Old Church of St Afran, St Ieuan and St Sannan, Llantrisant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Church of St Afran, St Ieuan and St Sannan, Llantrisant
The church from the southwest
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OS grid reference	SH 350 840
Location	Llantrisant, Anglesey
Country	Wales
Denomination	Church in Wales
Website	Friends of Friendless Churches
History
Dedication	Saint Afran, Saint Ieuan and Saint Sannan
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	5 April 1971
Architectural type	Church
Closed	1899
Specifications
Materials	Stone, modern slate roof

The Old Church of St Afran, St Ieuan and St Sannan is a very old church in Llantrisant, a small place in Anglesey, Wales. It's called a "redundant church" because it's not used for regular church services anymore. This special building is protected as a Grade II* listed building by an organization called Cadw. It's also looked after by a group called the Friends of Friendless Churches. You'll find this church in a quiet, lonely spot, next to a farm, away from busy roads.

History of the Old Church

The church is named after three saints: Afran, Ieuan, and Sannan. The name "Saint Afran" might actually be a changed version of Saint Afan. Old records from the 1500s say the church was for "Sannan and Afan and Evan."

Saint Afan was an important bishop and saint. He lived in the 500s in parts of Wales called Ceredigion and Brycheiniog. He was connected to a royal family in Gwynedd. A person named Ieuan, who was killed by Vikings in the 900s, was said to be related to him.

Building and Restoration

The church was probably built a long time ago, in the late 1300s. A small chapel was added to the south side in the 1600s. In 1899, a new church was built closer to the village, about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) away. This meant the old church was no longer needed for services.

Over time, the old church started to fall apart. By 1937, it was in bad shape. By 1970, it was almost a ruin and didn't even have a roof. Luckily, it was repaired and made strong again between 1976 and 1977.

In 1978, a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches took over the care of the building. They have a very long lease for 999 years. This church was one of the first in Wales that this charity helped to save.

Church Architecture and Design

The Old Church of St Afran, St Ieuan and St Sannan is built from stone. It has a modern roof made of slate. The church has a simple design. It has a main area called the nave and a part for the altar called the chancel, which are connected. There's also a chapel that sticks out from the south side.

Outside the Church

At the west end of the church, there's a stone gable with a small bell tower on top. On the south wall of the nave, there's a round-shaped doorway. To the left of this door, you'll see a single rectangular window. To the right, there's a double window with a large, rough stone above it.

On the north wall, there's another rectangular doorway. To its left, there's a single square window. The window at the east end of the church has two lights (sections) shaped like trefoils (a three-leaf clover design). There's also a small shield-shaped window between them. The south chapel has double square windows on its east and south walls. It also has a single rectangular window on its west wall.

Inside the Church

Inside, the church floor is made of stone slabs. Most of the furniture and fittings are very old, probably from the 1700s. This includes the box pews, which are like enclosed seating areas, and the benches.

The altar is very simple. It's a slab of slate supported by stone piers. A plain cross is set into the wall behind it. The font, which is used for baptisms, is even older, from the 1100s. It has a deep, round bowl on a cylindrical column, standing on a stepped base. This font wasn't originally in this church. It was moved here from a church in Grove, Buckinghamshire, when that church was turned into a house in the 1970s. You can also see memorials on the walls and a gravestone on a chest on the floor of the nave.