Parish Church of St Deiniol

Cadw's description

Location

Located to the west of the centre of the village, a short distance along Church Road, within a walled graveyard. Fine views of the church across open meadows on the approach to the village from the south on the B5069.

History

Designed by Richard Trubshaw and built between 1736 and 1739 at a cost of £810. A church is believed to have stood on the site since Celtic times when it was a Chapelry of the great monastery at Bangor-is-y-coed founded in the C6. This was replaced in 1557 with a church constructed of brick and timber which was subsequently replaced by the present church. The church has considerable historic links with the Puleston family of Emral Hall (demolished in 1936) who were the main landowners of the area. After a frustrated attempt in 1658 by John Puleston, Sir Roger Puleston obtained an Act of Parliament to separate the parish from that of Bangor in 1689 and subsequently endowed the living with tithes and a Rectory for the famous Rev Phillip Henry. The parish moved from the Diocese of Chester in 1849 to the Diocese of St Asaph.

Exterior

Exceptionally fine example of a Georgian church. Red brick with stone dressings, including plinth, cornice and end pilasters; slate roof. Plan-form of rectangular nave, narrower chancel, and apsidal sanctuary articulated externally. Square tower of three stages to the west end with balustraded stone parapet surmounted by urn finials to the corners supporting weathervanes, with crucifix finials between. Crucifixes in the style of that taken from the Emral Hall Chapel before its demolition and now preserved inside chancel. Also to the tower two circular windows with radiating keystones at cardinal points, and semi-circular sculpture niche, louvred windows to the third stage. Elsewhere semi-circular headed windows with keystones, capitals, and aprons throughout. North and south doorways similarly semi-circular headed. Roof hidden by brick parapet with stone copings, and, to the apse, stone balustrading. Stone blocks set into nave parapet suggest further urn finials intended.

Interior

Retains complete set of box-pews, with fielded panelling, mostly of the C18 with family crests of Puleston and other local families, painted to the doors which are hung on H-hinges. Some doors retain inscribed brass plates, eg "Lord Kenyon", and "Half this seat to Nath. Spakeman, 1791". Stone paving throughout. To the chancel two complimentary squirearchical box-pews unusually each with a cast-iron fireplace and later principal seat. Pews arranged in descending order of social standing from that of the minister beneath the pulpit to estate staff and parishioners to the rear. Rear pews, with semi-circular fielded panels and balustrading, not installed until 1810 when removed from the parish church at Gresford. Wooden gallery to the west end supported on cast-iron columns of 1830 with Royal coat-of-arms painted to front. Beneath, a Georgian font with roach-bed marble cup to slender stone baluster stem on a round dais of 1745, and, to the walls, three hatchments to members of the Puleston family above the pews of the Churchwardens, together with a painted and framed glebe terrier of August 13th 1796. To the south of the chancel a wooden three-decker pulpit with backdrop and heavy tester. Coved plaster ceiling with Rococo decoration and enriched cornice to the chancel. Two brass chandeliers, one of two-tiers, of 1816, the other, single-tiered, of 1899. Four stained glass windows including an east window by Betton & Evans of Shrewsbury with central section composed of medieval fragments reputedly saved from Winchester College c1393 and bequeathed to the church by Lady Emma Elizabeth Puleston. Medieval fragments said to have come via Emral Hall Chapel (demolished 1775), and Albrighton Hall, Shropshire. To the south wall a window of St Michael in memory of Captain Summers, killed in the First World War. Carved marble monuments to the walls include those to Broughton Whitehall (d 1734) the eldest son of John Whitehall of Broughton, composed of fluted pilasters and urn in broken pediment. Sir Richard Puleston (d 1840), 1st Baronet, by John Carline III of a draped segmental entablature and volutes and foliation to the base.

Reason for designation

Listed Grade I as an exceptionally fine Georgian church with a remarkably complete set of interior fixtures and fittings, one of the finest examples of its kind in the country.