3799

 

II*  

Designated  

29/05/1968  

21/07/2000  

Church of St Rhedyw  

 

Gwynedd  

Llanllyfni  

Caernarfon  

Llanllyfni  

247070  

352103  

NW  

Prominently sited on a corner on Ffordd Rhedyw within a raised rubble-walled churchyard on sloping ground down towards the Afon Lyfni.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

A multi-phase building with C14 or C15 nave and C15 chancel in one without chancel arch. Straight joints and kneelers of former parapeted gable ends visible in north and south walls. Lower north and south transepts to chancel probably incorporate C16 work. Extensively restored in 1879 when south porch and west bellcote were added.  

Small cruciform church of coursed slatestone with very large quoins and ashlar dressings; C19 slate roofs, gabled to transepts. Flat and segmental-headed simply chamfered windows (tracery all C19), mostly without labels, and coped gable parapets with shaped kneelers. Ashlar bellcote with chamfered arched opening and coped gable with wrought-iron cross finial. Single-storey gabled south porch with coped parapet, chamfered arched opening and side windows of paired trefoil-headed lights. Double-chamfered inner arch with C19 plank door. Opposed arched north doorway, also with C19 plank door. Two windows to right of porch with ogee trefoil-headed tracery, one of 3 lights under a square head, the other a single lancet with cusped arched head. West end has single lancet with cusped arched head and ogee trefoil-headed tracery. North side has 2 identical lancets with cusped arched heads and ogee trefoil-headed tracery with to their left a square-headed window with 2 trefoil-headed lights and Decorated tracery including mouchettes. Three-light east window to chancel with panel tracery, hollow-chamfered outer arch and label moulding with returns. South window to south transept of 3 lights with cusped ogee tracery and mullions running into the head of the arch. Square-headed window in east wall with 3 cusped lights. North transept north window has hollow chamfer, 3 cusped lights with cusped ogee tracery and panel tracery in head of arch; string course projecting either side of window.  

Plaster stripped from walls. Fine C15 nave roof in 5 full bays and one half bay (probably marking the position of the former rood loft) with trusses springing from stone corbels, each with continuously chamfered arch, arch bracing to bases of principals and cranked collar with pair of diagonal struts above; pairs of purlins on backs of principals and 2 tiers of cusped windbraces; truss against west wall is C19. Victorian boarding to rafters but pegs to wall-plate suggest the original rafters remain. Two-bay chancel roof with truss similar to those in nave; boarded roof. Pair of blocked niches flanking east window and blocked piscina in south wall. Cl9 arch-braced trusses over crossing, set diagonally. Old roofs over transepts of 2 bays with arch-braced collar trusses and C19 purlins; trusses in south transept only with struts above collars. Mainly Cl9 fittings, reordered in C20. C19 encaustic tile floor to sanctuary with wrought-iron and wooden altar rails; late C19 wooden altar. North transept with organ and remains of C19 chancel screen cut down as rails. C19 polygonal wooden pulpit, cut down in C20, with traceried panels; reading desk also with traceried panel. C19 benches. Octagonal stone font with C19 stem and wooden cover, bowl very plain and probably older. Stained glass in east window commemorates Alice, wife of Thomas Robinson of Talysarn Hall (d.1897); in Pre-Raphaelite style with Christ in Majesty to centre light and supporting female figures, including angel, in flanking lights.  

Listed II* as a prominently sited parish church of early origin retaining extensive late medieval fabric, including a very fine C15 roof.