St Cwyfan's Church, Llangwyfan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Cwyfan's Church |
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Eglwys Cwyfan (Welsh)
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| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Medieval |
St Cwyfan's Church (which is Eglwys Cwyfan in Welsh) is a very old church in Llangadwaladr, Anglesey, Wales. It has a special historical listing called "Grade II*". This means it's an important building that needs to be protected.
The church sits on a tiny island called Cribinau. Because of its location, people often call it the "Little Church in the Sea" (or Eglwys fach y môr in Welsh). The church was built a very long time ago, in the 12th century. Some parts of it were fixed up in the 1800s.
A Church on an Island
St Cwyfan's Church was built in the 12th century. It is named after Saint Kevin, who started a religious community in Ireland.
Originally, the church was not on an island. It was at the end of a piece of land that stuck out into the sea, between two bays called Porth Cwyfan and Porth China. Over many years, the sea slowly wore away the land around the coast. This erosion cut off the church's peninsula, turning Cribinau into a small tidal island. A tidal island is land that is surrounded by water at high tide but connected to the mainland by a path or causeway at low tide.
Because the church was now on an island, a special path, called a causeway, was built. This causeway allowed people from nearby villages to still reach the church for services.
A Story About Languages
In 1766, a new priest named Thomas Bowles was put in charge of the church. He was from Bangor. The problem was that Thomas Bowles did not speak Welsh. Most of the 500 people who went to St Cwyfan's Church only spoke Welsh. Only five people understood English!
The local people were not happy about this. They protested against the new priest. Their case went to a special church court in 1773. The judge decided that priests who spoke Welsh should be sent to areas where most people spoke Welsh. This was an important decision for the Welsh language.
Saving the Church
The sea kept wearing away the land around Cribinau. By the late 1800s, some of the graves near the church started to fall into the sea. The church itself was also falling apart. Its walls were damaged, and it had no roof. Because of this, a new church was built further inland in Llangwyfan.
However, in 1893, a local architect named Harold Hughes decided to save the old church. He raised money to build a strong wall around Cribinau to protect it from the waves. He also helped to fix up the church building. Thanks to his efforts, the "Little Church in the Sea" was saved!
The Church Today
Today, St Cwyfan's Church is still used. It is a popular place for special events like weddings and baptisms. It remains a beautiful and historic landmark on its little island.
