three long narrow lights (sections of window separated by mullion
s or tracery
) each with an ogee
(double arc shaped) curve at the top, topped with eight smaller lights arranged with four in the centre. The other two 15th-century windows are set in square frames and have pairs of lights headed with cinquefoils (a five leaf pattern). The rectangular windows in the middle of the north and south walls were added in the 17th or 18th century, and have pairs of lights. The western-most window on the north side is a converted 15th-century door; it bears designs of a leaf pattern on one side and three bull's heads on the other. The three bull's heads pattern is associated with the Bulkeley family of Beaumaris, who were prominent and influential landowners, in Anglesey and elsewhere in north Wales, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In 1500, about the time that the church was rebuilt, Richard Bulkeley was Archdeacon of Anglesey and so would have been involved in the work here, and is likely to have contributed towards the cost. A bull's head is carved into a stone above the doorway.
The roof dates from the 19th century and the supporting woodwork structure can be seen from inside the church. The church, which is lit by gas lamps, contains box pew
s in the nave, and a panelled reading desk with a matching pulpit, one on each side in the sanctuary. Cream paint has been used for the pews, pulpit and reading desk. There are some 18th-century memorial tablets on the south wall of the nave. A 1937 survey by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire noted an oak collecting shovel dated 1733, a silver cup dated 1773 and a font of uncertain date.
(the Welsh Assembly Government
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) also notes that the church has "a simple traditional character", and that it retains "many original features."
Writing in 1862, the clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones
said that the east window was similar to windows in the south aisle of St Cybi's Church, Holyhead. A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region also comments upon the east window, saying that it was "surprisingly grand". A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey says that St Twrog's is in "an elevated spot in a remote rural location." It notes that the east window was "much weathered", but that overall the building "appears to be in fairly good condition."
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. Built in the late 15th century in a medieval style
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
, some alterations have been made but much of the original structure still remains. It has two 15th-century doorways (one later converted into a window) and some 15th-century windows. The bull's head decoration used on the church denotes a connection with the Bulkeleys of Beaumaris, a prominent north Wales family over several centuries. Set in a remote part of the countryside in the middle of Anglesey, it is dedicated to St Twrog, who was active in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The church's tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s were paid for at least two hundred years to Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, which has historically strong links with Wales, and the college at one point built a house for the priest who served St Twrog's and a neighbouring parish.
The church is still used 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...
, as one of seven churches in a combined group of parishes. It is a Grade II* listed building, a national designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", in particular because it is regarded as "a good rural late Medieval church". It is built from rubble masonry
Rubble 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 a slate roof. The interior is lit by gas lamps.
History and location
The church is in a churchyard in "a remote rural location" on 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...
, 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...
, about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the county town 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...
, at the side of a small road between Gwalchmai
Gwalchmai, Anglesey
Gwalchmai is a village on Anglesey in north Wales.- Location :Gwalchmai is less than a mile from the A55 and the Anglesey Show Ground and less than two miles from RAF Mona.- Amenities and history :...
and Llynfaes. The date of first construction of a Christian building at this location is unknown. The parish takes its name from Twrog, a saint who lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries, to whom the church is dedicated: the Welsh word means "abode" or "dwelling", and "-wrog" is a modified form of the saint's name – i.e. "Twrog's dwelling". One of his brothers, St Gredifael, is commemorated in another Anglesey church, St Gredifael's Church, Penmynydd.
The present church dates from the time of King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
(ruled 1485–1509), when a significant amount of building work took place in Wales. Some more windows were added in the 17th or 18th century, and the church was restored in the mid to late 19th century. The writer Samuel Lewis recorded in 1849 that St Twrog's was attached to St Trygarn's Church, Llandrygarn, with the priest serving the two parishes residing in Llandrygarn. The church tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s had been paid to Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
(who had built a "neat parsonage-house" in Llandrygarn) since 1648, Lewis said, subject to a small deduction for distribution to the poor of the parish. The tithes were given to the college (which has had strong connections with Wales since its foundation in 1571) by a Dr Wynne, Chancellor of Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
.
St Twrog's 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 one of seven churches in a group of parishes served by the same priest (Llandrygarn with Bodwrog with Heneglwys with Trewalchmai with Llannerch-y-medd). Other churches in the combined parishes include St Cwyllog, Llangwyllog
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
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...
and St Mary, Llannerch-y-medd. It is within 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, 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...
and the Diocese of Bangor. The position of rector has been vacant since December 2000; as of October 2011, the 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...
is 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....
, dressed with limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
; the roof is made from slate, with a stone bellcote at the west end and a bell dating from 1668. 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 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...
, although there is a step and a rail denoting the sanctuary, and overall the church measures about 46 by. On the south side of the church, there are two windows and a 15th-century square-framed entrance door, which is at the west end; there are three windows on the north side. The east window and the two eastern-most windows on the north and south sides date from the late 15th century. Like the rest of the windows, these are made wholly or mainly from clear glass; none of the windows is made entirely of stained glass. The east window has three long narrow lights (sections of window separated by mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
s or tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
) each with an 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....
(double arc shaped) curve at the top, topped with eight smaller lights arranged with four in the centre. The other two 15th-century windows are set in square frames and have pairs of lights headed with cinquefoils (a five leaf pattern). The rectangular windows in the middle of the north and south walls were added in the 17th or 18th century, and have pairs of lights. The western-most window on the north side is a converted 15th-century door; it bears designs of a leaf pattern on one side and three bull's heads on the other. The three bull's heads pattern is associated with the Bulkeley family of Beaumaris, who were prominent and influential landowners, in Anglesey and elsewhere in north Wales, from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In 1500, about the time that the church was rebuilt, Richard Bulkeley was Archdeacon of Anglesey and so would have been involved in the work here, and is likely to have contributed towards the cost. A bull's head is carved into a stone above the doorway.
The roof dates from the 19th century and the supporting woodwork structure can be seen from inside the church. The church, which is lit by gas lamps, contains 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 in the nave, and a panelled reading desk with a matching pulpit, one on each side in the sanctuary. Cream paint has been used for the pews, pulpit and reading desk. There are some 18th-century memorial tablets on the south wall of the nave. A 1937 survey by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire noted an oak collecting shovel dated 1733, a silver cup dated 1773 and a font of uncertain date.
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 the three grades of listing, designating "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". It was given this status on 5 April 1971, and has been listed because it is regarded as "a good rural late Medieval church". 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 that the church has "a simple traditional character", and that it retains "many original features."
Writing in 1862, 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 the east window was similar to windows in the south aisle of St Cybi's Church, Holyhead. A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region also comments upon the east window, saying that it was "surprisingly grand". A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey says that St Twrog's is in "an elevated spot in a remote rural location." It notes that the east window was "much weathered", but that overall the building "appears to be in fairly good condition."