St Cadwaladr's Church, Llangadwaladr

Last updated

St. Cadwaladr Church, Llangadwaladr
St. Cadwaladr Church
Welsh: Eglwys Ael
Eglwys St Cadwaladr Church.jpg
St. Cadwaladr Church
Isle of Anglesey UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St. Cadwaladr Church, Llangadwaladr
Location in Anglesey
53°11′45″N4°25′15″W / 53.1959°N 4.4209°W / 53.1959; -4.4209
OS grid reference SH 383 692
Location Llangadwaladr
Country Wales
Denomination Church in Wales
Previous denomination Roman Catholic
Website churchinwales.org- St. Cadwaladr, Llangadwaladr
History
Former name(s)Eglwys Ael
StatusChurch
Founded615 (615)
Dedication Cadwaladr
Associated people Meyrick family of Bodorgan
Owen Family of Bodowen
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designation Grade I
Designated30 January 1968
Style Late Decorated
Groundbreaking 600s
Completed1856
Specifications
Length44.25 ft (13.49 m)
Nave width16.75 ft (5.11 m)
Administration
Province Wales
Diocese Bangor
Episcopal area North West Wales
Archdeaconry Archdeacon of Anglesey
Deanery Synod Ynys Mon
Benefice Bro Cadwaladr parish
Clergy
Archbishop Andy John
Vicar(s) The Reverend Canon E C Williams
Priest(s) The Reverend E R D Roberts
Archdeacon John Harvey
Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Bangor.svg

St Cadwaladr's Church (Welsh : Eglwys Ael) is a Grade I listed church in Llangadwaladr, Anglesey. The location of the current church was established in the 7th century by the Kings of Gwynedd, after whom the church is named, King Cadwaladr. The Church standing today was built in the 'T' shape perpendicular style. The nave is dated to the 12th to early 13th century and the chancel to the 14th. Later the chapels were built, the north in 1640 and the southern Bodowen Chapel in 1661. Then, during 1856 the church underwent restoration, at which time to south porch was added. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Founding of the church

The Welsh diocese of the former Kingdom of Gwynedd was founded c.546 by Saint Deiniol (Daniel) as the first Bishop of Gwynedd in the Diocese of Bangor. [4] Around 615 AD the current location of St. Cadwaladr's Church was established as royal monastery by the Kings of Gwynedd. [5] King Cadfan ap Iago had been buried in the church, and his tombstone c. 634 is still on display today. Cadfan's grandson Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon (Cadwaladr the blessed, Welsh : Fendigaid) was the patron Saint of the church which is named after him. King Cadwaladr retired to Llangadwaladr to become a monk, he later died in Rome in 664 and his body was brought back to Anglesey and buried at the church (Ael church) which was renamed in his honour. [5] [6] The church was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries with the addition of the nave. The chancel was added in the 14th century. Then in the 15th century a stained glass window was added which is still in the church today after being restored in 1850. The north Chapel (Meyrick) was built c.1640 and rebuilt in 1801, whilst the south chapel (Owen) was built c.1661. Then the south Church porch was built in 1856, completing the church which stands today. [3] [7]

Catamanus stone

Catamanus stone, circa 600 AD. Catamanus Stone, in Llangadwaladr church. November 2018.jpg
Catamanus stone, circa 600 AD.
Iago's tombstone (enhanced image). Cadfan.JPG
Iago's tombstone (enhanced image).

The medieval King of Gwynedd Cadfan ap Iago (King of Britain) was buried in Llangadwaladr. Cadfan's tombstone is currently found in the present church. The tombstone was inscribed c.634: [8] [5]

Latin: CATAMANUS REX SAPIENTIS MUS OPINATISM US OMNIUM REG UM. English: King Cadfan, the Wisest and Most Renowned of All Kings.

Stained glass windows

The Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and St John, glass c. 1490, restored 1850. Stained glass window at Llangadwaladr Church - Eglwys Llangadwaladr, Anglesey, Wales 48.jpg
The Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary and St John, glass c.1490, restored 1850.

