St Deiniol's Church, Llanddaniel Fab

Last updated

St Deiniol's Church, Llanddaniel Fab
The former St Deiniol's Church, Llanddaniel Fab.jpg
The west end and south porch
Isle of Anglesey UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St Deiniol's Church, Llanddaniel Fab
Location in Anglesey
53°12′35″N4°15′14″W / 53.209837°N 4.253975°W / 53.209837; -4.253975
OS grid reference SH 495 704
Location Llanddaniel Fab, Anglesey
Country Wales, United Kingdom
Denomination Church in Wales
History
Status Parish church
Founded616
Mid-19th century (present building)
Founder(s) St Deiniol Fab
Dedication St Deiniol Fab
Architecture
Functional statusClosed
Heritage designation Grade II
Designated30 January 1968
Architect(s) Henry Kennedy (1873 repairs)
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic revival
Specifications
Materials Rubble masonry

St Deiniol's Church, Llanddaniel Fab, is a small 19th-century parish church in the centre of Llanddaniel Fab, a village in Anglesey, north Wales. The first church in this location is said to have been established by St Deiniol Fab (to whom the church is dedicated) in 616. He was the son of St Deiniol, the first Bishop of Bangor. The current building, which is in Early English style, incorporates some material and fittings from an earlier church on the site, including the font and an 18th-century memorial in the porch. The vestry door has medieval jambs and the keystone of its arch, which is also medieval, is a carved human face. Some parts of the nave walls may also come from a previous building here.

Contents

The church is no longer used for worship, and the village is now served by a church in Llanfairpwll. As of 2011, the building (without the surrounding grounds) was for sale. It is a Grade II listed building, a national designation given to "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them", [1] in particular because it is regarded as "a good example of a simple 19th-century rural church". [2]

History and location

St Deiniol's Church is near the centre of Llanddaniel Fab, a village in the south of Anglesey, north Wales. It is reached from the street by passing through a lychgate by the local war memorial. [2] The village takes its name from the church; the Welsh word llan originally meant "enclosure" and then "church", and -ddaniel is a modified form of the saint's name. [3]

The date of first construction of a Christian place of worship in the area is uncertain, but it is said by 19th-century writers that a son of St Deiniol (the first Bishop of Bangor) established a church here in 616. [4] [5] The son, also a saint, was known as Deiniol Fab (Welsh for "Deiniol the son"), to distinguish him from his father. [5] [6] No part of a building from that time survives. A later edifice, dating from the 16th century or perhaps earlier, was replaced in the 19th century. Some parts of that structure may have been reused in the current church, as the 1937 survey by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire considered that sections of the walls of the nave may be from the older building. [7] [8]

In 1833, the antiquarian Angharad Llwyd described the old church as "a very ancient and dilapidated structure", which had "some good specimens of the architecture of a very remote period". [4] Writing in 1846, the clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones described it as one "so much altered by successive reparations, that little of its original architectural character has been preserved". [7] Repairs were carried out to the new church, and a vestry added to the north side, in 1873. [2] [5] The work was overseen by Henry Kennedy, architect of the Diocese of Bangor. [9]

St Deiniol's is no longer in use; in 2006, a guide to the churches of Anglesey noted that no services had been held for a number of years, and added that ivy was growing across the building. [9] The church's former parish has been merged with that of the nearby village of Llanfairpwll, served by St Mary's, Llanfairpwll. [10] As of January 2011, the church (without the grounds) was on sale for £50,000; it was suggested by the estate agents handling the sale that it could be used as a studio or for storage, subject to necessary consents being obtained. [11]

People associated with St Deiniol's include the clergymen Henry Rowlands and Isaac Jones. Rowlands, who wrote a history of Anglesey (Mona Antiqua Restaurata) in 1723, served as priest here and in nearby parishes from 1696 onwards. [12] Jones, a translator, was curate of St Deiniol's from 1840 until his death in 1850. [13]

Architecture and fittings

The Gothic Revival church is in the Early English style. It is built from rubble masonry dressed with limestone and has a slate roof. The vestry is partially built from material used in the old church. The door in the vestry's north wall has medieval doorjambs, and the keystone of the pointed arch, which is also medieval, is a carved human face. [2]

