Church of St Mary

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on the S side of Stryd-y-Mynach, some 180m NE of the junction of the A497 and the B4417 in the centre of Nefyn.

History

Former parish church, now maritime museum. Built c1825-7, on site of former church whose registers date from 1694. A church was established here in C5 by Nefyn ar Nefain, daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog of Garth Madryn. The name was recorded as Llanfair-yn-Nefyn in C12 when the church was held by Augustinian Canons of Haughmond Abbey. In C13 a priory was attached to the church. The rebuilding in 1825-7 cost £370, the churchwardens were Robert Williams and John Roberts, their names and the date are etched on the bell in the tower. Improvements costing £200 were made in 1856 and it is probable that the N porch was added at this time when the original doorway in the W wall of the tower was converted into a window. In 1904, a second church, St David's, was opened in Nefyn. However, St Mary's remained the parish church until 1912 and a Sunday School was held there until c1960. The church was subsequently converted for the Lleyn Maritime Museum which opened in 1979.

Exterior

Former parish church. Rubble stone with grouted slate single roof. W tower, nave and chancel in one and N porch. W tower is square, plain and sheer to a set-back under bell-stage, then simple stepped cornice under parapet which has angles ramped up to small corner finials. Sailing-ship vane. Bell-stage has single large louvred opening each face, slightly pointed with stone voussoirs. Main part of the tower has a blocked circular opening at top of W face, probably for a clock, narrow loop to top of N and S sides. Broad pointed original W door now blocked with inserted window. Body of church has 2 pointed windows each side, with plain timber Y-tracery and large similar E window of 3 lights. Stone voussoirs and sills. Added N porch is of rough stone but with some architectural detail in roughly squared stone. Pointed arch with stone voussoirs, 2-step buttresses clasping angle each side, coped shallow gable with simple step cornicing and apex pedestal with rough pyramidal finial. Cornicing continues around each side with embattled parapet above.

Interior

Emptied of fittings. Six-bay roof has arch-braced collar trusses and triple purlins.

Reason for designation

Included as a rare example in the region of a late Georgian parish church, with landmark tower.