Capel Lligwy

Cadw's description

Location

In an isolated rural location, set back from the SW side of a country road leading N from Llanallgo and c1.25km NNW of the Church of St Allgo.

History

C12 chapel building with upper parts of wall rebuilt in C14; the walling round the arch of the S doorway is C14 and the E side may have been rebuilt at this time. A S chapel was added in the C16, under which a vault was built to contain members of the Pierce Lloyd family of Lligwy. The earliest record of the chapel dates to The Reverend Thomas' History of Anglesey, 1737. The building was used as a private chapel to Lligwy House until the start of the C18, when it began to fall into disuse. Now roofless.

Exterior

Chancel and nave are structurally undivided, with W gable bellcote; S chapel projects as gabled wing to E. Walls of rubble masonry, changing in character at a height of c1.5m, reflecting C14 work. The S doorway is C12 and has square jambs and a plain round arch with a rough chamfered impost. East wall shows traces of a blocked opening c2m wide; N wall has no openings but S wall has the remains of a window reveal, probably C14. West gable has C14 gable copings and a single bellcote with pointed opening. The S chapel has blocked windows; S window has the remains of a 4-centred arch and reveals, E and W windows only visible from interior.

Interior

Beneath the S chapel is a vault c2.5m² entered by a flight of stone steps and roofed by flat stone slabs carried on continuous corbelling. The E and W windows are only visible from the interior of the chapel; and E and W walls also have small recesses.

Reason for designation

Despite its ruinous condition, the chapel is important as a substantially C12 structure, with some architectural detail surviving from this early period, together with C14 work and an unusual C16 vaulted S chapel.

Scheduled Ancient Monument AN056.