5301

 

II*  

Designated  

05/04/1971  

16/02/2001  

Church of St Maethlu  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Llanfaethlu  

Holyhead  

Llanfaethlu  

231260  

387084  

 

Set back from the NE side of the Porth Swtan road, leading NE off the A5025 through the village of Llanfaethlu.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The church is listed in the Norwich taxation of 1254, but dateable fabric appears to suggest that the nave of the present church is C15; the porch may be contemporary, with original stone bench seats, restored. The chancel was erected in 1874 with the C15 window from the original chancel re-set. There are C15 windows in the S wall of the nave, C17 windows in the N wall. The W bellcote may be original but has been reconstructed and has C19 dressings; 1760 bell.  

Simple late medieval church. Perpendicular nave of 3 bays with W gable bellcote and SW gabled porch; shorter, narrower chancel added, and in Decorated style. Built of local rubble masonry with freestone dressings; modern graded slate roof with slate ridge and stone copings. The nave has offset angled buttresses at the E end; chancel with plinth along lateral walls raised as stepped dripcourse at E end. Single gabled bellcote at W end, the E gables with weathered trefoil finials. Entry to the church is through the SW porch: pointed Nave windows largely rectangular, though one arched window to W; a mix of square, round or trefoil-headed lights of single or paired lights. The chancel has an E window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights and cusped tracery in a pointed-arched frame with hoodmould. The S wall has a single round headed light and there is a rectangular doorway in the N wall.  

Entry to the church is via the SW porch, which has a weathered gritstone water stoup (a weathered quernstone) set into the N corner. The nave has a 3-bay roof, the two easternmost bays have coved ceiling; roof plastered throughout, with chamfered dividers. The chancel has a 2-bay roof, with exposed rafters and collared trusses with chamfered braces and collar (diamond detailing) down to wall posts on shaped corbels. The chancel is raised by one step and has a 2-centred pointed arch with chamfered angles. The sanctuary is raised by one step and has C18 communion rails with shaped balusters and square newel posts with chamfered angles. Altar dedicated to members of the Carpenter Holland Griffiths family; it is contemporary with, and similarly detailed to the C19 pulpit and fittings of the choir. The reredos of oak panelling, and associated tablet, form a memorial to members of the parish who lost their lives in WW1. The pulpit and other late C19 fittings have shaped rails with floriate bosses; panels with quatrefoil and Celtic spiral decoration. At the E end of the nave is the Griffith box pew: a panelled box pew incorporating parts of older pews and seats. The main part of the seat back bears the Griffiths family crest and Latin motto, with the initials W G and the date 1635. Above the seat back is a similarly detailed piece with moulded dividers, flanked by foliate scrolls; the whole is surmounted by a dentilled frieze with acorn finials. There is a similar fragment of seat back over the nave NE window. At the W end of the nave is an octagonal pulpit with the inscription: THE · GIFT · / OF · RICH : / GRIFFITHS / GEN / 1640 on the facing panel. Church has a fine series of monuments: along the N wall of the nave are a number of C18 and C19 marble memorials including, at the W end, a finely detailed memorial to William Griffith of Carreglwyd d 1718, and John Griffiths also of Carreglwyd d 1792; also his daughter Elizabeth Trygarn d 1799. The memorial tablet is set between fluted pilasters supporting an entablature surmounted by the family crests; the tablet to Elizabeth set below, above paired cherubs heads on wings. Marble memorial to Holland Griffith esq., d 1839, and his wife Eliza, d 1828; bronze memorial tablet inscribed in Latin to Guilemus Griffith, d 1587. Along the N wall of the chancel are more late C19 marble memorials, including the Reade family memorial; flanking paired pillars with stiff-leafed capitals support a shaped arch bearing the family crest. The S wall of the nave bears a number of C18 and C19 bronze and marble memorial tablets including: a marble memorial tablet to William Vickers of Llanfawr d 1792, and his wife Mary d 1771. This is surmounted by a pyramidal obelisk inset with an oval plaque bearing a romantic depiction of a small boy. Towards the W end of the wall is an early C18 memorial, much weathered, with a cherubs head set over a marble memorial plaque within draped surround.  

Listed as a good small rural church, largely of the C15, retaining original fabric and detail, and which includes a fine series of memorials, some of C16 and C17 dates.