It was during the Tudor period that the church was given stained glass windows as a gift from the Meyrick family (Welsh : Meurig) of Bodorgan as thankfulness for the return of their son Owain Ap Meurig after fighting with Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth (1485). The window is dated to 1490, the painting includes a portrait of St. Cadwaladr and also depictions of St Mary and St. John, the glass window was restored in 1850. The stained glass window from the 15th century was hidden in a vault during the Protestant reformation in 1661. [1] [3] [9] [10] The window of 1485 in the chancel east window also shows a Meyrick family member, Owen ap Meuric praying with his wife Ellen. There is a man in armour with the crest of Llywarch ap Bran honouring the patron's great-grandmother Eurddyled (daughter of Dafydd ap Iorweth), an heiress. And another with the crest of Hwfa ap Cynddelw . [11] An inscription for the c.1485 (Tudor period) glass stained window reads: [10]

Pray for the good estate of Meuric ap Llywelyn ap Hwlcyn esquire; Marged verch Ifan Fychan, Owain ap Meuric, Elen verch Robert, Who caused the window to be made.

During 1860, a local family member in the vicinity Owen Fuller Meyrick donated a glass stained windows depicting the resurrection of Jesus, the healing of a beggar by Saint Peter and John outside the Beautiful Gate and Salome desiring Christ honour her sons. Also many other fittings were given as gifts from another Meyrick family member, Owen Putland Meyrick of Bodorgan Hall. [3] [7]

Chapels

There was an addition of two chapels built in the 17th century. A chapel was named the Bodowen chapel in honour of a benefactor, the local Owen family of Bodowen. Anne Owen had married the Sir Hugh Owen and dedicated the chapel in memory of her husband. Also there another memorial for Hugh Owen (English Civil War colonel Royalist) from 1660 in the chapel. [1] [3] [11] [12] There are plaques which record the building of the second chapel, the north chapel (Meyrick chapel) which was developed by Richard Owen Meyrick in 1640. Beneath the plaque is a vault for Richard's great-grandson Owen Meyrick (1730). Another memorial for the reconstruction of the north chapel was made in 1801 by Owen Putland Meyrick (died 1825). In the chapel is also a marble memorial to the children of Augustus Elliot Fuller. The initials 'F M' are written into the window, they represent the Fuller and Meyrick families. [3] [9]

Modern history

In the newer part of the churchyard, south of the church, are war graves of four British airmen and a Polish airman of World War II. [13] Today the church is a part of the benefice of Bro Cadwaladr parish with 7 other churches in the local area. [14]

Images from the church, graveyard and the sculptures and stained glass windows: [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owain Gwynedd</span> King of Gwynedd

Owain ap Gruffudd was King of Gwynedd, North Wales, from 1137 until his death in 1170, succeeding his father Gruffudd ap Cynan. He was called Owain the Great and the first to be styled "Prince of Wales", and the "Prince of the Welsh". He is considered to be the most successful of all the North Welsh princes prior to his grandson, Llywelyn the Great. He became known as Owain Gwynedd to distinguish him from the contemporary king of Powys Wenwynwyn, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Maredudd, who became known as Owain Cyfeiliog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Gwynedd</span> Kingdom in northwest Wales, 401–1283

The Kingdom of Gwynedd was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadwaladr</span> King of Gwynedd

Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon was king of Gwynedd in Wales from around 655 to 682 AD. Two devastating plagues happened during his reign, one in 664 and the other in 682; he himself was a victim of the second. Little else is known of his reign.

Cadfan ap Iago was King of Gwynedd. Little is known of the history of Gwynedd from this period, and information about Cadfan and his reign is minimal.

