Church of the Holy Trinity

Location

In a churchyard prominently sited to the W of Mold Road on the N side of Gwersyllt.

History

The church was built 1850-51 to designs of Thomas Penson, architect, of Wrexham. Penson lived in the parish, and made no charge for his work.

Exterior

Coursed and squared tooled stone with slate roofs. Aisle-less nave with tower surmounted by spire in its N angle with the chancel. Lower gabled vestry wing balances the tower to the S. Clasping buttresses to W end which has 2-light plate-traceried window with shafts to outer moulding. S porch with shafts and nail-head decoration to arch moulding; heavy coped gables. Broad lancet windows linked by continuous sill band between buttresses; corbel table with carved heads etc. Y-traceried window to SE vestry; 3-light geometric traceried E window to chancel with shafts to outer moulding. 3-stage tower has 2-light window in lower stage to E, trefoil over, and 3 foiled lights to bell-chamber. Doorway in N wall, and canted stair turret in NW angle.

Interior

5-bay nave, with arched braced trusses sprung from corbels, the collar supporting short cusped braced king-posts; 3 tiers of purlins with ogival wind-braces. Plain double chamfered chancel arch. Fittings: Font has clustered shaft with stiff-leaf capitals carrying octagonal basin. Pulpit at S of chancel arch has trefoiled panels carried on shafts. Both appear to be contemporary with the church, and the detail of the pulpit is echoed in the reredos (the tracery infilled with wood panelling in 1970, replacing the earlier painted zinc decoration), in the communion rail and altar frontal. The nave seating and choir stalls also appear to be original and the choir stalls have traceried frontals and poppy-head bench ends. Encaustic tiles to chancel, and painted text over E window; illuminated commandment board, possibly painted on zinc. Finely wrought corona to chancel.
Stained glass: E window: the ascension: S wall: a series of windows as memorials to members of the Penson family, including Thomas Penson, d.1859; all by Wailes - the W window is similar, and may also be his work. NE window of 1897, by A.Ballantine and Gardiner of Edinburgh; 2 unsigned C20 windows.

Reason for designation

The church is a prominent landmark in Gwersyllt, and a well-detailed example of High Victorian church building which is of particular interest for the retention of many of its original fittings.