Church of St Twrog

Cadw's description

Location

In an isolated rural location within an irregularly shaped churchyard along the NW side of a country road running SW from the B5109 at Llynfaes.

History

Late C15 rural church, rebuilt in Henry VII's reign (1485-1509) when Wales was quiet and there was consequently a great deal of building activity. Richard Bulkeley was Archdeacon of Anglesey in 1500 and would have been concerned with the re-building of the church and was probably a benefactor. The E and 2 side windows are original, the middle side windows are C17 or C18. Restored in mid-late C19.

Exterior

Simple rural Medieval church, nave and chancel structurally undivided. Built of rubble masonry with weathered limestone dressings. Roof of large thin slates with stone copings and dressed stone W bellcote. The entrance is at the W end of the S wall, a primary doorway with segmental head in a square-headed architrave with moulded jambs and much weathered, decorated spandrels; to R the arms of Llywarch ap Bran, the L is defaced (a rose?). Above the doorway is a stone carved with a bull's head. The openings of the N wall of the nave mirror those in the S; the C15 N doorway has been converted into a window and has a 4-centred head in a square architrave, with moulded jambs and sunk spandrels containing 3 bull's heads to L, (an emblem of the Bulkeley family of Baron Hill, Beaumaris) and a leaf design (R). The central C17 or C18 windows are paired rectangular lights. The C15 windows to the E end of the N and S walls of the nave have paired cinquefoil-headed lights in square architraves with moulded jambs. The primary E window has 3 ogee-headed lights with vertical cusped tracery in a 4-centred head with casement-moulded jambs and splays.

Interior

The church has a 5-bay C19 roof with exposed collared trusses with angled braces. The sanctuary is raised by a single step and has a simple rail on shaped balusters. To either side of the sanctuary are pulpits, or reading desks, with recessed panelled sides; similarly detailed to the box pews in the nave. There are 2 C18 slate memorial tablets on the S wall of the nave: one to Hugh Hughes of Llandrygarn d1748, William his son d1751, Hugh, son of John Hughes and Sidney his wife d1766, Gwen, wife of William Hughes d1794, Sidney Hughes d1810 and John Hughes d1821; the other to William Lloyd of Bwlch-y-fen d1772.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good rural late Medieval church with a simple traditional character retaining many original features.