5557

 

II  

Designated  

30/01/1968  

14/01/2003  

Church of St Mary  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Pentraeth  

 

Pentraeth  

252379  

378445  

E  

Set back from the N side of the junction of the A5025 and the B5109 in the centre of the village of Pentraeth.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Listed in the Norwich Taxation of 1254, probably C12-C14, the church retains Medieval masonry in the W wall and the lower courses of the N and S walls. The S chapel was added in the late C16 or early C17. The interior was restored in 1821 and re-fitted in 1839, though much dates to the late C19 when the church was partly rebuilt in 1882, by Henry Kennedy, Architect of Bangor; the E wall completely rebuilt and the S porch added. Some interior fittings, such as the reredos, were inserted in the early C20.  

Small rural church comprising nave and chancel, with S chapel and porch. Built of snecked rubble masonry, the older masonry at the base of the walls uncoursed; the late C19 openings have sandstone dressings. Slate roof with decorative tiled ridge, stone copings on shaped kneelers and surmounted by cross finials; dressed stone W bellcote. The nave is of 3-bays, the N wall has a blocked doorway to R (W), a pointed arch with chamfered jambs and the L (E) window is a C17 paired cinquefoil-headed light; the other windows are similarly detailed C19 windows of 1, 2 and 3 lights with hoodmoulds. The E wall has been rebuilt and contains a reset late C14 or early C15 window of 3 cinquefoil lights with cusped tracery in a pointed arched frame with late C19 hoodmould. The E window of the S chapel is similar to the easternmost window of the N wall of the nave, and the S window is a pointed arched windows of 2 cinquefoil headed lights under a quatrefoil, the moulded label has angle bosses. The late C19 S porch has a Tudor arched doorway with broach stop chamfered jambs and floriate bosses to a moulded label, there is a relieving arch of rough voussoirs and a sandstone tablet above bears the date 1882. The inner doorway has a Tudor arched frame with broach stop chamfered jambs and there is a rough stone piscina in the E wall of the porch purported to be the C12 bowl of the old font above which are portions of a window frame.  

The roof has exposed closely spaced chamfered braced collared trusses. The chancel and S chapel have chamfered arches on shaped corbels; the chancel arch is decorated with stiff-leafed foliage, that to L bears a carved eagle and that to R a lamb. The chancel is raised by 4 steps and the sanctuary a further step up to a floor of encaustic tiles. The church fittings are C19 and early C20, the sanctuary rail is moulded and is on shaped balusters with shaped and pierced brackets. The early C20 reredos is of recessed panels; the centre raised under a pierced floriate frieze, the panels cusped with floriate carving in the spandrels. In the N wall of the chancel there is a trefoil headed recess, and on the S wall a stone tablet to Reverend John Jones of Plas Gwyn d1727 and Reverend Thomas Owen d1812. The S chapel contains a number of memorials to members of the Jones, Panton and Vivian families of Plas Gwyn: On the E wall there is a marble memorial tablet set in a corbelled frame with pointed pediment to John Panton Jones d1830, below there is a stone wreath memorial to Constance Emily Vivian d1905, wife of Claud Hamilton Vivian. To the R is a bronze tablet to Charles Crespigny II Baron Vivian d1886 and Mary Elizabeth, Baroness Vivian, and to far R is a marble memorial to Paul Panton Esq, eldest son of Paul Panton of Bagillt, d1882. On the S wall, flanking the window, are: to L a scrolled memorial tablet to Thomas Williams of Tan y Graig d1851, and to R a marble memorial with cherub''''''''s face above and skull and crossbones below, to William Jones, Counsellor at Law, d1775. On the W wall are 2 marble memorials, to S with open moulded pediment above and angel below to Jane Panton d1764; that to N to Hugh Williams, son of John Williams of Tû Frû by Elizabeth his wife, only daughter of Rowland Whyte of Fryers Esq d1722 with arms Argent, 2 foxes in saltire gules, a crescent in chief for difference (Cadrod for Williams) impaling Collwyn for Whyte. Memorials along the N wall of the nave including a marble memorial to Hugh Williams of Tu Fru d 1768, son of John Williams d1771: the tablet is corbelled under an open pediment with an urn in the tympanum; below is the family crest, arms quarterly i and iv Cadrod (as above) ii Llywarch iii Collwyn. There is a small bronze tablet on the W wall to Owen Owens d1774, Elizabeth Owens d1797 and Richard Owens d1810, also Jane Morris, mother of above d1808. Set in the floor of the vestry below is an early C18 gravestone The octagonal C19 font has chamfered angles and a cross to each principal face and rests on a shaped, chamfered shaft and plinth.  

Listed as a predominantly late C19 church which retains some Medieval fabric and some fine C18 and C19 memorials.