St Dona's Church, Llanddona
Encyclopedia
St Dona's Church, Llanddona is a small 19th-century parish church
in the village of Llanddona
, in Anglesey
, north
Wales. The first church on this site was built in 610. The present building on the site dates from 1873, and was designed by the rector at the time. It reuses earlier material including a decorated 15th-century doorway and a 17th-century bell.
The church is still used for worship by the Church in Wales
, and is one of five churches in a combined parish. It is a Grade II listed building, a national designation given to "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them", in particular because it is regarded as "a simple late 19th-century essay in Gothic revival".
itself. The village takes its name from its parish church
: the Welsh word originally meant "enclosure" and then "church", and "–ddona" is a modified form of the saint's name. St Dona's is surrounded by a churchyard, entered through a lychgate
dated 1906 which bears a memorial to Henry Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley
, "Patron and Benefactor of this church".
According to the 19th-century Anglesey
historian Angharad Llwyd
, a church was built here in 610, dedicated to St Dona, who lived on the sea shore nearby. The presence of a church here was recorded in the Norwich Taxation of 1254. Repairs were carried out in the 1840s: one 19th-century writer, Samuel Lewis, recorded that the internal state of St Dona's was "wretched in the extreme" until the rural dean
at the time put it "into a state of creditable repair". In 1873, the rector (Peter Jones) had the church entirely rebuilt to his own design.
St Dona's is still in use for worship and belongs to the Church in Wales
. It is one of five churches in the combined benefice
of Llansadwrn
, Llanddona, Llaniestyn
, Pentraeth
and Llanddyfnan. It is within the deanery
of Tindaethwy and Menai, the archdeaconry of Bangor
and the Diocese of Bangor. As of October 2011, the post of rector
has been vacant since April 2011.
, dressed with freestone. The roof is made from slate, and has a bellcote made from stone at the west end. There is a stone cross finial
at the east end of the roof. The church is entered through a porch on the south side which leads to a doorway dating from the 15th century. The rounded doorway is decorated with figures of a bird, a dog and a human face on the left, and a cherub on the right. Inside, the nave
is separated from the chancel
by a step, and the sanctuary
is itself raised one step above the chancel. The roof timbers can be seen from inside. The window at the east end has three lights (vertical sections separated by mullion
s) topped with ogee
curves, and is set within a pointed arch with an external hoodmould. It contains stained glass added in 1963, depicting Christ with sea in the background (centre), St Curig (left) and St Dona (right); above them are images of a lion, dove, lamb and eagle. A stone bearing the date 1566 has been set upside down into the wall above the east window. The other windows are plain and smaller, with one or two lights. The glass in the other windows has been described as "unusual opaque leaded glass".
The fittings are from the late 19th century, although the octagonal font (made of gritstone
) is of uncertain date, possibly 14th century. The bell is dated 1647. A survey in 1937 by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire recorded the presence of an 18th-century communion table, an Elizabethan cover-paten
dated 1574, and a silver cup dated 1769–1772.
(the Welsh Government body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) also notes that "its simple character" is "appropriate to its scale and site". A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region described St Dona's as "drably rebuilt".
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the village of Llanddona
Llanddona
Llanddona is a village famous for its beach in Ynys Môn , North Wales.Located between Benllech and Beaumaris, it is popular as a holiday destination on Anglesey, particularly for families...
, in Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, north
Wales. The first church on this site was built in 610. The present building on the site dates from 1873, and was designed by the rector at the time. It reuses earlier material including a decorated 15th-century doorway and a 17th-century bell.
The church is still used for worship by the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
, and is one of five churches in a combined parish. It is a Grade II listed building, a national designation given to "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them", in particular because it is regarded as "a simple late 19th-century essay in Gothic revival".
History and location
St Dona's Church is on a steep hill near the coast on the eastern side of Anglesey, about 1 miles (1.6 km) from the village of LlanddonaLlanddona
Llanddona is a village famous for its beach in Ynys Môn , North Wales.Located between Benllech and Beaumaris, it is popular as a holiday destination on Anglesey, particularly for families...
itself. The village takes its name from its parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
: the Welsh word originally meant "enclosure" and then "church", and "–ddona" is a modified form of the saint's name. St Dona's is surrounded by a churchyard, entered through a lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
dated 1906 which bears a memorial to Henry Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley
Henry Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley
Henry Edward John Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley and 2nd Baron Eddisbury was a historian who translated The first voyage round the world by Magellan and other works from the Age of Discovery...