The nave of the church (where the congregation sat) has no aisle. The chancel (site of the altar) is at the east end of the nave. [2] There is a porch, which contains an 18th-century memorial, on the south side of the nave towards the west end, and a vestry to the north. [2] [9] Each section is steeply gabled, with the west end terminating in a bellcote surmounted by a cross and containing a single bell. The windows in the nave have two lights (sections of window separated by mullions), save for one to the west of the porch, which has one light. The east end of the chancel has three adjoining lancet windows, the tallest in the middle. [2]

Internally, the walls have panelling at the bottom and painted plasterwork above. The roof has exposed timbers. There is a pointed chancel arch and three steps between the nave and chancel, with a further step to the sanctuary, which has a mosaic floor. The east windows and those on the north have stained glass. [9] Fittings include the rectangular pulpit, the pews, and the altar table, which are all made of pine wood, and the octagonal font, made of granite with carvings on each side. [2] The 1937 Royal Commission survey recorded that the church owned a plain silver cup, dated 1796–1797. [8] A visual inspection of the church in 2006 determined that there were many cobwebs inside, but also that the pews and organ remained in place. [7]

Assessment

St Deiniol's has national recognition and statutory protection from alteration as it has been designated as a Grade II listed building  – the lowest of the three grades of listing, designating "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them". [1] It was given this status on 30 January 1968 and has been listed because it is regarded as "a good example of a simple 19th-century rural church". [2] Cadw (the Welsh Government body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) states that it is "coherently designed in an early Gothic style which is apt for its scale". [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanddaniel Fab</span> Village and community in Anglesey, Wales

Llanddaniel Fab is a village and community in the south of Anglesey, Wales. At the 2001 census it had a population of 699, increasing to 776 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Cristiolus's Church, Llangristiolus</span> Church in Wales

St Cristiolus's Church, Llangristiolus is a medieval church near the village of Llangristiolus, in Anglesey, north Wales. The village, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the building, takes its name from the church. Reputedly founded by St Cristiolus in 610, the present building dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. Alterations were made in the 16th century, when the large east window in Perpendicular style was added to the chancel – a window which has been described by one guide to the buildings of north Wales as "almost too big to fit" in the wall. Some restoration work took place in the mid-19th century, when further windows were added and the chancel largely rebuilt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf</span> Church in Wales

St Mary's Church, Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf is a small medieval church in Anglesey, north Wales. The earliest parts of the building, including the nave and the north doorway, date from the 14th century. Other parts, including the chancel and the east window, date from the 15th century. It is associated with the Welsh poet and clergyman Goronwy Owen, who was born nearby and served as curate here. He later travelled to America to teach at The College of William & Mary, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peirio's Church, Rhosbeirio</span> Church in Wales

St Peirio's Church is a small disused medieval church, in Rhosbeirio, Anglesey, north Wales. It is unclear when a church was first established on this site, although it has been said that this happened in about 605. The current structure, which may date from the 15th century, has been restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. It ceased being used for services some years ago and has been boarded up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ceidio's Church, Rhodogeidio</span> Church in Wales

St Ceidio's Church, Rhodogeidio is a rural 19th-century church near Llannerch-y-medd, in Anglesey, north Wales. It was built using materials from the 14th-century church that previously stood on the site, which has been used for Christian worship since some time in the 7th century. The present building, which contains an east window dating from the 14th century and a 15th-century font, is no longer used for services, but has been looked after by local people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog</span> Church in Wales

St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog is a small medieval church, in Llandyfrydog, Anglesey, north Wales. The date of establishment of a church on this site is unknown, but one 19th-century Anglesey historian says that it was about 450. The oldest parts of the present building are dated to about 1400, with the chancel dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. It is built from rough, small, squared stones, dressed with limestone. One of the windows on the south side is raised to illuminate the pulpit, a decision that in the eyes of one 19th-century commentator "disfigures the building."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ffinan's Church, Llanffinan</span> Church in Wales

St Ffinan's Church, Llanffinan is a small 19th-century parish church built in the Romanesque revival style, in Anglesey, north Wales. There has been a church in this area, even if not on this precise location, since at least 1254, and 19th-century writers state that St Ffinan established the first church here in the 7th century. The church was rebuilt in 1841, reusing a 12th-century font and 18th-century memorials, as well as the cross at the eastern end of the roof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Gallgo's Church, Llanallgo</span> Church in Wales

