5270

 

II*  

Designated  

05/04/1971  

25/11/1998  

Church of St. Beuno  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Aberffraw  

 

Aberffraw  

235331  

368802  

S  

Located within an enclosed churchyard, set back from the S side of Church Street, in the SW part of Aberffraw.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The church appears to have originated as a single-celled unit, with nave and chancel structurally undivided; a design once typical of Anglesey, now few examples remain. The oldest parts of the church are the S wall of the nave, and portions of the W wall, which date from C12. More consistent C14 detailing survives including the S doorway, and the N nave and arcade were added in the C16, later restorations respecting the predominantly C16 character. The church was repaired and reroofed in about 1840, and a vestry and bier room constructed in the N aisle by Thomas Jones, architect of Chester. In 1868 extensive alterations took place when the walls of the N aisle and chancel were reconstructed, and the N vestry and S porch added.  

A double-naved, Late Decorated church, with nave and chancel structurally undivided, of 3-bays; SW gabled porch and NW to nave. Built of rubble masonry (W gable walls rendered), with sandstone dressings; each wall with central offset buttress. Slate roof with stone copings, moulded kneelers and crosses to each gable apex; W end with steeply pitched ashlar bellcote between the gables, surmounted by a cross, bells hung one above the other, and the NW vestry to nave with tall rubble stack with ashlar quoins. The N and S walls have cusped reticulated tracery windows of 2 and 3-lights set into square-frames; S wall, E window of 3 traceried lights with pointed heads and a plain hoodmould. W gables have single light windows with cusped tracery (the NW vestry has a similarly detailed light in the N wall); E gables with 3-light windows with curvilinear tracery, in moulded surrounds with hoodmoulds. Entrance to the church is through a pointed-arched doorway, with chamfered surround, in the SW porch.  

The C14, inner porch doorway has a pointed head of 2 chamfered orders, and chamfered jambs with moulded stops and chamfered imposts. Each nave has a roof of 6 bays with exposed rafters and collared trusses, upper braces are cusped and lower braces are carried down to wall posts supported on stiff-leafed foliage corbels. The central, C16, arcade has 4 x 4-centred arches of 2, hollow-chamfered orders; supporting piers are octagonal, with semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and chamfered bases. The S wall has the weathered remains of the original C12 stone string. The W wall has a re-set C12 arch of 2 orders, both decorated, the inner with chevrons and the outer with a series of crude animal heads; the inner order is supported on plain responds and the outer on detached shafts with cushion capitals and roll-moulded bases; the abaci are chamfered and the arch is contained within a moulded label. (The arch probably formed the chancel arch of the original church and was found during the restorations of 1840). The S sanctuary is raised by 2 steps and has a moulded rail on chamfered stanchions with floriate brackets; floor with encaustic tiles, and back and S wall with recessed panelling, raised to form a reredos behind the altar. The N sanctuary is also raised by 2 steps, with a wooden floor and early C20 altar table with a moulded copper panel depicting the last supper at the rear. The windows are late C19 and early C20; the S wall of the nave has a number of C19 memorials as well as C18 slate memorial plaques to Richard and Owen Morris, d. 1769 and 1783, and to Henry Morris (their father), Rector of Llanfachraeth d. 1763. The church contains 2 copper collecting shovels, presented in 1777 by Rev. Hugh Williams, Rector of the parish; and each of the bells bears the inscription 'Charles Carr-Smethwick 1896'.  

Listed as a rare Anglesey example of a double-naved church, largely of late Medieval character, but retaining significant elements of a much earlier building including and unusually fine C12 chancel arch.