St Ceinwen's Church, Cerrigceinwen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Ceinwen's Church, Cerrigceinwen |
|
|---|---|
St Ceinwen's in 2006
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| OS grid reference | SH423736 |
| Location | Cerrigceinwen, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Previous denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 7th century or earlier |
| Dedication | St Ceinwen |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Closed |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 30 January 1968 |
| Architect(s) | Henry Kennedy and Frederick Rogers |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Decorated |
| Completed | 1860 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | c. 39 ft 8 in (12.1 m) |
| Nave width | c. 20 ft 8 in (6.3 m) |
| Floor area | c. 1,076 sq ft (100 m2) |
| Materials | Rubble masonry and slate |
St Ceinwen's Church, located in the quiet countryside of central Anglesey, north Wales, is a very old site of worship. While the building you see today was finished in 1860, people have been worshipping here since at least the 7th century. This means the site has been important for over 1,300 years!
One cool thing about the church is that its doorway uses parts of old carved gravestones. One of these stones is from the 9th to 11th centuries, and another is from the 12th century. Imagine how old those are! The church grounds also have a special well, which people once believed could heal illnesses. Both the church and the well are named after St Ceinwen, an early Celtic female saint.
Today, St Ceinwen's Church is no longer used for regular church services by the Church in Wales. As of July 2012, it was put up for sale. This church is also a "Grade II listed building". This means it's considered a special building that should be protected. It's important because it's a "simple rural church" from the 1800s that still has older carved stones.
Contents
History and Location of the Church
St Ceinwen's Church sits in a peaceful, rural spot in the middle of Anglesey, north Wales. It's tucked away in a dip beside a road, close to the village of Cerrigceinwen. This is about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Llangefni, which is the main town in Anglesey.
When Was the Church Built?
It's not completely clear when the very first church was built on this spot. Some guides say that worship started here in the 7th century. However, a writer from the 1800s, Samuel Lewis, thought a church might have been founded here as early as 450 AD. The medieval church that stood here before had some repairs done in 1839. The current church building was then built in 1860. The architects who designed it were Henry Kennedy and Frederick Rogers.
Who Was St Ceinwen?
The church is named after St Ceinwen. She is also known as Cain or Keyne in other parts of Wales and in Cornwall. In Welsh, "Cain" means "fair" or "beautiful," and "Ceinwen" means "Blessed Cain." St Ceinwen was the daughter of a king named King Brychan Brycheiniog. Her sisters, St Dwynwen and St Dyfnan, are also remembered in other churches on Anglesey.
St Ceinwen's Well
In the southern part of the churchyard, there is a spring called "St Ceinwen's Well." A clergyman and historian from the 1800s, Harry Longueville Jones, wrote that this well was "once much resorted to as a spring that could cure many diseases." This shows how important the well was to people in the past.
Current Status of the Church
As of July 2012, St Ceinwen's Church was no longer used for regular services and was being sold for £65,000. Some of the land around the church was included in the sale. However, the graveyards in front and behind the church were not part of the sale.
Architecture and Features
The church is built in a style called "Decorated" architecture. It has a main hall called a nave at the west end and a smaller section called a chancel at the east end. The church is made from rough stone (called rubble masonry) with smoother cut stones (called freestone) for details. The roof is made of slate and has stone edges.
Church Layout and Size
There's a small entrance area, or porch, on the south side of the nave. A small room for the priest, called a vestry, is on the north side of the chancel, next to the nave. The nave is about 39 feet 8 inches (12.10 meters) long and 20 feet 8 inches (6.30 meters) wide. The chancel is a bit shorter and narrower, about 18 feet (5.50 meters) long and 14 feet 1 inch (4.30 meters) wide. The total floor space inside the church is about 1,076 square feet (100 square meters). At the west end of the nave, there's a large bell tower, called a bellcote, which holds one bell.
Old Carved Stones
The arched doorway in the porch is very special because it reuses two old carved gravestones. One stone, from the 12th century, has a circle with a cross and a decorated pattern. This stone is used as the top part of the doorway, called the lintel. Another part of a gravestone, from the 9th to 11th centuries, has a cross in a circle and is placed to the right of the door.
Inside the Church
Inside, three steps lead up from the nave to the chancel through a decorated arch. Two more steps lead from the chancel to the sanctuary, which is the area around the altar. The wooden beams of the roof can be seen from inside. The window in the east wall of the chancel has a pointed arch. It has three sections, called lights, separated by stone bars called mullions. These sections are topped with a three-leaf pattern called trefoils. The windows in the nave also have pointed arches and one, two, or three lights with trefoils. These windows have colored leaded glass, but they don't show pictures like stained glass.
Church Furniture and Memorials
The round stone font, used for baptisms, is from the 12th century, but its base is newer. It has five decorated panels. Four panels have carvings of crosses and knots that weave together, while one panel is plain. Other furniture in the church, like the eight-sided pulpit with decorated panels, dates from the 1800s.
On the west wall of the nave, there's a stone memorial for a Reverend William Griffith, who passed away in 1752. The south wall has a war memorial for those who died in the First World War. On the north wall, there's a stone remembering Morris Lloyd (or Llwyd), a Royalist soldier who was killed by Cromwell's troops in 1647.
In 1906, a survey of church items in the Bangor area noted that St Ceinwen's had a chalice (a cup) and a paten (a small plate) from 1823. It also mentioned that a pewter flagon (a large jug), which the church owned from 1739 to 1834, had been lost.
The churchyard also contains a Commonwealth War Grave for a sergeant from the Royal Army Medical Corps who died during World War II.
Why St Ceinwen's Church is Special
St Ceinwen's Church is recognized nationally and is protected by law from being changed without permission. It was given "Grade II listed building" status on January 30, 1968. This is the lowest of three protection levels, meaning it's a "building of special interest" that should be preserved.
Cadw, the Welsh Government body that looks after Wales's historic buildings, says the church is special because it's a "simple rural church of the 19th century." They also note that it's "particularly notable for retention of early carved stonework in the later fabric." This means it's important because it still has very old carved stones built into its newer parts.
Two writers from the 1800s described the old church. Before the 1839 repairs, Angharad Llwyd called it "a neat small edifice, and appropriately fitted-up." After some rebuilding, in 1846, Harry Longueville Jones said the east window was "one of the purest models" in Anglesey. He also admired the "richly sculptured compartments" of the font.
