St Michael's Church, Trelawnyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Trelawnyd |
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| St Michael and All Angels Church | |
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| 53°18′21″N 3°22′07″W / 53.3058°N 3.3686°W | |
| Location | Trelawnyd, Flintshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Michael's Trelawnyd |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Michael and All Angels |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 6 November 1962 |
| Architect(s) | Douglas and Fordham, Douglas, Minshall and Muspratt (Restorations) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1724 |
| Completed | 1917 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 55 feet (17 m) |
| Width | 19 feet (6 m) |
| Materials | Limestone with sandstone dressings Slate roof with stone ridge tiles |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Trelawnyd |
| Deanery | St Asaph |
| Archdeaconry | St Asaph |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
| Province | Church in Wales |
St Michael's Church is in the village of Trelawnyd, Flintshire, Wales. It is a busy Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church in Wales. It is part of the Dyserth and Trelawnyd and Cwm group of churches. This church is very important, so it has a special Grade II* listing from Cadw, which protects old buildings in Wales.
Contents
History of the Church
The first time this church was mentioned in official papers was in 1291. However, the church building you see today was not built until 1724.
In 1863, the church was restored. This means it was repaired and updated. During this time, a balcony was added at the west end. The roof also got new slate tiles, and the walls were covered with plaster.
A bigger restoration happened between 1895 and 1897. This work was done by a company called Douglas and Fordham. They removed the plaster and the balcony. A new main window was put in at the east end of the church. All the other windows were replaced too. New items like a pulpit (where the preacher stands), a lectern (for reading lessons), and pews (church benches) were added. The arch of the church porch was replaced. A stone cross was put on the east gable (the triangular part of the wall under the roof). The bell turret (a small tower for the bell) was also changed.
In 1917, a small room called a vestry was added to the north side of the church. This work was done by the same architects, who were then known as Douglas, Minshall and Muspratt.
Church Design and Features
Building Structure
The church is built from limestone with special sandstone pieces used for decoration. The roof is made of slate tiles, with stone tiles along the top ridge.
The church has a simple layout. It has a main room that combines the nave (where the people sit) and the chancel (the area near the altar). There is a porch on the south side and the vestry on the north side. At the west end, there is a small bellcote which holds a single bell.
Inside the Church
In the vestry, you can find a stone slab from the 1300s. It is a sepulchral slab, which means it was once part of a tomb. It is now set upside down.
The beautiful stained glass in the east window was made by Hemming in 1897. Another window on the north wall was put in on Ascension Day in 1930. Two more windows in the chancel were made by Shrigley and Hunt and added in 1969.
The baptismal font (a basin for baptisms) has an eight-sided bowl from the Middle Ages. This old bowl sits on a new base. The wooden cover for the font was added in 1968.
The lectern was given to the church in 1899. The altar (the table used for communion) was added in 1929. The pulpit was bought from Kinmel School in 1936. The church organ was built by the Positive Organ Company in 1920. It was later made electric in 1951–52.
Outside the Church
In the churchyard, there is an old preaching cross from the 1300s. This cross is so important that it is a scheduled ancient monument. This means it is a protected historical site.
The cross stands on a square stone plinth (a heavy base) which is on a round concrete base. A tall, rectangular sandstone shaft (like a pillar) rises about 3.5 meters (about 11.5 feet) from the plinth. At the top of the cross, there are panels shaped like five-leaf flowers. The panels on the east and west sides show pictures of the Crucifixion (Jesus on the cross).
There are also four other important structures in the churchyard that are listed as Grade II buildings.
- Sundial: To the south of the church porch, there is a sundial from 1768. It has a decorative stone pillar called a baluster on a round base. On top of this is a round table with an eight-sided brass sundial.
- Monument: To the west of the church tower, there is an 18th-century monument. It is in the Baroque style, which is very fancy. This monument marks the spot of the Nerquis Hall family's burial vault (an underground tomb). It is made of white marble. It looks like an altar-tomb on a base, with special plaques for memories. On top, there is a decorative stone coffin called a sarcophagus. It is decorated with wavy patterns called gadrooning and has a round ornament called a finial on top.
- Bier-house: Also in the churchyard is a building from the 1800s that used to be a bier-house. A bier is a frame used to carry a coffin. This small building is made of stone and brick, with a roof made of corrugated iron. It has one storey, a doorway, and two small openings for air, which are now blocked up.
- Gates and Walls: The churchyard gates and walls are also listed as important. The gate piers (the strong posts that hold the gates) are simple. They are made of sandstone and have pointed tops. The gates themselves are made of wrought iron (a type of metal) and are decorated with fleur-de-lis (a lily symbol) and arrow shapes. There is also a smaller gate for people walking, which has a similar design.
See also
