St Nidan's Church, Llanidan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nidan's Church, Llanidan |
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The south side of the church
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| OS grid reference | SH 489 674 |
| Location | Brynsiencyn, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1839–1843 |
| Dedication | Nidan |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 30 January 1968 |
| Architect(s) | John Welch |
| Style | Gothic revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Red gritstone dressed with sandstone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Newborough with Llanidan with Llangeinwen and Llanfair-yn-y-Cymwd |
| Deanery | Tindaethwy and Menai |
| Archdeaconry | Bangor |
| Diocese | Diocese of Bangor |
| Province | Province of Wales |
St Nidan's Church in Llanidan is a church built in the 1800s. It is located near the village of Brynsiencyn in Anglesey, north Wales. This church was built between 1839 and 1843. It took the place of an older church, the Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan, which needed a lot of repairs. The new church was also closer to the growing village.
Some important items were moved from the old church to the new one. These include a font from the 1200s and two bells from the 1300s and 1400s. A special box, called a reliquary, believed to hold parts of St Nidan, was also moved. The church's tower has been described as looking "top heavy" or even like a "water tower."
Today, St Nidan's Church is still used for worship by the Church in Wales. It is one of five churches in this area of Anglesey. The church is a Grade II listed building. This means it is a special building that should be protected. It is seen as a unique example of the "Gothic revival" style from before detailed architectural studies were common.
Contents
Building a New Church: History and Location
St Nidan's Church was built from 1839 to 1843. It replaced a much older church from the Middle Ages. The person who designed it was John Welch. He also designed another church in Anglesey, St Ffinan's Church, Llanffinan, built in 1841.
The original plan for St Nidan's included a tall, pointed spire on its west tower. However, this spire was never built. Later, in 1882, the chancel (the part of the church near the altar) was added. A vestry (a room for clergy) and an organ room were built even later. The decorative battlements on the tower were added in 1933. They replaced the original pointed roof sections.
The church stands in a walled churchyard. It is on the north side of the A4080 road in southern Anglesey. The village of Brynsiencyn is about 500 meters (one-third of a mile) to the southwest. The old St Nidan's Church is about 750 meters (half a mile) to the southeast.
Why a New Church Was Needed
A new church was necessary for two main reasons. First, the old church needed many repairs. Second, the village of Brynsiencyn was growing. More people lived there than in the original area of Llanidan. So, a church closer to the village was helpful.
Like the old church, this new one is named after Nidan. He was a Welsh saint from the 600s. He was known as a spiritual advisor at a monastery in Penmon, on the eastern tip of Anglesey.
St Nidan's Today: Worship and Community
St Nidan's Church is still an active place of worship. It belongs to the Church in Wales. It is part of a group of five churches. These churches are all looked after by one priest. This group is called the benefice of Newborough with Llanidan with Llangeinwen and Llanfair-yn-y-Cymwd.
The church is part of the Diocese of Bangor. As of 2019, the priest in charge was E. Roberts.
Church Design and Special Features
St Nidan's Church is mostly built from red gritstone rubble. This is a rough stone, with smoother sandstone used for details. The corners have strong supports called buttresses. The roof is made of slate. It has stone coping (a protective top layer) and a cross at the east end.
The church has a cross-shape design. It is built in the Early English style, which is a type of Gothic architecture. At the west end, there is a tower. This tower has battlements (like a castle wall) at the top. It also has a clock on its east and west sides. Below the clock is a belfry, where the bells are kept. At the bottom of the tower, there is an arched doorway that leads into the church.
Inside, there are two transepts (parts that stick out like the arms of a cross). One is to the north and one to the south. The chancel is at the east end. Where the nave (main part), transepts, and chancel meet, there are four large arches. These arches create a central space called the crossing. The organ room and vestry are built into the corners between the chancel and transepts. They have an unusual curved shape.
Inside the Church: Details and Art
A gallery is located at the west end of the nave. It is supported by round columns. You can reach it from the entrance porch. The pews (church benches) in this gallery are set at an angle.
There is a step leading from the nave into the chancel. Two more steps lead from the chancel into the sanctuary (the area around the altar). The floors of the chancel and sanctuary are covered with decorative encaustic tiles. The inside walls of the church are plastered.
The nave has two sections, each with a tall, narrow lancet window. The transepts and the east end of the church have groups of three large lancet windows. The window at the east end shows "Faith, Hope and Charity." It was made in 1877 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne. This window remembers the 5th Lord Boston, who died in 1897. One set of transept windows shows the Ascension. These windows were made by Shrigley and Hunt and remember Anna Maria Evans (who died in 1929).
Treasures from the Past
A special sandstone chest with a glass front was moved here from the old church. Local stories say it holds the remains of St Nidan. This chest was found under the altar of the old church. It might be from the 1500s. The church also has pine pews and a pulpit (a raised stand for sermons) with decorated panels.
In 1937, a survey listed items that came from the old church. These include the font, which has carvings and is from the early 1200s. There are also two bells. One bell is from the early 1300s and has the inscription "+ E:D:A:N". The other bell is from the late 1400s and says "THOMAS AP MEREDITH". A carved oak chair from the time of King Charles II was also moved.
In 1906, a survey of church silver showed that St Nidan's had a silver chalice (cup) and an alms dish (for collecting donations). These were likely given in 1701 and remade in 1871–72. The church also had a silver paten (small plate) and two cruets (small containers for wine and water) with silver handles. These were all marked with the date 1871–72. Older records from the 1800s mentioned that two tankards (one silver, one pewter) and a silver chalice had been lost.
Churchyard Burials
The churchyard is where people are buried. It contains the grave of Sir Ellis Ellis-Griffith, 1st Baronet. He was a Member of Parliament for Anglesey for 25 years. His grave, by the north wall of the church, has a statue of him. Other people buried here include J. E. Hughes, a Presbyterian minister, who died in 1959. There are also four Commonwealth war graves. These are for one British Army soldier from World War I and three soldiers from World War II.
What Makes St Nidan's Church Special?
St Nidan's Church is officially protected as a Grade II listed building. This means it is a building of special interest. It was given this status on January 30, 1968. Cadw, the Welsh government body that protects historic buildings, calls it "a distinctive example of pre-archaeological gothic revival work." This means it's a unique example of the Gothic style from before people studied old buildings in detail.
Some people in the 1800s had strong opinions about the church's design. Harry Longueville Jones, a clergyman and historian, said in 1846 that the new church was built in a "barbarous style." He felt it lacked good design. He also called it "that hideous pile" in 1863, meaning it was very ugly. However, he thought the font from the old church was "one of the most interesting as a work of art." He also said the reliquary was "unique" for Wales.
Another writer from the 1800s, Samuel Lewis, said the new church was "much inferior in style to the old building." Edmund Tyrrell Green, a historian, called the church "hideous" in 1929. But he also said the font was "remarkable" for its "very graceful patterns."
A guide to Anglesey churches from 2006 describes St Nidan's as having a "fairly unusual appearance." It notes that the stonework and the shape of the tower are not typical for Anglesey churches. It also points out the "unusually-shaped rooms" for the organ and vestry, and the "ornate stained glass" of the Ascension. A 2009 guide says the church is "bolder" than other churches designed by John Welch. It describes the tower as "top-heavy with battlements... like a water tower."
Images for kids
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The south side of the church
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The tower at the west end of the church
