St Mary's Church, Cilcain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Cilcain |
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Tower and west end of St Mary's Church, Cilcain
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| OS grid reference | SJ 176,651 |
| Location | Cilcain, Flintshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary's Church [1] |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 6 November 1962 |
| Architect(s) | Ambrose Poynter, John Douglas (restorations) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone (mixed types), Slate roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Cilcain |
| Archdeaconry | Wrexham |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
| Province | Church in Wales |
St Mary's Church, Cilcain is a special old church in the village of Cilcain, Flintshire, Wales. It's an active Anglican church, meaning it's still used for services today. It belongs to the Bro Famau group of parishes. The church is considered very important by Cadw, which protects historic buildings in Wales. They have given it a Grade I listed building status. This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the country.
Contents
History of the Church
The first time St Mary's Church was written about was in 1291. But people believe it was built much earlier, during the medieval period. In the 1400s, a new part was added to the south side of the church. A tower was also built at this time.
In 1532, a fire badly damaged the north side of the church. It lost its roof and stayed that way for a long time. It wasn't until 1746 that this part was rebuilt. Around this time, a beautiful wooden roof was added to the south side. Some people think this roof came from Basingwerk Abbey, but there's no proof.
In 1845 and 1846, the church had some repair work done. This was managed by an architect named Ambrose Poynter.
Major Changes in the 1800s
A much bigger restoration happened between 1888 and 1889. This work was paid for by William Barber Buddicom, who was a railway engineer. The architect in charge was John Douglas from Chester.
During this time, old plaster was taken off the walls. A screen was put between the two main parts of the church. The old seats were replaced with new ones. The entrance porch on the south side was rebuilt. Strong supports called buttresses were added to the tower. The brick on top of the tower was removed and replaced with stone. A new window was also put into the west side of the tower.
Windows on the east, west, and south sides of the church were replaced. An organ loft and a gallery at the west end were removed. A new room was created at the east end of the north side to be a vestry, where priests prepare. This room also held the organ. A cellar was built under the west end of the north side for the heating system. Later, from 1935 to 1937, more roof repairs were done by F. H. Crossley.
Church Architecture
Outside the Church
The church is built from different types of stone. It has a roof made of slate. Some parts of the church from the 1200s are still visible in the north section. The church has two main parts, called naves, and a tower at the west end of the north nave. There is also a porch on the south side.
The tower has strong, stepped supports called buttresses at its west corners. It also has a buttress at the northeast corner. On the north wall of the tower, there's a door with a rounded arch. The top of the tower has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. It also has a low, pyramid-shaped roof and a weathercock on top.
Inside the Church
The roof of the south nave is very special. It has a mix of arch-braced and hammerbeam trusses. These are types of wooden supports. The roof is decorated with carvings of angels, shields, and other interesting figures.
Many of the church's furnishings were designed by John Douglas during his restoration. These include the pews (church benches), the stalls (seats for the choir), and the screens in the arcade (a row of arches). The east window has beautiful stained glass. It is believed to be from 1546 and shows the Crucifixion. Inside the church, there are also boards painted with the Creed and the Lord's Prayer in Welsh, dated 1809. There are also two old monuments, one from 1731 and another from 1832.
Outside Features
The churchyard around St Mary's Church is shaped like an oval. In the churchyard, you can find the base of an old cross. There is also a stone plinth, which is the base of an old sundial.
To the east of the church, there is a lych gate. This is a roofed gateway often found at the entrance to a churchyard. Next to the lych gate is a hearse house, which was built around 1810. A hearse house was used to store the carriage that carried coffins. The hearse house, the churchyard walls, and the lych gate are all protected as Grade II listed buildings. They were given this status on October 16, 1995.
See also
