St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan |
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St Peulan's Church, showing the chapel (left) and chancel (right)
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| OS grid reference | SH 372 754 |
| Location | Llanbeulan, Anglesey |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | Unknown |
| Dedication | St Peulan |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant church in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 5 April 1971 |
| Style | Medieval |
| Specifications | |
| Length | Nave: 27 ft 6 in (8.4 m) Chancel: 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m) |
| Width | Nave: 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m) Chancel: 11 ft 9 in (3.6 m) |
| Other dimensions | South chapel: 11 feet 3 inches by 16 feet (3.4 by 4.90 m) |
| Materials | Rubble masonry, dressed with gritstone |
St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan, is an old Anglican church located in Llanbeulan, a village in Anglesey, north Wales. It is now a "redundant" church, which means it is no longer used for regular church services.
The oldest part of the church, the nave, was built way back in the 12th century. Later, in the 14th century, a chancel and a side chapel were added. One of the most special things about the church is its ancient font, which might be from the early 11th century. Some historians even think it was first used as an altar, making it a very rare find in Wales and Britain.
Since 2005, the church has been looked after by a group called the Friends of Friendless Churches. It is also a Grade II* listed building. This means it's considered a very important building because it's a medieval church that has kept its simple, old-fashioned look, even after some changes in the 1800s.
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History of St Peulan's Church
The exact year St Peulan's Church was built is not known. However, it is believed that a church was first started on this spot in 630 AD by St Peulan. He was a student of another important saint from Anglesey, named Cybi. The oldest parts of the current church building date back to the 12th century.
For many years, St Peulan's was the main church for the local area. It even had a smaller church nearby, called St Mary's Church, Tal-y-llyn, which was used for services when people couldn't easily get to St Peulan's. In 1349, during the time of the Black Death, records show that the priest of St Peulan's was one of many church leaders in Anglesey who passed away.
During the 1800s, many churches in Anglesey, including St Peulan's, were repaired and updated. This was part of a big movement called the Victorian restoration. St Peulan's got a new roof and new things inside at that time.
Today, St Peulan's is no longer used for regular services. It has been cared for by the Friends of Friendless Churches since 2004. This charity looks after four churches on Anglesey. They have a very long lease for St Peulan's, which started in June 2005.
Where is St Peulan's Church Located?
The church gave its name to the area around it, Llanbeulan. In Welsh, the word llan first meant "enclosure" and then came to mean "church." "-Beulan" is a changed form of the saint's name.
The church is in a quiet, countryside part of Anglesey. It's about 1.75 kilometers (1.1 miles) southwest of the village of Gwalchmai. It's also about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) southeast of Bryngwran. You can reach the church by following a grassy path from the main road. In the churchyard, there is a war grave for a soldier from the First World War.
Church Design and Features
The church is built from rough stone, with smoother, cut stones used for details. The main part of the church, the nave, is about 8.4 meters (27 feet 6 inches) long and 4.7 meters (15 feet 6 inches) wide. The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is about 4.7 meters (15 feet 6 inches) long and 3.6 meters (11 feet 9 inches) wide. There is also a chapel on the south side, measuring about 3.4 meters (11 feet 3 inches) by 4.9 meters (16 feet).
The roof is made of slate with stone edges. At the west end of the church, there's a small bell tower with one bell. Iron crosses are on the roofs of the chancel and the south chapel. The nave, which has two sections, was likely built in the 12th century. An old entrance at the west end of the nave is now blocked up.
The chancel and the south chapel were added in the 14th century. The arched openings that connect the nave to the chapel and chancel are also from this time. The main entrance door, which was added in the 1800s, is on the east side of the chapel and has a pointed arch. Next to the door, there's a stone with the year 1637 carved into it. Close by, there's a small, round-topped window from the 12th century, which was moved and placed in the chapel wall later. It might have been part of the old blocked-up nave entrance.
Windows and Furniture
The east window in the chancel, from the 15th century, has two sections with clover-like shapes at the top and carved heads. There's also a blocked-up window from the 14th century in the chancel's north wall. Another window from the early 1500s is in the south wall. Other windows in the church are from the 1600s (in the chapel) and the 1800s (in the nave).
The wooden benches, called pews, are from the 1600s. One special seat in the chancel has a wooden panel dated 1664. It says it was the seat of William Bold of Treyrddol. Inside the church, you can also find several memorials from the 1600s, 1700s, and early 1800s. The church's fittings from the 1800s, like the pulpit (where sermons are given) and the altar rail, are simple in design.
The Ancient Font
The most important feature of St Peulan's Church is its font. A font is a basin used for baptisms. This one is very old, possibly from the late 1100s, or even the early 1000s. It is rectangular and measures about 61 centimeters (2 feet) by 89 centimeters (2 feet 11 inches) on the outside. It is about 28 centimeters (11 inches) deep.
The font is decorated on three of its sides. One of the shorter sides has a cross with four equal arms inside a circle. At the bottom, there are two small half-circles. The design is framed by patterns, some plain, some with zigzags or twisted rope. Some people think the half-circles look like old-fashioned beehives. One of the longer sides has a row of arches above a pattern of diamond shapes. The other shorter side has a checkerboard pattern.
An expert named David Petts noticed that some parts of the font have little or no carving. This might be because that side was not meant to be seen, or because the carving was done after the font was put in place. While it looks similar to other fonts in Anglesey, its rectangular shape is "unique," according to Petts. The cross on one side is also very unusual for fonts from that time.
One historian, Peter Lord, has suggested that the font was first used as an altar. If it is from the 11th century, Lord said it would be a "unique survivor" as an altar from before the Norman period in Wales and Britain. However, David Petts thinks this is "unlikely" and suggests it might have been a reliquary (a container for holy relics). The Friends of Friendless Churches call the font the building's "chief glory." It has also been called "the best of Anglesey's remarkable Romanesque series." Its design is similar to fonts in two other Anglesey churches (St Llwydian's Church, Heneglwys and St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn) and to one of the stone crosses at St Seiriol's Church, Penmon.
Why St Peulan's Church is Important
St Peulan's Church is a Grade II* listed building. This is the second-highest level of protection for historic buildings. It was given this status on April 5, 1971. It is listed because it is a "rural Medieval church retaining its simple character."
Cadw, the Welsh government body that looks after Wales's historic buildings, describes it as a "typical Anglesey type" church. They note that even though it had repairs in the 1800s, these changes "retained the simplicity of design and construction" and kept the church's medieval feel.
In the 1800s, a writer named Samuel Lewis said the church was "small and of rude workmanship" (meaning simple construction). But he also noted it had "several curious features," like the font, that made it "valuable." Another historian, Angharad Llwyd, wrote in 1833 that it was "a small cruciform structure" (shaped like a cross) in a "little barren valley." She mentioned that the south transept (a part of the cross shape) showed signs of being very old. She also said that some windows were "of good design," especially the east window of the chancel, which she called a "very superior composition."
