92

 

II*  

Designated  

23/06/1967  

01/04/1998  

Church of St Michael  

 

Conwy  

Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr  

 

Llanfihangel  

298967  

349423  

 

The church stands in a modified oval churchyard, approximately 250m W of Llanfihangel Bridge on the road up the Afon Alwen valley.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The church probably has a C13 or earlier origin, (taxation return of 1254 refers), but the earliest standing work is probably the chancel walls, perhaps contemporary with the roof trusses of c1500. Much of the nave walls rebuilt in the C18, perhaps after the high floods of 1781, and were altered again in the C19. Porch probably a rebuild of the C18 or C19 using tie beam truss and purlins of a late medieval porch. Work of 1867 probably included the renewing of the windows. Restoration carried out by Harold Hughes in 1900-2, included work to the E wall, re-roofing and reseating.  

Built of local rubble walling, with heavier walling stone for the chancel, slate roof, dated in flecked slates 1900, and crested ridge tiles. Nave, chancel and S porch near the W end, tall bellcote with a bell of 1681 carried on a thickening of the late C19 rebuilt W wall. C19 Y-tracery windows of C19 restoration, one on the N side of wood. Lancet at the W end of the S nave wall. Blocked square window on S wall of chancel, and a 3-light W window with intersecting tracery, fitted to an earlier opening. The inner porch door has an impost block, inscribed on the 2 exposed sides, reading DAVID WYNNE RECTOR / HVIVS PAROCHAE / INDVCTVS : A : D 1689.  

The interior has a lobby and stair divided off at the W end by a pine screen, below a W gallery. Medieval roof of 3 bays, probably of 1450-1500, 4.5 bays over the nave and a further 3 bays over the chancel; arched braced collar trusses with raking struts to principals carrying two tiers of purlins, braced with small cusped windbraces. In the chancel the wall plate is slightly higher, and the trusses fit better, indicating the chancel is probably earlier than the nave. Roof rafters and boarding replaced 1900. The E bay in the chancel is underdrawn by a panelled barrel vault. Chancel is raised by one step, and quarry tiled, with 2 further steps to the sanctuary, which has an aumbry niche on the N wall and a larger niche, probably originally a piscina on the E wall. Walls plastered throughout, the S Nave wall leans outwards. High blind window at the E end of the S wall. A small late C19 2-light window in the W wall of the gallery. In the W lobby, a parish oak chest with two locks, probably early C18. Fittings: Pine altar rail; octagonal pine pulpit raised on a sandstone base, part of a low wall on the chancel step. Font, a tall limestone pillar with a small octagonal bowl, with alternating quatrefoils and shields. The W gallery has pierced splat balusters, probably originally the communion rail. Monuments: Chancel N wall, from E: (a) White marble gabled tablet on slate, to Sarah Lewis, d 1860 and husband, Rev William Lewis JP added 1866; (b) Segmental topped Carrara marble tablet by Haswell of Chester, to Margaret Lewis, daughter of last; (c) a small slate panel, pointed each end, inscribed LLIF MAWR MEHEFIN 1781; (d) Shaped white marble tablet on slate, to Elizabeth Williams, d 1794. Chancel S wall - (e) Boldly lettered white marble tablet on slate, to Sarah Wynne, d 1877; (f) Rectangular white tablet on slate, to Edward Wynne Lewis, d 1872. Nave N side, from E - (g) Moulded rectangular white marble tablet on slate, to Owen Jones (Owain Myfyr) canwyd yn Tyddyn Tudur 1741-1814; (h) Oval white marble tablet to Margaret Lloyd of Brynheilingeni, d 1802. Set up in recent times within the porch - (h) Large limestone tombstone with a shaped top containing an urn in a recessed oval, to Owen Jones, d 1814, with a verse. Robert Roberts and Hannah Roberts added. Under the tower a red marble bracketed bowl set in the N wall, probably the C18 baptismal font, and a similar but smaller slate bowl or stoup is set in the W wall of the porch, perhaps C17. Also a war memorial panel for the 1939-45 war, erected 1951.  

Included at Grade II* for the survival of medieval fabric, including a fine late medieval roof.