Parish Church of St Beuno including two C17 Chest Tombs adjoining at the SW Corner, Llanycil, Gwynedd

History

Mid-Victorian parish church built to replace a medieval predecessor which it partly incorporates (lower roof-line visible at W end); additional reuse of earlier building material in the fabric, including some Roman brick and tile, reclaimed from the nearby fort at Caer Gai and mentioned by Edward Lhuyd in the late C17. Various C18 and C19 funerary memorials, as well as some mid C19 glass, all originating in the earlier church, are incorporated. The rebuilding was undertaken in 1881 to designs by the architect E B Ferrey. The railed tomb of Thomas Charles is near the SE corner of the church.

Exterior

Medium-sized parish church in Victorian Gothic style; of single-chamber type with N porch and S vestry forming an overall cruciform plan. Local rubble construction with pale buff sandstone dressings and slate roof; coped and kneelered gable parapets, those to the E and W ends with gablet ends; stone gable crosses and chamfered eaves band. Single-storey gabled porch with pointed outer arch. This has fluted jambs and applied semi-octagonal shafts, with hollow-chamfered arch moulding and label returned onto the shafts. Flanking the porch are single-light windows with cusped ogee heads and two quatrefoil occuli over; plain returned labels. To the L of the easternmost of these is a flat-headed 3-light window with cusped, hollow-chamfered arches; label as before. Beyond this is a stepped buttress defining the nave section from the chancel, a feature repeated on the S side. The chancel itself has 2-light pointed ached windows to each of its sides, with cusped Y tracery. The easternmost S side nave window is a 2-light flat-headed window with cusped ogee lights.

Single-light windows flank the gabled vestry on the S side, and have cusped ogee heads and surmounting occuli, as before. The vestry has a similar, though simpler cusped lancet to its gable face, and a broach-stopped-chamfered entrance to its E side; boarded door. Inset in the wall to the R of the entrance is a resited early C18 sandstone plaque with carved angel in relief. Stepped-down and adjoining the vestry's gable wall, is a low slated rubble boiler house with boarded door to the front. Off-centre behind the vestry projection is a 2-stage lateral boiler chimney with moulded capping. Perpendicular-style 3-light E window with cusped ogee heads to lights; plain returned label. The W gable has a coped and kneelered bellcote with pointed-arched bell opening.

Adjoining the S wall of the church at the W end are two C17 sandstone chest tombs, both with raised guilloche decoration to the edges. The first (L) is to John Vaughan (of Caer Gai), (d.1671); 2-panel sides with engaged, fluted columns to centre and corners; inscribed lettering. Above the tomb, set into the wall, is a sandstone relief plaque with arms and the initials I V, together with the date 1671; label above. The second tomb is to Catherine Lloyd, (d.1695). This has heraldic arms in relief and raised, decorative edge and border; 4-bay arcaded sides. A rectangular brass plate was formerly inset at the bottom of the slab.

Interior

Single chamber plan with plastered walls and simple tiled pavements counterchanged black/red. Five-bay nave roof with braced collar trusses supported on brackets; simply-decorated braces and raking struts above the collars. Fixed Victorian pews of oak, with stopped-chamfered detail and moulded rails. The limestone font (W end) is octagonal and in Perpendicular style, with moulded base and foliate relief carving to quatrefoil panels on each face; black slate plinth. The rim is inscribed: 'Suffer little children to come unto me.' The Pulpit (SE corner of nave) is semi-octagonal, of oak, and has sunk panels to each face; these with cusped heads. In the NE corner is a large late C19 fitted organ, in simple Gothic style; of oak, with sunk Gothic panels, blind quatrefoils and foliated bosses. Seven-bay Gothic style Rood screen, with large central arch and narrow flanking arches above; diagonally-boarded, panelled dado. This has pointed arches with cusping and a panelled frieze with quatrefoils and crenellated brattishing; central surmounting Crucifixion.

The chancel is stepped-up and has a polychromed tiled pavement. The roof is waggon-vaulted with pine boarding and moulded ribs. Choirstalls similar to the nave pews. The sanctuary is further stepped-up and has a fine polychromed tiled pavement. Oak altar rails (reused from the earlier church), dated 1739. This has a moulded rail and turned balusters with later (C19) ball finials. The sanctuary has a boarded oak dado with pointed-arched, arcaded upper section, the arches cusped. Three-part oak Gothic-style retable with gabled and crocketed central section having a sunk mandorla within a cusped pointed arch; engaged supporting columns. Dividing crocketed finials between the 3 sections, the outer ones with arches as beforeand with raised monogrammes 'XP' and 'An' respectively. The altar is in similar style, with carved, blind tracery front having a central relief-carved Agnus Dei within a cusped oculus. Flanking the E window are affixed a pair of pointed-arched metal boards with painted biblical texts in Welsh and English; decorative borders.

Monuments:

W Wall: small white marble wall tablet to Maurice Jones, (d.1758), and family; erected 1763. This has a winged cherub's head and flanking finials in grey marble; black slate surround.

Nave, S wall (W to E): a plain grey figured marble wall tablet to John and Sarah Jones (d.1824 and 1837), by Edwards and Co. of London. Next, a white marble tablet to John Jones (d.1726), and Sarah, (d.1734); in a black slate frame with segmental pedimaent having a relief-carved winged cherub's head in grey marble. Next is an oval tablet of figured white marble to William Williams of Caernarfon, Esq., (d.1764).

Chancel, S wall: a large funerary tablet in figured white and grey marble to the Rev. Rice Anwyl Clerk, AM, DL (d.1819) and family; by W Jones of Liverpool. Shallow pediment with urn in relief above tablet. To the E of this is a large Grecian monument in figured white marble to the Lloyd family of Plas-yn-Dre, c1836; heraldic cartouche and shallow pediment.

N wall (W to E): large classical funerary monument to Evan Lloyd, (d.1776), and John Lloyd, (d.1774). White marble tablet with pediment having egg and dart decoration and polychromed heraldic cartouche; surmounting flaming urn and shallow obelisk behind, the latter of grey figured marble and with wreath. To the R is a similar, though smaller and unpedimented memorial tablet; to Robert Lloyd of Vron, (d.1768), with addition below with dates from 1805-1835.

Stained and painted glass:

E window with figurative scenes of christological subjects; in memory of A A and E Passingham, erected 1883. Nave, S wall in memory of W and A Jones, (d.1874 and 1884). Nave, N wall, a scene of the Good Samaritan in memory of E Williams, (d.1848). Next (to the E) a 3-light grisaille window to the Anwyl family of Plas Coch, erected 1855.

Miscellaneous: in the nave is a vernacular oak churchwardens' bench inscribed: 'I Forbes Esqr Cefn Bodig 1794'; on the back is affixed an earlier section of oak with inscription in fine raised letters: 'Anno Domini 1657 I:V (for John Vaughan of Caer Gai).'

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a well-preserved Victorian parish church incorporating some fabric, memorials, glass and furnishings from its predecessor.

External Links

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