St Peter's Church, Newborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church |
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| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 30 January 1968 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Medieval |
St Peter's Church is a very old church located in the village of Newborough on Anglesey, Wales. This church was built a long, long time ago, in the early 1300s! It was fixed up in the 1800s. Because it's so special and old, it was given a "Grade II*" listed building status on January 30, 1968. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. It's also the longest church on Anglesey!
Contents
Discovering St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church has a fascinating past. It was once known as Llananno. Some people believe it was started around 500 AD by a noble couple named Amon and Anna. They were the parents of Saint Sampson, a famous saint. Others think the church was named after Saint Amo.
No matter how it started, the church is right next to Llys Rhosyr. This was a royal home for the Princes of Gwynedd. So, the church was probably connected to the royal family!
The outside walls of the church are covered with a rough plaster. This covering hides clues about how the church was built over many years.
How the Church Grew
It's thought that the first part built was the chancel, which is the area around the altar. This might have been a royal chapel dedicated to St Mary. Later, another chapel was built right next to it, dedicated to St Peter.
Eventually, these two separate buildings were joined together. This created one very long church, which is why it's the longest church in Anglesey today! You can still see differences in the roof and stone where the two parts joined.
The oldest parts of the church, like the eastern side of the chancel and nave, are from the early 1300s. The nave was made longer towards the west in the late 1400s or early 1500s. The church was repaired and made new again in 1850 and then in 1886.
Ancient Features Inside
The church has some really old items inside. The font, which is a basin used for baptisms, is made of gritstone. It dates back to around 1150, making it one of the oldest fonts in Wales! It has cool carvings, including a cross and knot patterns.
You can also see marks on the stone of the inner doorway. Some people believe these marks were made by archers. They might have sharpened their arrows there while practicing in the churchyard a long time ago! There are also worn stone benches that were probably the only seats available in the past, saved for the elderly.
The Church Bells
In 1975, the church had two bells. One bell was brought from Llanddwyn church when it closed in the late 1500s. The second bell was from 1690. Both bells weigh about 52 kilograms each. They were melted down and reshaped in 1892 in London.
Old Gravestones
Inside the church, in the chancel, there are gravestones from the 1300s. One is a long, narrow stone with a flowery cross design. The second has a carving of a priest. Both have old Latin writing on them.
