Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Church of St Michael and All Angels
Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade II
- Broad class
- Religious, Ritual and Funerary
- Date of designation
- 1 April 1974
- Locality
- Treflys
- Community
- Porthmadog
- Unitary authority
- Gwynedd
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates
- 52.91809, -4.18121
- Cadw reference
- 4403
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1795 "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
Cadw's description
Location
An isolated church on high ground overlooking Morfa Bychan and Black Rock Sands, approximately 3km W of Porthmadog.
History
A medieval church, probably mainly of the C14, substantially rebuilt and restored in 1888-9. At this time a new chancel was built, new windows were introduced into the nave, and the nave was re-roofed.
Exterior
A single-chamber parish church with detail in simple C19 Gothic style, of rubble stone with renewed slate roof behind coped gables. An earlier gabled W bellcote houses a single bell. The pointed W door, another feature to have survived the 1888-9 restoration, has thin voussoirs. The nave has 2 pointed windows in N and S walls, including a pair on the S side. The chancel has a 2-light geometrical E window and cusped S window.
Interior
The nave has a 3-bay collar-beam roof with diagonal braces on corbels, the chancel a 2-bay arched-brace roof on corbels. The round-headed chancel arch is larger but similar in shape to the chancel arch of the earlier building. The C20 communion rail has a foliage frieze in relief.
The small tub-shaped font, said to have come from Criccieth, is post-Reformation and stands on a modern stone pedestal. Plain pews are C20. The simple polygonal wooden pulpit has Gothic arched panels. In the NE corner of the chancel is an early Christian inscribed stone discovered in the churchyard in 1904. It has a Latin inscription 'Iaconus Fili Min Iacit' beneath a Chi-Rho monogram. In the nave S wall is a simple slate memorial tablet to John Prichard (d 1851).
The E window has stained glass incorporating oval medallions depicting scenes in the life of Christ, post 1956.
Reason for designation
Listed for its special architectural interest as one of the humbler small upland churches of Wales, of medieval origin.
Nearby in the register
- Cist Cerrig Burial Chamber & Cup Marked RockChambered Tombunder 1 mi
- Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement North of Coed GwlybEnclosed hut circleunder 1 mi
- Tomb of David OwenReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Carreg and Pilkington TombsReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.