St Beuno's Church, Pistyll

St Beuno's Church
Eglwys Beuno Sant
St Beuno's Church Location in Gwynedd
52°57′08″N4°29′23″W / 52.9521°N 4.4898°W / 52.9521; -4.4898
Location	Pistyll, Gwynedd
Country	Wales
Denomination	Anglican (Church in Wales)
History
Status	Parish church
Founder(s)	Beuno
Dedication	Beuno
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	19 October 1971
Administration
Diocese	Bangor
Archdeaconry	Meirionnydd
Benefice	Synod Meirionnydd
Parish	Bro Madryn

St Beuno's Church is a Grade I listed building located north-east of the village of Pistyll, Gwynedd, Wales. The church is dedicated to Beuno, a 7th-century Welsh saint.

History

The village of Pistyll stands 1.6 mi (2.6 km) north-east of Nefyn just inland from the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula. The church stands to the north-east and is dedicated to Beuno, a 7th-century Welsh saint. ^[1] The church dates back to the 12th century, ^[2] but most of the present structure dates to later building campaigns, principally of the 15th century. ^[3] The church was on the pilgrimage route to St Mary's Abbey on Bardsey Island. ^{[4] [5]} It maintains an ancient tradition of scattering the floor with "rushes and sweet-smelling herbs" at Christmas, Easter, and in August. ^{[4] [2]}

The church remains an active parish church in the Diocese of Bangor and occasional services are held. ^[6]

Architecture and description

Richard Haslam, Julian Orbach, and Adam Voelcker, in their 2009 edition Gwynedd, in the Buildings of Wales series, note the church's setting, "on a shelf above the sea". ^[4] The design is simple — a short, combined nave and chancel with a bellcote above. ^[5] The building material is of the local rhyolite rubble, ^[2] and the interior contains an important 11th century font. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) records the external decoration of the bowl; "Anglo-Scandinavian two strand chain interlace design". ^[3] There is evidence of wall decoration in the form of biblical texts in Welsh and a painting of Saint Christopher, but these are very decayed. ^[4] St Beuno's is a Grade I listed building. ^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Interior - the floor covered with rushes and herbs
• 
  11th century font
• 
  The "Lepers Window"

References

1. Baring-Gould 1908, p. ???.
2. Cadw. "Church of St Beuno (Grade I) (4374)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
3. "St Beuno's Church, Pistyll (43702)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
4. Haslam, Orbach & Voelcker 2009, p. 497.
5. "Church Heritage Record 2448: St Beuno, Pistyll". Church in Wales . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
6. "St Beuno, Pistyll". Church in Wales . Retrieved 9 September 2024.

Sources

• Baring-Gould, Sabine (1908). The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in Britain. Vol. III. London: Charles Clark.
• Haslam, Richard; Orbach, Julian; Voelcker, Adam (2009). Gwynedd. The Buildings of Wales. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN   978-0-300-14169-6. OCLC   1023292902.

External links

• RCAHMW photographic survey