St Peirio's Church, Rhosbeirio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peirio's Church |
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The church from the east
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| OS grid reference | SH391917 |
| Location | Rhosbeirio, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 605 (reputedly) Current building said to date from no earlier than the 15th century |
| Dedication | St Peirio |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Closed |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 12 May 1970 |
| Style | Medieval |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 36 ft (11.0 m) |
| Width | 13 ft 9 in (4.2 m) |
| Materials | Rubble masonry |
St Peirio's Church is an old church in Rhosbeirio, Anglesey, north Wales. It is no longer used for church services. People think a church was first built here around the year 605. The building you see today might be from the 1400s. Over the years, it has been repaired and updated.
This church is a special building because it is a Grade II listed building. This means it is very important and should be protected. Even though it has been changed a bit, it still looks like a simple, old country church. Someone writing in the 1800s said it was "one of the humblest" churches in Anglesey. They also said it didn't have any fancy designs.
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History of St Peirio's Church
It's not clear exactly when the first church was built here. Some people believe it was around 605 AD. But no parts of that very old building are left today. The walls of the church you see now are probably from the 1400s.
The church was repaired in 1812. Later, in the late 1800s, it was fixed up again and got a new roof. This work was paid for by Lord Stanley of Alderley. He had become a Muslim and asked for Islamic designs to be added to any church he helped fix. Because of this, the windows at St Peirio's have cool patterns made of small pieces of colored glass. He asked for the same thing at another church nearby, St Mary's Church, Bodewryd.
Where is the Church Located?
St Peirio's Church is in a churchyard in the countryside of Anglesey. It is by a road between Llanfechell and Bodewryd, in the north of the island. You walk along a path lined with trees to reach it.
The church is about 2.25 kilometers (1.4 miles) from St Mechell's Church, Llanfechell, which is still used today. St Peirio's used to be a "chapel of ease." This means it was a smaller church that helped a bigger church, St Eilian's Church, Llaneilian, by offering services for people who lived far away.
In 1833, a Welsh writer named Angharad Llwyd said that this "small ancient edifice" (old building) was quite far from the village of Rhosbeirio. She noted that services were only held there once a month. By 2006, the church had been closed for several years. Its windows were boarded up, but the building itself was still in good shape.
What Does the Church Look Like?
The church is built from rough stones, called rubble masonry, with smoother stones, called freestone, used for details. It has a roof made of slate. There is a small bell tower, called a bellcote, at the west end. Stone crosses are on the roofs of the porch and the chancel (the part of the church where the altar is). You can see the wooden beams of the roof from inside.
The walls of the church are probably from the 1400s. The whole church is about 11 meters (36 feet) long and 4.2 meters (13 feet 9 inches) wide. The porch, which is a small entrance area, was added in the late 1800s.
There is one window on the north wall and two on the south wall. These are simple, single windows. The east window has two sections, separated by a stone bar called a mullion. All the windows were put in during the late 1800s.
Inside, there is a simple, round font (a basin for baptism) that is very old, from the 1100s. There is also a brass plaque that remembers three people who died in the 1640s. A survey in 1937 noted that the church had a silver cup from 1630 and a silver tray, called a salver, from 1784–85. The churchyard outside has some gravestones, including a few from the 1980s and 1990s.
Why St Peirio's Church is Important
St Peirio's Church is officially protected because it is a Grade II listed building. This means it is a building of special interest that should be preserved. It got this status on May 12, 1970.
Cadw, which is the Welsh government body that looks after old buildings in Wales, says that the church is a "simple, rural Medieval church." They also note that it still has "much of its original vernacular character." This means it keeps its original local style, even with the changes made in the 1800s.
In 1861, Harry Longueville Jones wrote that St Peirio's was "one of the humblest ecclesiastical buildings in Anglesey." He also said that it had "no architectural features in this church worthy of delineation," meaning no fancy designs to draw.
