St Mary's Church, Tal-y-llyn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Tal-y-llyn
The west end of St Mary's Church, showing the entrance door
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OS grid reference	SH 366 728
Location	Tal-y-llyn, Anglesey
Country	Wales, United Kingdom
Denomination	Church in Wales
History
Status	Chapel of ease
Founded	Unknown; building possibly 12th century
Dedication	St Mary
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant church in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches; occasional summer services
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	5 April 1971
Architectural type	Church
Style	Medieval
Specifications
Length	Nave: 25 ft (7.6 m) Chancel: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m)
Width	Nave: 13 ft (4.0 m) Chancel: 11 ft (3.4 m)
Other dimensions	South chapel: 9 by 8 ft (2.7 by 2.4 m)
Materials	Rubble masonry with boulder quoins

St Mary's Church, Tal-y-llyn is a very old church in Anglesey, north Wales. It's near a place called Aberffraw. This church was once a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church that helped serve people who lived far from the main parish church, which was St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan.

The village it served, Tal-y-llyn, doesn't exist anymore. In the early 1990s, St Mary's Church was no longer used regularly. Since 1999, a group called the Friends of Friendless Churches has taken care of it. They help save old churches that are not used much. Today, services are held there once a month during some parts of the year.

No one knows exactly when the church was built. But some parts might be from the 12th century! That's over 800 years ago. The front part, called the chancel, was rebuilt in the 1500s. A small side chapel was added in the 1600s. Inside, things like the pews (church benches) and the pulpit (where the speaker stands) were put in during the 1700s. St Mary's is a special building. It's a Grade I listed building. This means it's very important because it's a rare example of an old church that hasn't been changed much over time.

History and Location of the Church

St Mary's Church is in a quiet, countryside area of Anglesey. It's about 4.25 kilometers (2.6 miles) northeast of Aberffraw. It stands on a small, low hill. The wall around the churchyard follows the shape of this hill. There are no gravestones in the churchyard.

Long ago, St Mary's was one of five smaller chapels. These chapels helped the main parish church, St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan, which is about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) north. St Peulan's Church is also closed now. The village that St Mary's served, Tal-y-llyn, has disappeared. Before the time of the Black Death (a terrible sickness in the 1300s), there were 22 houses there.

The oldest part of the church is the main hall, called the nave. It might have been built in the 12th century. The chancel was rebuilt in the late 1500s. A small chapel was added to the south side in the 1600s. The church was used for services until the early 1990s. It officially became a "redundant church" around 1992. This means it was no longer needed for regular services. In 1999, the Friends of Friendless Churches took over its care. They have a very long lease, which means they will look after it for many, many years. Services are held in the church one Sunday afternoon each month from May to October.

Church Design and Features

The church was built using rough stones, called rubble masonry. Large, rounded stones, called quoins, were used at the corners. The floor inside is made of flat stones, called flagstones. The roof has modern slates.

The main hall (nave) is about 7.6 meters (25 feet) long and 4 meters (13 feet) wide. The front part (chancel) is about 5 meters (16 feet 6 inches) long and 3.4 meters (11 feet) wide. The small chapel on the south side is about 2.7 meters (9 feet) by 2.4 meters (8 feet).

Between the nave and the chancel is a pointed archway. Some parts of this arch might be from the 1200s, but it was likely rebuilt in the 1500s. The side chapel has rectangular windows from the 1600s. A narrow stone bench runs along two of its walls. The wooden beams that support the roof, called trusses, can be seen inside. They are from the 1400s and 1600s.

There are two rectangular windows on the north wall of the nave. These were added in the 1900s. They match a window in the north wall of the chancel. The east window, in the chancel, has three rounded glass sections in a square frame. This window is from the late 1500s. The windows still have their clear glass, but they are now covered with boards for protection. There are no windows on the south side because it is the most exposed to weather.

At the west end of the roof, there is an empty bellcote. This is a small structure that once held a bell. The main entrance is also at the west end. It has a rounded arch doorway set deep into the thick wall. This doorway might be from the 1300s.

The original font, used for baptisms, was from the 12th century. It was moved to St Maelog's Church, Llanfaelog when St Mary's was no longer used regularly. Now, St Mary's has a different font. It's an eight-sided font from the 1400s, made of a type of stone called gritstone. The communion rails, which separate the altar area, are from 1764 and have a simple design. The pulpit, also from the 1700s, has special carved panels.

Stone benches are along the north and south walls of the nave. Many of the old pews, which were from the 1700s, were damaged or stolen after the church became redundant. New pews were made by a local craftsman. This was part of a project by the Friends of Friendless Churches in 1999 and 2000 to fix up the church.

Why This Church is Special

St Mary's is very important. It's a Grade I listed building. This is the highest level of protection for buildings in Wales. It means the church is of "exceptional, usually national, interest." Less than 2% of all listed buildings in Wales are in this top category.

It received this special status on April 5, 1971. It was recognized as "a very rare example of a virtually unrestored Medieval church of simple, rustic character." This means it's unusual to find such an old church that still looks so much like it did hundreds of years ago. Cadw, the Welsh government group that protects old buildings, also noted that it kept a "complete set of 18th century fittings." This refers to the old furniture and features from the 1700s. Even though some pews were damaged later, the church still holds a lot of its original charm.

One modern guide says the church has the "vernacular character" of Anglesey's old country buildings. This means it looks like the simple, local buildings of the area. This kind of look is rare in churches today. However, a writer from the 1800s, Samuel Lewis, didn't think it was very interesting. He called it "a small edifice of no interest." But today, we know it's a truly special place!