Church of St. Enddwyn

Cadw's description

Location

In a churchyard to the W side of Ffordd y Llan, close to the railway station at the W side of the village of Llanenddwyn.

History

Probably C13 in origin, virtually rebuilt in C16, and extensively restored in the C19. The porch is dated 1818 and many of the windows were renewed in C19; vestry built in late C19 or early C20. The church was recorded in the tithe apportionment of the parish, 1841, as glebe land occupied by Reverend Richard Davies.
Restored and enlarged to the plans of Henry Kennedy in 1883 - this amounted to an almost complete rebuilding, involving new windows and door to the nave and chapels, a new E window, the rebuilding of much of the chancel and N transept, new vestry and porch and complete refitting of the interior; the late Medieval roof was retained.

Exterior

Medieval parish church, cruciform on plan and comprised of continuous nave and chancel, N and S transepts (N vestry in the angle of transept and chancel) and SW porch. Built of mortared rubble masonry with large stones as quoins and freestone dressings. Slate roof with stone copings on shaped kneelers and surmounted by cross finials, W gable bellcote and tall dressed stack with arched hood at the E gable of the N vestry.
The E window is a pointed arched window of 3 trefoil headed lights and trefoils and quatrefoil in the head; outer arch of roughly dressed stone voussoirs and moulded label with lions head stop to L and floriate stop to R. The C16 S chancel window has 2 round-headed lights in a rectangular frame, the N and S transept windows are tripartite lancets and there are similar detailed windows of 2 lights along the N wall of the nave; the E window of the S transept is a square leaded light and there is a rectangular window of 2-lights in the N wall of the vestry.
The porch entrance is a pointed arch with chamfered jambs and hood mould.

Interior

The church has an exposed C16 roof of arch braced collared trusses, those of chancel and S transept have cusped struts; the octagonal font is probably of the same period. The fittings are C19, the sanctuary raised by 2 steps with encaustic tiling and a moulded rail on twisted stanchions with floriate brackets. In the N wall is a paired, pointed arched recess with a sandstone surround; moulded corbelled shelf at base and moulded arches with shaped pendants. The E window shows The Nativity, The Crucifixion, and The Ascension.
On the E wall of the S transept is a marble memorial tablet surmounted by an urn and on a slate, obelisk-shaped rear plate: to Catherine, wife of Griffith Owen, Clerk d.1824 and Griffith Owen, d.1826, Rector of the Parish and County Magistrate. On the N wall of the nave is an ornate ogee headed marble memorial to Lowry, daughter of Robert Owen, Clerk and Vicar of Caernarfon; his wife Jane d. 1837; Jane, his eldest daughter's daughter d.1848 and Mary, his 3rd daughter d.1849.

Reason for designation

Listed as a late medieval parish church retaining some C16 detail, including the roof, though otherwise with architectural character resulting from its late C19 restoration.