5314

 

II*  

Designated  

05/04/1971  

14/03/2001  

Church of St Afran, St Ieuan and St Sannan  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Tref Alaw  

Holyhead  

Llantrisant  

234951  

384062  

 

In an isolated rural location set within a sub-rectangular churchyard W of the farmstead at Ty-mawr. Set well back from the SW side of a country road, the church is located c1.5km NW of the new church in Llantrisant.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Listed in the Valuation of Norwich of 1254 where it is referred to as Ecclesia de Clansann, the present church was probably built in late C14 with S chapel added in C17. Became redundant once the new church was built in the nearby hamlet of Llantrisant in 1899. By 1937 the church was in disrepair and in 1970 was roofless and in ruins. Restored in 1976-7 with the aid of grants and gifts with the support of The Friends of Friendless Churches Society, who currently maintain the building.  

Simple rural Medieval church with continuous nave and chancel and S chapel. Built of rubble masonry, mortared, with freestone dressings; modern slate roof with rough stone W gable bellcote. The nave has S doorway with a round-headed studded and boarded door with large crude strap hinges, in a hollow-chamfered architrave with hoodmould over. To the L (W) of the doorway is a single rectangular leaded light, to the R are plain paired leaded lights with a large rough stone above advanced as a hood. The N wall of the nave has a rectangular doorway offset to the R (W) end and a single squared leaded light to the L. The E window is a crudely fashioned plate traceried window of paired trefoil-headed lights with a shield shaped light between; in a weathered rounded-arched frame with hoodmould. The E window of the S chapel is a rectangular window of paired leaded lights, offset to the L (S) of which is a full-height buttress; there is a similarly detailed S window, with stone lintel and sill, and a single rectangular leaded light in the W wall of the S chapel.  

The continuous nave and chancel has an exposed roof of 6-bays with modern braced, collared trusses; the chapel roof is of 2-bay with pegged and collared trusses. The floor is of stone slabs. The fittings are probably C18: There are box pews lining the walls by the chancel, with bench pews to the S end of the chapel; one bears the inscription: CHWAEN/WENN. The altar is a very simple affair of a slate slab supported on bar stop-chamfered piers with a simple cross set into the wall above; the moulded communion rail has tall shaped balusters. The C12 font has been reset at the W end of the nave, a deep circular bowl with moulded rim and base, on a circular column set on a stepped rough stone base. The church has a number of memorials, the most elaborately detailed is in the S wall of the nave, to the E of the entrance: A marble memorial tablet flanked by wings and cherubs heads at the base; there is a scrolled plaque above which bears a coat of arms and is set upon a floriate base, the base of the memorial itself is set on a broad rough stone shelf. The memorial is to Hugo Williams, Doctor of Theology d1670, his gravestone is set on a stone chest on the floor of the nave below. On the W wall of the nave is a slate memorial to Reverend Morgan Ellis Clerk LLB, d1789, and on the N wall is a marble memorial to Owen second son of Owen and Margaret Parry of Chwaen Wen Isaf, who died in Australia 1855. To the left (S) of the E window is a decorative marble memorial tablet with scrolled head and base set on a plaque bearing a winged skull, to John Wyn of Bodewrid Esq. d1669 and Ellen his wife, daughter and heiress to John Lewis of Chwaen Wen Esq d1650; also their eldest son John Wynne Esq LLB d1676. It was erected by Robert Wynne, Rector of the parish in duty to his parents and affection to his brother.  

Listed as a good rural church of Medieval vernacular character, retaining early fabric (and sympathetic restoration) and good C18 interior fittings; a rare survivor on Anglesey as so many churches were rebuilt or refurbished in the mid C19.