St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad |
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A view from the north-west; the north chapel is on the left, the nave (with the vestry attached) to the right
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| OS grid reference | SH 495 841 |
| Location | near Marian-glas, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Website | Llanallgo and Llaneugrad parish website |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | c. 605 |
| Founder(s) | Eugrad |
| Dedication | Eugrad |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 12 May 1970 |
| Style | Decorated |
| Specifications | |
| Length | Nave: 18 ft 9 in (5.7 m) |
| Nave width | 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) |
| Other dimensions | Chancel: 12 ft 9 in by 10 ft 6 in (3.9 by 3.2 m) |
| Materials | Rubble masonry |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Llaneugrad and Llanallgo with Penrhosllugwy with Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd |
| Deanery | Twrcelyn |
| Archdeaconry | Bangor |
| Diocese | Diocese of Bangor |
| Province | Province of Wales |
St Eugrad's Church, Llaneugrad is a very old church in Anglesey, north Wales. It is near a village called Marian-glas. People believe a saint named Eugrad started a church here around the year 605.
The oldest parts of the church you see today, like the main hall (called the nave) and the area near the altar (the chancel), were built in the 1100s. Later, in the 1500s, a side chapel was added. The church also had some repairs in the 1800s. Inside, you can find a stone baptismal font from the 1100s. There is also a carved stone from the 1200s showing the crucifixion. A special memorial remembers an officer who died when a ship called the Royal Charter sank nearby in 1859.
St Eugrad's Church is still used for worship today. It is part of the Church in Wales. It is one of four churches in its local area. One of the other churches, St Gallgo's Church, Llanallgo, was started by Eugrad's brother. St Eugrad's is a "Grade II* listed building". This means it is a very important building with special history and design. It is seen as a typical old church for the island of Anglesey. Its old arch between the nave and chancel is quite rare to find from such an early time.
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History of St Eugrad's Church
St Eugrad's Church is in the countryside in north-east Anglesey, Wales. It is about 800 meters from Marian-glas village. The church is in a quiet, oval-shaped churchyard next to a small lane. The area around the church, called Llaneugrad, gets its name from the church. In Welsh, "llan" first meant an "enclosure" and then came to mean "church".
A writer from the 1800s, Samuel Lewis, wrote that St Eugrad likely founded the church around 605 AD. St Eugrad was one of the sons of St Caw, a king from northern Britain. He was also the brother of St Gildas and St Gallgo. St Gallgo started the nearby church that is now named after him. St Gallgo's and St Eugrad's churches have been part of the same church area since at least 1253.
No parts of the church from the 600s are still standing today. The oldest parts of the church are the walls of the nave and the chancel, which were built in the 1100s. Doorways were added in the 1300s and 1400s. A chapel was built on the north side of the chancel in the 1500s. Many churches added side chapels around this time. This allowed people to show their devotion to St Mary. The roof of the nave was replaced in the 1600s.
In the mid-1800s, a porch was added to the south-west side. A small room for the priest (called a vestry) was added to the north-west. Some careful repair work was also done later in the 1800s.
St Eugrad's is still an active church today. It is part of the Church in Wales. Services are held there most Sunday mornings.
Church Design and Features
St Eugrad's Church is built in a style called Decorated. It uses rough stone blocks (called rubble masonry) with smoother stone for details. The roof is made of slate. At the west end, there is a small tower for a bell (a bellcote) from the 1600s. It holds one bell. Stone crosses are at the top of the church's gables. Most of the outside walls have a pebbledash finish.
You enter the church through a porch at the south-west corner. This leads to a round-arched doorway from the 1400s. Inside, the main hall (the nave) and the chancel are separated by an arch from the 1100s. This arch is now covered in plaster. The nave is about 5.7 meters long and 3.8 meters wide.
On the north side of the nave, a doorway from the 1300s leads into the 1800s vestry. Next to this doorway, there is a stone basin for holy water (a stoup). There is also a carved stone showing the crucifixion. This carving is quite simple and probably from the 1200s. It used to be above the south door. The simple baptismal font, which is used for baptisms, is thought to be from the 1100s. It is at the west end of the nave.
The chancel is about 3.9 meters long and 3.2 meters wide. Its roof is from the 1500s. The south wall of the chancel has a decorated wooden panel from 1644. This panel used to be part of the pulpit. The north wall was removed when the chapel was added. A large beam now crosses this opening. The chapel is about 6.1 meters long and 3.9 meters wide. Its roof is also from the 1500s.
Most of the church's windows are from the 1800s. The south wall of the nave has an old, blocked-up round window from the 1100s. The east window has three sections separated by stone bars (called mullions). The top of the window has decorative stone patterns shaped like three-leaf clovers (called trefoils). The windows in the chapel are similar. There is no colored glass in the church; all the windows have clear glass.
The church's furniture, like the pews, pulpit, and reading desk, are from the 1800s. They are all decorated with trefoil shapes.
Special Memorials
The church has several memorials from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s. These remember members of the Williams family, who owned the land where the church stands.
There is a special stone memorial for John Groome. He was the Fourth Officer of the Royal Charter. This ship sank off the coast of Anglesey in 1859. Over 440 people lost their lives in that disaster. The memorial for John Groome is in a style called Art Nouveau.
Why St Eugrad's Church is Important
St Eugrad's Church is a "Grade II* listed building". This is the second-highest level of protection for historic buildings in Wales. It means the church is a "particularly important building of more than special interest." It was given this status in 1970. It is recognized as a "simple rural church" that shows the typical style of churches on Anglesey. It is also important because of its old parts from the Middle Ages. The arch between the nave and chancel is a rare survivor from such an early time in the region. The 1200s crucifixion stone and the 1500s chancel roof and chapel are also noted as important features.
An Anglesey historian, Angharad Llwyd, wrote in 1833 that the church was "a small but stately edifice." She said it had "lofty proportions and venerable appearance." Another visitor in 1844, Harry Longueville Jones, called it "one of the simplest in the island." He also noted the "rudely sculptured crucifixal figure." He felt the church was "in a state of great neglect" but should be "carefully preserved" because of its unique old features.
A guide to Anglesey churches from 2006 mentions the "considerable headroom" in the nave and chancel. It also points out the "very large beam" between the chancel and chapel. The porch is described as "unusual" because of its flat roof and castle-like decorations. A 2009 guide calls St Eugrad's "very small." It suggests that its small size helped it keep its original layout from the early Christian church.