St Gallgo's Church, Llanallgo is a small church near the village of Llanallgo, on the east coast of Anglesey, north Wales. The chancel and transepts, which are the oldest features of the present building, date from the late 15th century, but there has been a church on the site since the 6th or early 7th century, making it one of the oldest Christian sites in Anglesey. Some restoration and enlargement took place during the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Church of St Gwenllwyfo, Llanwenllwyfo</span> Church in Anglesey, Wales

The Old Church of St Gwenllwyfo, Llanwenllwyfo is a medieval ruined church near Dulas, in Anglesey, Wales, perhaps built in the 15th century to replace another church from which only the 12th-century font survived. Dedicated to Gwenllwyfo, a 7th-century female saint about whom nothing else is known, it was used as a chapel of ease for the church in Amlwch, about 5 miles (8 km) away. Restored in 1610 and again in the 18th and 19th centuries, it contained an oak screen and pulpit from 1610.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Beuno's Church, Trefdraeth</span> Church in Wales, UK

St Beuno's Church, Trefdraeth is the medieval parish church of Trefdraeth, a hamlet in Anglesey, north Wales. Although one 19th-century historian recorded that the first church on this location was reportedly established in about 616, no part of any 7th-century structure survives; the oldest parts of the present building date are from the 13th century. Alterations were made in subsequent centuries, but few of them during the 19th century, a time when many other churches in Anglesey were rebuilt or were restored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Nidan's Church, Llanidan</span> Church in Wales

St Nidan's Church, Llanidan is a 19th-century parish church near the village of Brynsiencyn, in Anglesey, north Wales. Built between 1839 and 1843, it replaced the Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan, which needed significant repair, providing a place of Anglican worship nearer to the village than the old church. Some items were moved here from the old church, including the 13th-century font, two bells from the 14th and 15th century, and a reliquary thought to hold the remains of St Nidan. The tower at the west end has been described as "top heavy" and looking like "a water tower".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan</span> Medieval church in Anglesey, Wales

The Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan is a medieval church in the community of Llanidan, in Anglesey, North Wales, close to the Menai Strait. The first church on the site was established in the 7th century by St Nidan, the confessor of the monastery at Penmon, Anglesey, but the oldest parts of the present structure, now closed and partly ruined, date from the 14th century. In about 1500 the church was enlarged by the addition of a second nave on the north side, separated from the earlier nave by an arcade of six arches. During 1839 till 1843 a new church was built nearby to serve the local community, partly due to the cost of repairing the old church. Much of the building was subsequently demolished, leaving only part of the western end and the central arcade. The decision was condemned at the time by Harry Longueville Jones, a clergyman and antiquarian, who lamented the "melancholy fate" of what he called "one of the largest and most important [churches] in the island of Anglesey". Other appreciative comments have been made about the church both before and after its partial demolition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad</span> Church in Wales

St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad is an isolated church near the village of Marian-glas, in Anglesey, north Wales. A church was supposedly founded here by St Eugrad in about 605, although the earliest parts of the present structure are the nave, chancel and chancel arch, which date from the 12th century. A side chapel was added to the north in the 16th century, and some moderate restoration work was carried out in the 19th century. It contains a 12th-century font, a 13th-century carved stone depicting the crucifixion, and a memorial to one of the officers killed when the Royal Charter sank off Anglesey in 1859.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy</span> Church in Wales

St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy is a medieval parish church in the north-west of Anglesey, north Wales. The date of foundation of the church, which is in the village of Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy, is unknown, but the oldest parts date from the 11th or 12th century. It has twice been enlarged: in the 15th century, when the chancel was rebuilt, and in the 16th century, when a chapel was added to the south of the chancel, separated by three arches. The tower at the west end is from the 17th century. A south porch of unknown date has been converted into a vestry, and the church is now entered through the tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Cynfarwy's Church, Llechgynfarwy</span> Church in Wales

St Cynfarwy's Church is a medieval parish church in Llechgynfarwy, Anglesey, north Wales. The first church in the vicinity was established by St Cynfarwy in about 630, but no structure from that time survives. The present building contains a 12th-century baptismal font, indicating the presence of a church at that time, although extensive rebuilding in 1867 removed the datable features of the previous edifice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yn-y-Cwmwd</span> Church in Wales