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

Aberffraw is a village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey, in Wales. The village is 9 miles from the island's capital, Llangefni, and is located is on the west bank of the Afon Ffraw. The community includes Soar and Dothan. Located near the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangor Cathedral</span> Church in Gwynedd, Wales

Bangor Cathedral is the cathedral church of Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishton</span> Human settlement in Wales

Bishton or Bishopston is a small rural community in the east of the city of Newport, South Wales. It lies in the Llanwern electoral district (ward) and contains the eastern end of Llanwern steelworks, the Underwood estate as well as Bishton itself. The population in the 2001 census was 2,181; dropping to 2,137 in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anwyl of Tywyn family</span> Welsh noble family

Anwyl of Tywyn are a Welsh family who claim a patrilinear descent from Owain Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd from 1137 to 1170 and a scion of the royal House of Aberffraw. The family motto is: Eryr eryrod Eryri, which translates as "The Eagle of the Eagles of Snowdonia. The family lives in Gwynedd and speak Welsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llangadwaladr</span> Village in Anglesey, Wales

Llangadwaladr is a small village in south-west Anglesey, Wales, located around 2 miles east of Aberffraw and 3 miles south of Gwalchmai. It is part of the community of Bodorgan.

<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">Tregeiriog</span> Village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales

Tregeiriog is a village in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is in the community of Ceiriog Ucha on the B4500 road between Glyn Ceiriog and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog.

<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 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 Beuno's Church, Aberffraw</span> Church in Wales

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 court in Aberffraw. 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.

<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">Flag of Anglesey</span> Flag of historic county of Wales

The Anglesey flag is the flag of the County of Anglesey. It was registered by the Flag Institute in March 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodorgan Hall</span> Mansion on Anglesey, Wales

Bodorgan Hall is a country house and estate located in the hamlet of Bodorgan, Anglesey, Wales, situated near the Irish Sea in the southwestern part of the island. The hall is the seat of the Meyricks, and is the largest estate on Anglesey. The hall is the home of Sir George Meyrick and his wife, Lady Candida Tapps Gervis Meyrick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mihangel's Church, Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn</span> Church in Wales

St Mihangel's Church in the village of Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn is a former parish church now used as the chapel for RAF Valley in Anglesey, north Wales. The date of the first church on the site is uncertain, but in 1862 the then-existing church was rebuilt. St Mihangel's became the chapel for the nearby Royal Air Force base in 1998, after the Church in Wales had ceased using it for services. It was then extended by dismantling and reassembling another Anglesey church, St Enghenedl's, at the west end of the building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meyrick family</span> Welsh family, of Bodorgan, Anglesey

The Meyrick family of Bodorgan, Anglesey, Wales is descended from Cadafael, lord of Cedewain, Powys.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "St Cadwaladr's Church, Llangadwaladr (43595)". Coflein. RCAHMW.
  2. "Church of St.Cadwaladr". britishlistedbuildings. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cadw. "Church of St. Cadwaladr (5505)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  4. "DEINIOL (died 584), saint, founder of Bangor and first bishop in Gwynedd". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales.
  5. 1 2 3 "St. Cadwaladr". nationalchurchestrust.org. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  6. "CADWALADR (died 664), prince". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Church of St. Cadwaladr, Llangadwaladr, Anglesey". stainedglass.llgc.org.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  8. Tout, Thomas Frederick (1885–1900). "Cadvan (d.617? or 634?)"  . Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 190.
  9. 1 2 3 "MEYRICK family, Bodorgan, Anglesey.". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales.
  10. 1 2 3 "St. Cadwaladr's church windows". waymarking.com. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  11. 1 2 RCAHMW, An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Anglesey , p. 86-87, at Google Books
  12. "OWEN family, of Bodeon (Bodowen), Anglesey". Dictionary of Welsh Biography . National Library of Wales.
  13. CWGC Cemetery report, details from casualty record.
  14. "Bro Cadwaladr". churchinwales.org. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  15. "Church of St Cadwaladr, Llangadwaladr, Anglesey". imagingthebible.llgc.org.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  16. George Cokayne (1900). "Complete Baronetage". archive.org. Retrieved 19 September 2023.