, "Patron and Benefactor of this church".
According to the 19th-century Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
historian Angharad Llwyd
Angharad Llwyd
Angharad Llwyd was a Welsh antiquary and a prizewinner at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.She was born at Caerwys in Flintshire, the daughter of Rev. John Lloyd, himself a noted antiquary. Her essay entitled Catalogue of Welsh Manuscripts, etc. in North Wales won a prize at the Welshpool...
, a church was built here in 610, dedicated to St Dona, who lived on the sea shore nearby. The presence of a church here was recorded in the Norwich Taxation of 1254. Repairs were carried out in the 1840s: one 19th-century writer, Samuel Lewis, recorded that the internal state of St Dona's was "wretched in the extreme" until the rural dean
Rural Dean
In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery .-Origins and usage:...
at the time put it "into a state of creditable repair". In 1873, the rector (Peter Jones) had the church entirely rebuilt to his own design.
St Dona's is still in use for worship and belongs to the Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
. It is one of five churches in the combined benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Llansadwrn
Llansadwrn, Anglesey
Llansadwrn is a small village in south-east Anglesey, in north-west Wales. It lies between Menai Bridge, Pentraeth and Beaumaris. It is named after the church, founded in the 6th century by Saint Sadwrn, who together with his wife, is commemorated by an early Christian monument.The village was the...
, Llanddona, Llaniestyn
St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn
St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn is a medieval church in Llaniestyn, Anglesey, in north Wales. A church is said to have been founded here by St Iestyn in the 7th century, with the earliest parts of the present building dating from the 12th century. The church was extended in the 14th century, with...
, Pentraeth
St Mary's Church, Pentraeth
St Mary's Church, Pentraeth is a small medieval parish church in the village of Pentraeth, in Anglesey, north Wales. The date of construction is unknown, but is probably from some time between the 12th to 14th centuries. A church dedicated to St Mary was recorded here in 1254, but there is a...
and Llanddyfnan. It is within the deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Tindaethwy and Menai, the archdeaconry of Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
and the Diocese of Bangor. As of October 2011, the post of rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
has been vacant since April 2011.
Architecture and fittings
St Dona's is built of rubble masonryRubble masonry
Rubble masonry is rough, unhewn building stone set in mortar, but not laid in regular courses. It may appear as the outer surface of a wall or may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or cut stone....
, dressed with freestone. The roof is made from slate, and has a bellcote made from stone at the west end. There is a stone cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
at the east end of the roof. The church is entered through a porch on the south side which leads to a doorway dating from the 15th century. The rounded doorway is decorated with figures of a bird, a dog and a human face on the left, and a cherub on the right. Inside, the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
is separated from the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
by a step, and the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
is itself raised one step above the chancel. The roof timbers can be seen from inside. The window at the east end has three lights (vertical sections separated by mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
s) topped with ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
curves, and is set within a pointed arch with an external hoodmould. It contains stained glass added in 1963, depicting Christ with sea in the background (centre), St Curig (left) and St Dona (right); above them are images of a lion, dove, lamb and eagle. A stone bearing the date 1566 has been set upside down into the wall above the east window. The other windows are plain and smaller, with one or two lights. The glass in the other windows has been described as "unusual opaque leaded glass".
The fittings are from the late 19th century, although the octagonal font (made of gritstone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
) is of uncertain date, possibly 14th century. The bell is dated 1647. A survey in 1937 by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire recorded the presence of an 18th-century communion table, an Elizabethan cover-paten
Paten
A paten, or diskos, is a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated. It is generally used during the service itself, while the reserved hosts are stored in the Tabernacle in a ciborium....
dated 1574, and a silver cup dated 1769–1772.
Assessment
St Dona's has national recognition and statutory protection from alteration as it has been designated as a Grade II listed building – the lowest of the three grades of listing, designating "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them". It was given this status on 30 January 1968, and has been listed because it is "a simple late 19th-century essay in Gothic revival". CadwCadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
(the Welsh Government body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) also notes that "its simple character" is "appropriate to its scale and site". A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region described St Dona's as "drably rebuilt".