St Mary's Church, Llanfair-yn-y-Cwmwd is a small medieval parish church near the village of Dwyran, in Anglesey, north Wales. The building probably dates from the 15th century, with some alterations. It contains a 12th-century carved stone font and a 13th-century decorated coffin lid. The bell is inscribed with the year of its casting, 1582. The historian Henry Rowlands was vicar of St Mary's in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Maurice Wilks, who invented the Land Rover, is buried in the churchyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen</span> Church in Wales

St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen, is a 19th-century parish church near the Menai Strait, in Anglesey, north Wales. The first church was founded here by St. Edwen in 640, but the present structure dates from 1856 and was designed by Henry Kennedy, the architect of the Diocese of Bangor. It contains some memorials from the 17th and 18th centuries and a reading desk that reuses panel work from the 14th and 17th centuries. The 18th-century historian Henry Rowlands was vicar here, and is buried in the churchyard. The church is on land that forms part of the Plas Newydd estate, home of the family of the Marquess of Anglesey since 1812 and owned by the National Trust. Some of the Marquesses of Anglesey, and some of their employees, are also buried in the churchyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ceinwen's Church, Cerrigceinwen</span> Church in Wales

St Ceinwen's Church, Cerrigceinwen, is a former parish church in the countryside of central Anglesey, north Wales. The present building dates from 1860, although the site has been used for worship since at least the 7th century. The doorway reuses some old carved gravestones, one from the 9th to 11th centuries, and another from the 12th century. The church grounds contain a well, once thought to have healing properties. The church and the well are both named after St Ceinwen, an early Celtic female saint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Llanbedrgoch</span> Church in Anglesey, Wales

St Peter's Church, Llanbedrgoch, is a small medieval parish church near the village of Llanbedrgoch in Anglesey, north Wales. The oldest parts of the building date from the 15th century; it was extended in the 17th century and restored twice in the 19th century. The doorway is decorated with carvings of two human heads, one wearing a mitre. The church contains a reading desk made from 15th-century bench ends, one carved with a mermaid holding a mirror and comb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Enghenedl's Church, Llanynghenedl</span> Church in Wales

St Enghenedl's Church, Llanynghenedl, is a former parish church in Anglesey, north Wales, dedicated to the son of a 6th-century King of Powys. According to the 19th-century antiquarian Angharad Llwyd, the first church in Llanynghenedl was erected in about 620. A new church was erected in 1862, replacing a building that the 19th-century clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones noted as dating in part from the late 13th or early 14th century, based on the decorations on the south doorway. The church later fell into disuse as a result of the growth of the nearby village of Valley and the church there. In 1988, St Enghenedl's was dismantled and re-erected as an extension to St Mihangel's, Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn, so that St Mihangel's could serve as the church for RAF Valley. The former churchyard of St Enghenedl's is still visible but is now overgrown.(The churchyard is being cared for and no longer overgrown 2020 update)

References

  1. 1 2 What is listing? (PDF). Cadw. 2005. p. 6. ISBN   1-85760-222-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cadw. "Church of St Deiniol (5455)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. "Religion and creed in place names". BBC Wales . Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  4. 1 2 Llwyd, Angharad (2007) [1833]. A History of the Island of Mona. Llansadwrn, Anglesey: Llyfrau Magma. p. 109. ISBN   1-872773-73-7.
  5. 1 2 3 Lewis, Samuel (1849). "Llanddaniel-Vab (Llan-Ddeiniol-Fab)". A Topographical Dictionary of Wales.
  6. Baring-Gould, Sabine (1907). The lives of the British Saints: the Saints of Wales and Cornwall and such Irish Saints as have dedications in Britain (volume 2). Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. p. 332.
  7. 1 2 3 Longueville Jones, Harry (1846). "Mona Mediaeva No. IV". Archaeologia Cambrensis . 1. Cambrian Archaeological Association: 434–435.
  8. 1 2 Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire (1968) [1937]. "Llanddaniel-Fab". An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Anglesey. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 42.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Jones, Geraint I. L. (2006). Anglesey Churches. Carreg Gwalch. p. 71. ISBN   1-84527-089-4.
  10. "Church in Wales: Benefices". Church in Wales . Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  11. "St Deiniol Fab, Llanddaniel Fab, Anglesey". Homes & Property. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  12. Wright, Evan Gilbert (1959). "Rowlands, Henry (1655–1723), antiquary". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales . Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  13. Ellis, Thomas Iorwerth (1959). "Jones, Isaac (1804–1850), cleric and translator". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 28 January 2011.