Christ Church

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in sloping churchyard approached through gates on A 5 opposite No 22 Ogwen Terrace.

History

Parish church of Glanogwen, built 1855-6 by T.H. Wyatt of London for Lord Penrhyn. There was a limited competition between three firms, Weightman, Hadfield & Goldie, G.E. Street and H. Kennedy, but Wyatt, related to Lord Penrhyn's agent, got the job. The Weightman firm sued the vicar.

Exterior

Green rubble stone with sandstone dressing and slate roofs. Substantial church in Early Decorated style, of nave, aisles, chancel and large SW tower with spire. Coped gables. Buttresses with set-offs. Windows all with hoodmoulds. Tower is 3-stage with clasping buttresses nearly to top. 3-light ground floor S window. 2-light traceried bell-lights, ballflower cornice above under spire. Ashlar octagonal broach spire of E. Midlands type, with gabled lucarnes on cardinal faces and tiny lucarnes above on diagonal faces. Projecting stair turret to left of W front, square with gabled door, broached to octagonal with gabled front pier, and then with trefoil-headed blind arcading under stone octagonal cap. Nave has big plate traceried 2-light W window, sill course and mid-buttress below between 2 small 2-light windows. Stepped buttress and lean-to end of N aisle to left, tower to right. Nave is 6-bay, clerestoried with spherical-triangle lights, 5 to S side over lean to aisle with porch to left, 3x2-light windows and one 3-light to right. Chancel has 2-window S aisle and lean-to vestry, traceried window head above vestry. E big 5-light window with sexfoil roundel in head. Chancel N 2-light window then lean-to organ chamber with 2 N and 3-light E window. N aisle has 6x2-light windows, in pairs between buttresses.

Interior

Elaborate detail, notably naturalistic foliage stone carving. 6-bay nave roof with arch-braced trusses on stone carved corbelled wall-shafts, intermediate trusses without corbels. Ashlar arcade of alternate octagonal and round shafts with pointed arches. Moulded chancel arch on corbelled wall-shafts. Massive drum font with recessed inscribed band on squat centre shaft and four marble outer shafts. Ashlar panelled octagonal pulpit with stone steps. Chancel has ashlar feature each side, to left, organ recess, to right, screened vestry. 2 arches on carved side corbels and centre column, the whole under a broad segmental-pointed blank arch. 4-bay chancel roof on carved corbels. Tiled floor. 2 steps to iron sanctuary rails. 3 steps in sanctuary with patterned encautic tiles. C20 wood panelling behind altar. 1856 stalls with poppyhead ends and arcaded panelled backs. Stained glass: big 5-light E window 1892 with Michelangelesque figures and Gothic tabernacles. Patterned glass of 1856 by N.W. Lavers in chancel side windows. W end royal arms of 1856 in apex quatrefoil, and late Pre-Raphaelite class in 2 small 2-lights, after 1917. N aisle 6th window St Michael and St David, 2nd World War memorial.

Reason for designation

Included as a good example of mid C19 Gothic of the more conservative school, expensively detailed and a landmark in Bethesda and the Ogwen valley.