Church of St. Tysilio

Cadw's description

Location

Located towards the south end of Church Island to the west of Menai Bridge. The island is reached by a causeway and the churchyard is enclosed by a low rubble wall with wrought iron gates at the entrance at the end of the causeway.

History

The church is dedicated to the memory of St. Tysilio, who, in a seven year period c.590-600 established a sanctuary on 'Ynys Suliau' (or Ynys Tysilio). The present building was probably built in early C15, with C19 restoration.

Exterior

A simple rectangular medieval church, with chancel and nave structurally undivided. Walls of limestone rubble with grit dressings and slate roof (re-roofed early C20) with original grit gable copings. Remains of original cross socket at E end with bell-cote at W end. Doorway in W end of N wall with gritstone dressings, positioned to face main approach. Plinth tapers from the W side of the doorway towards the W gable. Rectangular doorway containing wood frame with inset pointed doorway, rectangular plank door hung directly behind. The timber framing probably formed part of a porch before being set in its present position. A plaque above door reads: 'St. Tysilio built this church 630AD'. There is a 2 light, foiled traceried window near the centre of the north wall (recut or inserted in C19), and smaller window to W end of S wall. Window in E gable re-built 1896, copying original C15 form of curvilinear tracery, and retaining original moulded label over.

Interior

The church has a C15 cruck roof of three trusses with curved collar beams, with chamfered soffits. Plastered walls. Stained glass window to E gable 1896 by Jones & Wallis of London, with coloured glass depicting St. Tysilio in clerical robes, each foot bearing a symbolic impression of the nailmarks on the cross borne by Christ. Below is a smooth sandstone, panelled reredos with cusped and foliated decoration in the lower panels. The upper panels, 2 either side of window, contain 'The Lord's Prayer', 'Exodus, Chapter II, Verse I' and The Creed. The reredos is probably early C20. To either side of the nave, towards the chancel in the E end, are memorial plaques. One in N wall dates to 1785, in S to 1738. The floor is flagged, with gravestones inside the door and to W end of church, the earliest dating back to 1696. To the W of the doorway is an octagonal font, said to date to C14.

Reason for designation

The church is a good, scarcely altered example of a simple medieval church, rare for its cruck-truss roof. During the C19 twenty seven of the old churches on Anglesey were re-built and most of the rest were restored and refitted, therefore the church of St. Tysilio can be considered an important survival.