4266

 

II*  

Designated  

19/10/1971  

15/07/1998  

Church of St Tudwen  

 

Gwynedd  

Buan  

Pwllheli  

Llandudwen  

227406  

336863  

 

Situated in isolated walled churchyard by Llandudwen farm, approached by drive running N off lane about 1.3 km W of Madryn Castle.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Anglican parish church on ancient site said to be a C5 foundation on the grave of St Tudwen. Present church is a rare C16 to C17 rebuilding, the nave possibly on medieval foundations, rebuilt in C16 and the N transept possibly C16, the S transept early C17 with the flat-headed stone mullion windows the dating feature. There was a chancel, but the church was already T-plan by the time of the 1846 Tithe Map. Roofs rebuilt in the C19.  

T-plan vernacular church with low walls and shallow pitched roofs. Large random granite boulders and slate gabled roofs with plain ridges and gabled W bellcote. W end oak door in arched doorway with stone voussoirs. Tall rubble single bellcote with coped gable. Nave has one C20 window in square opening each side. Transepts are long; S transept windowless to W, has S 3-light flush stone-mullion window and E smaller 2-light. N transept has N timber 3-light window and E timber mullion window of 2 latticed lights. Centre E gable has timber flat-headed 3-light window, cusped.  

W entrance has three large granite steps down to nave. The low walls are white painted plaster, and roof rafters are plastered between. Quarry-tiled floors. Thin C19 collar-truss roofs. N nave pews are C18 or early C19, bench type with plain boarding, sloped backs and curved ends. S nave pews are later C19 with panelled backs and rolled, flat tops and ends. Medieval octagonal gritstone font with round pedestal. Later C19 open fronted timber pulpit. The oak altar is raised on a platform with three steps. C19 timber altar rail has trefoiled arcading. S transept has curtained vestry with aumbry niche and shelf. N transept has aumbry niche in W wall, and C17 and C18 floor memorial stones. Sanctuary and transept windows have green leaded-lights with ecclesiastical symbols in red stained glass roundels, shields also in E window.  

Grade II* as a rare example of an early post-Reformation church rebuilding.