St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw

St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw
A view from the south-east
St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw is located in Anglesey
St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw
St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw
Location in Anglesey
53°11′27″N 4°28′00″W / 53.190715°N 4.466638°W / 53.190715; -4.466638
OS grid referenceSH 353 688
LocationAberffraw, Anglesey
CountryWales, United Kingdom
DenominationChurch in Wales
History
StatusChurch
Founded7th century
Founder(s)St Beuno
DedicationSt Beuno
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated5 April 1971
Architect(s)Thomas Jones (1840 restoration)
Henry Kennedy (1868 rebuilding)
StyleLate Decorated
Specifications
Length30 ft (9.1 m) (nave)
Nave width16 ft (4.9 m)
Other dimensions25 by 16 ft (7.6 by 4.9 m) (chancel)
MaterialsRubble masonry dressed with sandstone; slate roof
Administration
ProvinceProvince of Wales
DioceseDiocese of Bangor
ArchdeaconryBangor
DeaneryMalltraeth
ParishTrefdraeth with Aberffraw with Llangadwaladr with Cerrigceinwen
Clergy
Vicar(s)Vacant[1]

St Beuno's Church, Aberffraw is a 12th-century parish church in Anglesey, north Wales. A church was established in Aberffraw in the 7th century by St Beuno, who became the abbot of Clynnog Fawr, Gwynedd. St Beuno's may have been used as a royal chapel during the early Middle Ages, as the Princes of Gwynedd had a royal court in Aberffraw, as part of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. The oldest parts of the church date from the 12th century, although it was considerably enlarged in the 16th century when a second nave was built alongside the existing structure, with the wall in between replaced by an arcade of four arches. Restoration work in 1840 uncovered a 12th-century arch in the west wall, which may have been the original chancel arch or a doorway to a western tower that has been lost. The church also has a 13th-century font, some memorials from the 18th century, and two 18th-century copper collecting shovels.

The church is still used for worship by the Church in Wales, one of four in a combined parish. As of 2013, the parish is without an incumbent priest. St Beuno's is a Grade II* listed building, a national designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest",[2] in particular because it is a "rare Anglesey example of a double-naved church", with elements including the "unusually fine" 12th-century arch.[3] A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region says that St Beuno's contains "some of the most significant Romanesque work on the island".[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CinW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ What is listing? (PDF). Cadw. 2005. p. 6. ISBN 1-85760-222-6.
  3. ^ Cadw. "Church of St. Beuno (5270)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pev was invoked but never defined (see the help page).