St Caffo's Church, Llangaffo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Caffo's Church, Llangaffo |
|
|---|---|
The church from the north-east
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SH 446 685 |
| Location | Llangaffo, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Website | Church website |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1846 (present building) |
| Dedication | St Caffo |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 30 January 1968 |
| Architect(s) | Weightman and Hadfield (Sheffield) |
| Style | Early English |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Rubble masonry, slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog (Gaerwen) with Llangristiolus with Llanffinan with Llangaffo |
| Deanery | Tindaethwy and Menai |
| Archdeaconry | Bangor |
| Diocese | Diocese of Bangor |
| Province | Province of Wales |
St Caffo's Church, Llangaffo is a church built in the 1800s. It is located in the south of Anglesey, north Wales. This is about 5 miles (8 km) from the main town, Llangefni.
The church was built in 1846. It replaced an older church that used to stand in the village of Llangaffo. The new building still has some old stone pieces from the original church. It also has a tall spire, which is a well-known sight in the area.
In the churchyard, you can find parts of an old stone cross. This cross is from the 9th or 10th century. There are also some very old gravestones from the 9th to 11th centuries. The church is named after St Caffo. He was a Christian saint from the 6th century who was killed nearby.
St Caffo's Church is still used today. It is part of the Church in Wales. It is one of four churches that work together in a group. The church is also a Grade II listed building. This means it is a special building that should be protected. It is seen as a good example of a country church from the mid-1800s. It shows the "Early English" style of architecture.
Contents
History of St Caffo's Church
It's not clear exactly when the first church was built in Llangaffo. This village is in Anglesey, about 5 miles (8 km) south of Llangefni. The village gets its name from the church. The Welsh word llan first meant "enclosure" and then "church". "-gaffo" is a changed form of the saint's name.
Who was St Caffo?
St Caffo was a Christian from the 6th century. He was a friend of St Cybi. Shepherds killed St Caffo near where Llangaffo is now. This might have been because his brother, Gildas, had insulted Maelgwn Gwynedd, who was the local ruler.
People think there might have been a monastery here once. It was called "Merthyr Caffo." Merthyr is a Welsh word for "martyr." In place names, it means a building built near a saint's grave.
Building the New Church
The church you see today was built in 1846. It is in the north-eastern part of the village. It stands on the south-eastern side of the B4419 road. Architects from Sheffield, named Weightman and Hadfield, designed it.
The new church replaced an older one. The old church stood on a nearby rock until it was taken down. A clergyman named Harry Longueville Jones wrote about it in 1846. He said the old church was "very small and unimportant." He also noted it was the only medieval building left in the area.
The Church Today
The church from the 1800s is still used for services. It is part of the Church in Wales. It is one of four churches in a group. This group includes churches in Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog, Llangristiolus, and Llanffinan.
The church is part of the Diocese of Bangor. Services in Welsh are held every Sunday. These include Holy Communion or Morning Prayer. There are no services during the week.
Some important people have been connected to the church. Edward Wynn was a rector here from 1658. He later became a leader at Bangor Cathedral. James Williams also served here.
Church Design and Features
St Caffo's Church is built from rough stone blocks called rubble masonry. It has smooth limestone details. The church is built in an "early English style." This style was popular between about 1180 and 1275. It often uses narrow, pointed windows and arches. The roof is made of slate.
Outside the Church
The tower is at the west end of the church. It has strong supports called buttresses at its corners. The tower is topped with a pointed roof called a broach spire. This spire is a well-known sight in the area. You enter the church through an arched doorway on the north side of the tower.
The chancel is at the east end of the church. It is smaller than the main part of the church, called the nave. There is also a side section, or transept, on the north side of the chancel. The nave has tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. There is another lancet window on the south side of the chancel. The church's east window has three sections, or "lights," separated by stone bars called mullions.
Inside the Church
Inside, the area around the altar, called the sanctuary, is one step higher than the chancel. The floor of the sanctuary and the decorated screen behind the altar, called the reredos, are made of colorful encaustic tiles.
The church has some interesting old pieces. There is a round, decorated font from the 12th century. This is where baptisms take place. There is also a pulpit from the 17th century with carved designs. A survey in 1937 noted that the church had a silver cup and a plate (a paten) from 1736.
The transept has several memorials from the 17th century. One is for Edward Wynn. There is also a stone from the early 7th century built into the wall. It has an old inscription that likely means 'Gwernin, son of Cuurius Cini, set up this stone'. This stone originally came from Newborough, Anglesey.
Near the main church entrance, five old gravestones lean against the wall. The tallest might be from the 12th or 13th century. The others are from the 9th to 11th centuries. These stones suggest that a religious group lived here a very long time ago.
The church porch holds part of a cross head shaped like a wheel. It dates from the 9th or 10th century. Another part of the cross is in the churchyard. However, it has been damaged by weather, and most of its patterns are worn away.
The Churchyard
The oldest graves are to the north of the church. This is unusual. Usually, the southern part of a churchyard was used first for burials. The northern part was often left unused until more space was needed. The path to the church has sunk over time. This might be because people used to bury the dead on top of each other in medieval times. One writer has suggested that a mound near the path might mean the church is built on an old Bronze Age settlement.
The churchyard has seven gravestones that were found in the walls of the old church. Six of them are from between the 9th and 11th centuries. The seventh is from the 12th or 13th century. The doorway from the old church, from the 15th century, is now used as an entrance to the churchyard. A carved stone human head from the 12th century has been placed in the north wall of the churchyard. There is also a war memorial shaped like a Celtic cross. It remembers those who died in the First and Second World Wars.
Why St Caffo's Church is Special
St Caffo's Church is a Grade II listed building. This is the lowest of three grades. It means the building is "of special interest" and should be protected. It was given this status on January 30, 1968. Cadw, the Welsh government body that looks after old buildings, says it was listed because it is "a mid 19th-century rural church, consistently articulated and detailed in an Early English style." This means it's a good example of a country church from the 1800s, built in a specific old style.
The writer Samuel Lewis said in the 1800s that the rebuilt church was "a very good specimen of the early English style." He liked its simple look. He also said the inside was "fitted up in a neat and appropriate manner."
A guide to Anglesey churches from 2006 says the church's "impressive" tower and steeple can be seen from far away. Another guide from 2009 notes the "exceptional number of inscribed fragments." These old stones show that it was a place of early Christian worship. A 2005 guide to Wales says St Caffo's looks "uninspiring" from the outside. However, it adds that it has "a remarkable collection" of old memorial stones.
