St Silin's Church, Llansilin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Silin's Church |
|
|---|---|
| Church of St Silin | |
|
Eglwys San Silin
|
|
 |
|
| Location | Llansilin, Powys |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Previous denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | open |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Llansilin |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
St Silin's Church is an old church in Llansilin, Wales. It belongs to the Church in Wales. Parts of this special building are from the 13th century! People have worshipped here for a very long time, even since the Dark Ages. The church is named after Saint Silin, also known as Saint Sulien. He was a monk from the 6th century.
St Silin's Church is unique. It was the only church in its area to vote to leave the Church of England. This happened when the Church in Wales was created in 1914.
Contents
A Look Back at St Silin's Church
The first church here was made of wood. It was shaped like a cross. This type of early church was called a "Clas," which was a religious settlement. The church was damaged during Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion. After that, the main part of the church, called the nave, was rebuilt using stone.
Changes Over the Centuries
A narrow, pointed window from the 13th century, called a lancet, is still part of the building today. During the English Civil War, soldiers used the church as a place to stay. They even used the south door for target practice with their muskets!
Royalist forces also shot at the church during a siege. Amazingly, the door is still used today and you can still see the bullet holes! The church's wooden spire burned down in the 1800s. A new stone tower was built in its place in 1832.
The Parish of Llansilin
St Silin's Church serves the area of Llansilin in Wales. This area is part of the Diocese of St Asaph. A small part of the parish actually crosses the border into England, in the county of Shropshire. This happened because of border changes made by King Henry VIII in 1536.
A Unique Vote
Because the church's area crossed the border, something interesting happened in 1915. The Welsh Church Act 1914 was passed. This law separated the Church in Wales from the Church of England. People in border parishes like Llansilin got to vote. They decided if they wanted their church to stay with the Church of England or join the new Church in Wales.
Most of the border parishes voted to stay with the Church of England. But in Llansilin and another parish called Rhydycroesau, the vote was very close. So, they had a second vote in 1916. Llansilin voted to join the Church in Wales by a small margin: 255 votes to 228.
The Only One
This made St Silin's Church the only one in these special border votes to join the Church in Wales. Because of this, it's the only church in England that is part of the Church in Wales, not the Church of England. This makes it very special!
A Protected Building
St Silin's Church was given a "Grade I listed" status in 1966. This means it's considered a very important historical building. The church was listed because it has amazing features from the 15th century and even earlier. It also has important parts added after the Middle Ages. The church was carefully restored in the 1800s, which helped it keep its special character.
