History

St. Mary of Llanllugan was originally a nunnery church, part of the only pre-reformation nunnery in N Wales which was founded c1200. The church is almost entirely C15, but blocked doorways on the S and N sides may have led to the cloisters and conventual buildings. A wooden plaque inside the church states that £25 was awarded for reseating and restoring the church in 1873.

Exterior

Undivided chancel and nave, S porch, W bellcote. Early Perpendicular. Random masonry under a partially new slate roof with evidence of rebuilding, particularly on the N and E sides. The S elevation has 3 square, Perpendicular windows under flat heads, 2 to the nave and 1 to the chancel, all containing 2 lights with trefoiled heads. The chancel window head is slightly splayed . The S elevation of the chancel contains a blocked doorway under an elliptical, chamfered stone lintel, which may have led to the cloisters. The S porch has a steeply pitched roof and a segmental-arched entrance. The planked S door is also under a segmental-arched head and has 2 orders of cavetto mouldings. Small cusped N window within a blocking to a former N door which had a pointed arch with long narrow voussoirs. To its W are some protruding stones suggesting the presence of a former porch. The Perpendicular E window is slightly off centre with panel tracery in 3 lights with cinquefoiled arched heads and smaller lights above. All the windows have ferramenta. The W bellcote is very simple and consists of a projection of the roof line supported by curved, raked struts.

Interior

Medieval roof structure with some alterations. Arched collar beams with raked, cusped struts and 2 tiers of short, cusped wind braces. Some trusses have a tie beam at wall plate level. Stained glass in E window depicting a crucifixion, a king, an abbess and a Latin inscription. Said to be C15 but reassembled in 1891. C19 wall memorials. Small circular font c 1200, perhaps once decorated, on a modern hexagonal base and square plinth.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a well-preserved small rural church, retaining its C15 character virtually intact. It was originally the church of the only pre-reformation nunnery in North Wales and is thus of significant historical interest.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17744236

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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