St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan
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 a very old church in Llanbeulan, Anglesey, north Wales. It is no longer used for regular church services. The oldest part of the building, called the nave, was built in the 12th century. This means it is over 800 years old!

Later, in the 14th century, a chancel and a side chapel were added. The church has a special stone font that might be from the early 11th century. Some experts believe it was first used as an altar. If so, it would be a unique ancient altar in Wales and Britain.

Since 2005, a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches has looked after St Peulan's. It is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important building. It is special because it is a typical medieval church from Anglesey that still looks simple, even after some changes in the 1800s.

History of St Peulan's Church

The exact year St Peulan's Church was built is not known. However, people say that St Peulan founded a church here in the year 630. St Peulan was a student of another important Anglesey saint, Cybi. The oldest parts of the church building we see today are from the 12th century.

For many years, St Peulan's was the main church for the local area. It even had a smaller church nearby, St Mary's Church, Tal-y-llyn, that helped serve the community. In 1349, during the time of the Black Death, many priests in Anglesey, including the one at St Peulan's, sadly died.

During the 1800s, many churches in Anglesey were repaired and updated. St Peulan's also got a new roof and new things inside. Today, it is a redundant church, which means it is not used for regular worship anymore. The Friends of Friendless Churches charity has cared for it since 2004. They have a very long lease for the church, lasting 999 years!

Where is St Peulan's Church Located?

The church gave its name to the area, Llanbeulan. The Welsh word llan first meant "enclosure" and then "church." So, Llanbeulan means "Peulan's church."

The church is in a quiet, rural part of Anglesey. It is about 1.75 kilometers (1.1 miles) southwest of the village of Gwalchmai. It is also about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) southeast of Bryngwran. You reach the church by walking along a grassy path from the 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 stones, with finer gritstone used for details. The nave, the main part of the church, is about 8.4 meters (27 feet 6 inches) long and 4.7 meters (15 feet 6 inches) wide. The chancel, near the altar, is smaller. There is also a south chapel. The roof is made of slate with stone edges.

At the west end, there is a small tower with one bell. Iron crosses are on the roofs of the chancel and south chapel. The nave was likely built in the 12th century. An old entrance at the west end is now blocked up. The chancel and the chapel were added in the 14th century. The arches connecting these parts are also from that time.

The main entrance door is from the 1800s. Next to it is a stone with the year 1637 carved on it. There is also a small, round-headed window from the 12th century. It was moved and placed in the chapel wall later. This window might have been from the old blocked-up nave entrance.

Windows and Furniture

The east window in the chancel is from the 15th century. It has two sections with special leaf-like shapes and carved heads. There is 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 and 1800s.

The wooden benches, called pews, are from the 1600s. One special seat in the chancel has a carving from 1664. It says it belonged to William Bold of Treyrddol. Inside the church, you can also find memorials from the 1600s, 1700s, and early 1800s. The pulpit and altar rail, added in the 1800s, are simple in design.

The Ancient Font

The most amazing part of the church is its font. A font is a basin used for baptisms. This one is from the late 12th century, or possibly even the early 11th century. It is rectangular and decorated on three sides. It is about 61 centimeters (2 feet) by 90 centimeters (2 feet 11 inches) and 28 centimeters (11 inches) deep.

One short side has a cross inside a circle. Below it are two small round shapes, possibly representing beehives. The design is framed with patterns like zigzags or twisted rope. One long side has a row of arches above a diamond pattern. The other short side has a checkerboard pattern.

An archaeologist named David Petts noticed that one side of the font has little or no carving. This might be because that side was not meant to be seen. Or maybe the carving was done after the font was put in place. This rectangular font is "unique" compared to other Anglesey fonts. The cross on one side is also very unusual for fonts of this age.

One historian, Peter Lord, thinks the font was first used as an altar. If it is from the 11th century, it would be a very rare pre-Norman altar in Britain. However, David Petts thinks this is "unlikely." He suggests it might have been a container for holy relics. The Friends of Friendless Churches charity calls the font the church's "chief glory." It is also considered the best of Anglesey's amazing Romanesque fonts. Its design is similar to fonts in two other Anglesey churches, St Llwydian's Church, Heneglwys and St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn. It also looks like some 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 got 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 protects Wales's historic buildings, says it is a "typical Anglesey type" church. They note that even though it was restored in the 1800s, it still kept its simple medieval design.

In the 1800s, a writer named Samuel Lewis described the church as "small and of rude workmanship." But he also said it had "several curious features," like the font, that made it "valuable." Another writer, Angharad Llwyd, wrote in 1833 that it was a "small cruciform structure," meaning it was shaped like a cross. She noted that the south transept (one of the arms of the cross) looked very old. She also thought some of the windows, especially the east window, were very well designed.

Images for kids

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  St Peulan's Church, showing the chapel (left) and chancel (right)