History in Structure

Parish Church of St Mary

A Grade II* Listed Building in Dolbenmaen, Gwynedd

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.9649 / 52°57'53"N

Longitude: -4.2249 / 4°13'29"W

OS Eastings: 250670

OS Northings: 343150

OS Grid: SH506431

Mapcode National: GBR 5L.K65S

Mapcode Global: WH55C.2QFX

Plus Code: 9C4QXQ7G+W3

Entry Name: Parish Church of St Mary

Listing Date: 19 October 1971

Last Amended: 30 March 1999

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 4278

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: St Mary's Church, Dolbenmaen

ID on this website: 300004278

Location: The parish church lies on a small by-passed section of the main road at the junction with the Cwm Pennant road. It stands within an irregularly shaped graveyard and is approached through a lych gate.

County: Gwynedd

Town: Dolbenmaen

Community: Dolbenmaen

Community: Dolbenmaen

Traditional County: Caernarfonshire

Tagged with: Church building

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History

The church originated as a chapelry of St Beuno, Penmorfa, and was built in the C15, from which period the roof survives. It has been considerably altered at later dates. Now combined as the parish of Dolbenmaen with Penmorfa.

Exterior

A small single cell building constructed with uncoursed local rubble stone with long stone quoins, all partially rendered, with a C19 slate roof between raised gable parapets. The S door is near the W end, a pointed arch containing a C19 boarded door with ornamental ironwork. Pointed headed windows both sides, that at the centre of the S side having diamond leaded glazing set in timber transomed 'Y'-tracery, with another further E, and a similar window opposite on the N side. The E window is round headed. The W wall has been rebuilt, and has a square headed high set W window, and corbelled gabled bellcote surmounted by a small stone cross. A slate sundial of the early C19 is set on the S side.

Interior

Wall plastered throughout. Roof of 5 bays, defined by C15 arch-braced collar beam trusses with cusped king posts and soffits of the principal rafters, which rise directly from the walls. Windbraces to 2 tiers of purlins. Boarded soffit to the E bay over the chancel at arch-brace level forming a shallow barrel vault. Tiled floor, the chancel raised by a single step. Timber altar rail on iron scrolled stanchions. Reredos behind the altar, formed from the frontal of the former W gallery. Three corbels at the W end are probably the remains of beams supporting the W gallery, lit by the high W window.

Fittings: pulpit, C19, of stained wood. Altar of 1931.

Glass: E window, an Agnus Dei, and S window, 1937 by J A Brymer.

Monuments: on the N wall, engraved slate tablet to Lowry Wynne of Rhwngyddwyrid, d.1719.

Reasons for Listing

Included at II* largely for the survival of medieval fabric including the fine roof structure which appears unaltered.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Plas Holland
    The building, formerly the rectory, lies in its own grounds immediately to the W of the parish church.
  • II Lychgate to the Church of St Mary
    The lychgate stands across the angle of the cut off corner of the main Tremadoc to Caernarfon road, and the Cwm Pennant road.
  • II NW Range of Farm Buildings at Plas Dolbenmaen
    The group of farm buildings lie immediately W of Plas Dolbenmaen. The NW range flanks the entrance to the yard, the SW end cutting into the motte.
  • II NE Range of Farm Buildings at Plas Dolbenmaen
    The group of farm buildings lie immediately W of Plas Dolbenmaen farmhouse. The NE range lies parallel to the old road, and end on to the NW range.
  • II Plas Dolbenmaen
    The farmhouse stands in the angle formed by the elbow in the old Tremadoc to Caernarfon road, and the recently built by-pass.
  • II Washhouse Building at Plas Dolbenmaen
    The group of farm buildings lie immediately W of Plas Dolbenmaen, and form a yard with the motte in the W corner. The washhouse is adjacent to the house, and gable end on to the NE range.
  • II Pont Dolbenmaen
    The bridge is on the by-passed section of the Tremadoc to Caernarfon Road immediately S of the junction with the Cwm Pennant road.
  • II Ty-newydd Farmhouse
    The farmhouse stands back from the road running from the main A487 Tremadoc to Caernarfon Road to Garndolbenmaen.

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