5348

 

II  

Designated  

12/05/1970  

02/05/2001  

Church of St Mary  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Mechell  

Amlwch  

Bodewryd  

240019  

390587  

 

Set back, within a rectangular churchyard, from the SW side of the country road in the rural hamlet of Bodewryd; c3km ESE of Llanfechell.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The character of the church now owes much to extensive restoration in the late C19, although it was listed in the Valuation of Norwich of 1254 and the walls of the church are thought to be Medieval; the earliest dateable feature is the doorway into the N porch, which is of C15 character, and the E window is late C16. The windows have small panes of coloured glass set in geometric designs, which is a characteristic sign of the influence of the patron, Lord Stanley of Alderley. He became a convert to the Muslim religion and gave money to local rural churches on condition that any restoration work should include detail which reflected elements of his religion. The N porch is an addition, with reset doorway of C15 type.  

Simple rural church with continuous nave and chancel, added N porch. Built of local rubble masonry on boulder foundations, heavily mortared, with freestone dressings. Modern slate roof with slate coping and ridge, W gable bellcote. The nave is of 2 bays, each of which has a round-headed window; there is a similarly detailed W window, with a projecting stone over. The rectangular C16 E window has 3 arched lights with hoodmould over. The N porch has a small rectangular leaded light in the N wall, entry through a round-headed doorway in the E wall.  

Entry to the church is through wide double doors from the N porch, each with diagonally set tongue and grooved panels. The nave and chancel are continuous, the 4 bay roof has exposed timbers, each bay articulated by queen post trusses with angled braces down to shaped corbels. The windows have small panes of coloured glass set in geometric and floriate designs. To the right of the doorway, to the W end of the nave, are two fonts, the first a rectangular gritstone bowl, the second a highly ornate oval bowl of alabaster; both fonts are undated and are not recorded in the RCAHMW Inventory, the rectangular font may be Medieval and the alabaster font contemporary with the C19 restoration. The sanctuary is raised by one step, with moulded rail over a round-arched frieze on shaped balusters. On the S wall of the chancel is a brass tablet recording bequests to the church by Queen Anne's Bounty and Robert Wynn, Rector of Llantrisant, 1720 and 1727. There is also a brass memorial tablets to Edward Wyn, Rector of Llantrisant and Llanddyfnan, d1671, his wife Margaret and 5 children, John 1707, Ann, Elen d1703, Catherine d1679 and Edward, LLD, Chancellor of Hereford 1707. The church also contains early two mid C18 gravestones, including that of Edward Wynn of Bodewryd, Chancellor of Hereford d 1755. The bell is said, by RCAHMW, to have vine scroll ornament and is dated 1747.  

Listed as a simple, rural church of Medieval origins. Retains Medieval fabric but is largely of C19 character, a simple vernacular building.