St Ffinan's Church, Llanffinan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Ffinan's Church, Llanffinan
The church from the north, showing the doorway at the west end
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OS grid reference	SH 495 755
Location	Llanffinan, Anglesey
Country	Wales, United Kingdom
Denomination	Church in Wales
Website	Church website
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	c. 620 Present building 1841
Dedication	St Ffinan
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	30 January 1968
Architect(s)	John Welch (1841)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Romanesque revival
Specifications
Materials	Stone with slate roof
Administration
Parish	Bro Cadwaladr
Deanery	Synod Ynys Mon
Archdeaconry	Bangor
Diocese	Diocese of Bangor
Province	Province of Wales

St Ffinan's Church in Llanffinan is a small church in Anglesey, north Wales. It was built in the 1800s in a style called Romanesque revival. People have worshipped in this area since at least 1254. Some writers from the 1800s even say that St Ffinan started the first church here in the 600s.

The church was rebuilt in 1841. It still uses an old font from the 1100s and memorials from the 1700s. The cross on the roof's eastern end is also from the older church. St Ffinan's is still used for services by the Church in Wales every week. It is a Grade II listed building. This means it is a special building that should be protected. The church is in the countryside, about 2.5 kilometers from Llangefni. It is also on a path to Plas Penmynydd, which was once home to Owen Tudor, who started the Tudor dynasty.

History of St Ffinan's Church

St Ffinan's Church is located in the countryside in the middle of Anglesey, north Wales. It is near the village of Talwrn. The church is at the end of a gravel path. You can also reach it by a public footpath from Plas Penmynydd. This place was once home to Owen Tudor, the grandfather of King Henry VII. The name of the parish comes from the church. The Welsh word llan first meant "enclosure" and then "church."

When Was the Church Built?

We are not sure exactly when the first church was built here. But a church was recorded in this spot in 1254. This was during a survey of churches called the Norwich Taxation. Writers from the 1800s, like Angharad Llwyd and Samuel Lewis, said that St Ffinan started the first church here. They thought it was around the early 600s, possibly 620.

The current church building was designed by an architect named John Welch. It was built in 1841. The first service in the new building was held on July 6, 1841. John Welch also designed another church in Anglesey, St Nidan's Church, Llanidan.

How the Church Is Used Today

St Ffinan's Church is still used for worship by the Church in Wales. It is one of eight churches in a group called Bro Cadwaladr. The church is part of the Diocese of Bangor. As of 2016, the vicar (the main priest) is Emlyn Williams. He is helped by another priest, E. R. Roberts.

Services are held at St Ffinan's on the first to fourth Sundays of every month. These services are either Cymun Bendigaid (which means Holy Communion) or Foreol Weddi (Morning Prayer). On the fifth Sunday of the month, a Holy Communion service is held at one of the other churches in the parish. There are no services during the week.

Church Design and Features

The church is small and shaped like a rectangle. It is built from stone and has a slate roof. There is a small tower for a bell, called a bellcote, at the west end of the roof. Inside, there is no wall or structure that separates the main seating area (the nave) from the area near the altar (the chancel). The church is built in the Romanesque revival style.

Windows and Doors

There are round-headed windows in each of the church's three sections. The chancel has a window made of three parts. The main doorway is at the west end. It has small windows on each side and a window above it. A stone slab between the upper window and the doorway shows the year "1841." Some of the windows have stained glass in them. These were put there to remember people from the church.

Old Items Inside the Church

In 1937, a group called the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire looked at the church. They found several items that were kept from the old church. The round font, which is a basin used for baptisms, is from the 1100s. It is made of a type of stone called gritstone. It has a simple pattern of woven lines. This old font sits on a newer base.

There are also two memorials from the 1700s. One is from 1705 for "Iohn Lloyd of Hirdre Faig." The other is from 1764 for "Hugh, son of Richard Hugh of Ty-hen." In the churchyard, there is one grave from the First World War. It belongs to Private Evan Oswald Thomas, a soldier from Talwrn.

Why St Ffinan's Church Is Special

St Ffinan's Church is recognized nationally and protected by law. It is a Grade II listed building. This is the lowest of three levels of protection. It means the building is "of special interest" and efforts should be made to keep it safe. It got this status on January 30, 1968. It is listed because it is seen as "a good example of a simple Romanesque revival style." Cadw, the Welsh government group that protects old buildings, calls it "a small rural church."

Samuel Lewis, a writer, said that the new church was "a plain building in the old English style." He liked its strong supports, called buttresses, because they looked good and suited the church's exposed location. Harry Longueville Jones, a priest and writer, said in 1846 that the church stood in a "very beautiful place." He also noted that the cross on the east end of the roof came from the old church.

A guide from 2009 described the 1841 rebuilding work as "rectangular and harsh." However, a 2006 guide to Anglesey churches said it is "a good example of the small rural church." It also noted that its style "is quite different to most Anglesey churches."

Images for kids

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  The church from the north, showing the doorway at the west end