St Mary's Church, Rhodogeidio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Rhodogeidio |
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Inside the ruined church, looking towards the east window
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| OS grid reference | SH 398 855 |
| Location | Rhodogeidio, near Llannerch-y-medd, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| History | |
| Status | Chapel of ease |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Disused and in ruins |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 12 May 1970 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Late medieval |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Width | 12 ft 3 in (3.7 m) |
| Materials | Rubble masonry |
St Mary's Church, Rhodogeidio is an old church from the 1400s. It is found near Llannerch-y-medd in Anglesey, north Wales. This small church was once a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church that helped people attend services if the main church, St Ceidio's, was too far away.
Over time, St Mary's Church stopped being used. It is now mostly in ruins. Even so, it is a "Grade II listed building." This means it is a special old building that people want to protect. It is important because it is a very simple medieval church that has not changed much. Some people say it is the most isolated church in all of Anglesey.
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History and Location of St Mary's
St Mary's Church is in the quiet countryside of Rhodogeidio. This area is in Anglesey, north Wales. The church is about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) north of Llannerch-y-medd. You can only reach it by walking along a path from a nearby farm. It has a churchyard all around it.
When Was St Mary's Built?
The church was built in the 1400s. It was a "chapel of ease" for St Ceidio's Church, Rhodogeidio. St Ceidio's is about 1.25 kilometers (0.75 miles) to the east. In the 1800s, some repairs were done to St Mary's. But later, the church was no longer used.
Why Is St Mary's a Ruin?
St Mary's has been a ruin since at least 1970. Before that, in 1937, a survey said it was in "fair" condition. But by 1970, when it became a listed building, it was in "very poor" condition.
What St Mary's Church Looks Like
St Mary's is a small church. It is about 9.1 meters (30 feet) long and 3.7 meters (12 feet 3 inches) wide. It was built in the late medieval period. Workers used rough stones and rubble to build it. The roof was made of slate, but most of it is now gone.
Church Features
At the west end of the church, there is a small tower for a bell. This bell tower might be from when the church was first built. Inside, there is no clear wall separating the main part of the church (the nave) from the altar area (the chancel). However, some old records say there used to be a screen between them.
You could enter the church through a doorway on the north wall. This doorway was added in the 1800s. Near the door, there is a stone with the date 1798 carved into it. This might show when some repairs were done. There are two windows on the south wall, but they are blocked up. The small window at the east end of the church is from the late 1400s.
Inside the Ruins
Not much is left inside St Mary's Church. But you can still see most of the original wooden roof beams. One beam at the west end was replaced later. There are also some slate memorial tablets on the walls from the mid-1800s. You can also find a simple, round stone font from the 1100s.
In 1937, a survey noted a bell from 1717 and some old wooden seats from the 1600s. But these items were not there when the church became a listed building in 1970.
Why St Mary's Is Important
St Mary's Church is a "Grade II listed building." This means it is a special building that should be protected. It got this status on May 12, 1970. It is important because it is a very simple church from the late medieval period.
Cadw, which is the Welsh Government body that looks after old buildings in Wales, says that even though St Mary's is in "very poor condition," it is still a church from the late medieval period that has not changed much. It even has its original roof beams. Its isolated location also makes it special, like many other churches on the island of Anglesey.
In 1859, a writer named Harry Longueville Jones called it a "small, plain, single-aisled chapel." He also said that one of its small south windows was a "good specimen." A guide to Anglesey churches from 2006 says that the "roofless ruin" of St Mary's is probably the most isolated church in Anglesey.
