St Eleth's Church, Amlwch
Encyclopedia
St Eleth's Church, Amlwch is a parish church built in the Neo-classical style in 1800 in Amlwch
, a town on the island of Anglesey
in north Wales. It stands on the site of earlier buildings, with the first church here said to have been established by St Elaeth (or Eleth) in the 6th century. Increasing prosperity in the town through copper mining during the 18th century led to the construction of a new church to serve the growing population.
The church is still used for services within the Church in Wales
. It is a Grade II* listed building, a designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is a "substantially Neo-classical church retaining much of its original architectural character".
, or Eleth. He was a ruler from northern Britain who fled to Anglesey
in north Wales when ousted from power, settling at St Seiriol
's monastery at Penmon.
Amlwch grew and became increasingly prosperous during the 18th century after copper mining began at nearby Parys Mountain
in 1768. As a result, the church became too small. Planning for a replacement church began in 1787 when Thomas Williams, "the Copper King", offered £600 (approximately £ in present day terms). The Copper Mines Company provided the majority of the money required for the new church; Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, and the Reverend Edward Hughes (a co-owner of the mines) also made donations. Work eventually got underway and the church, designed by the architect James Wyatt
, was built and consecrated in 1800. Different figures for the cost of construction are given by two 19th-century writers: in 1833, Angharad Llwyd
said that the cost was £4,000 (approximately £ in present day terms) but in 1849, Samuel Lewis stated it to have been £2,500 (approximately £ in present day terms).
The new church was constructed on the same site as earlier buildings, set back from the road on the east side of Queen Street in the town centre. Some internal alterations were made in 1867 under Henry Kennedy, the architect of the Diocese of Bangor: tracery
was added to the windows, a chancel
arch and arcade
s inserted, and the galleries removed. Restoration took place in 1999 and 2000 under the architect Adam Voelcker, when a gallery at the west end, a baptistry and meeting rooms were added.
The church is still used for services as part of the Church in Wales
. It is in the parish of Amlwch, which has three other churches in the surrounding area (St Eilian, Llaneilian; St Gwenllwyfo, Llanwenllwyfo
; and St Tyfrydog, Llandyfrydog
). As of October 2011, the priest in charge
is H. V. Jones. The parish is in the deanery
of Twrcelyn, the archdeaconry of Bangor and the Diocese of Bangor.
elements. It is built from local stone, with course
s of rubble and ashlar
dressings; the roof is made of slate
. There is a tower at the centre of the west end, which houses a clock and a bell-chamber behind large arched windows; it has a parapet
with pinnacles at each corner. There are two bells, one dated 1687 and the other dated 1820. The arched doorway is set into the tower, with a circular window (an oculus
) above it; the tracery in this window was added in the 19th century.
Inside, the division of the nave
from the narrow chancel
was carried out in the 19th century through the addition of a chancel arch and creation of a chapel at the east end. Arcades were also added in the nave, to form aisles to either side. The inside of the roof is plastered. The east window contains 19th-century stained glass. There are memorial stones, mostly from the previous church on the site.
The organ is 19th-century by Bevington and is housed in a gallery at the west end that was added in the restoration in 1999 and 2000. The font dates from 1900. Outside the church, the large lychgate
at the west of the churchyard dates from the early 19th century. Inside the churchyard, the gravestones have been moved to the side, possibly for ease of maintenance.
(the Welsh Assembly Government
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales) notes that the "lightness of its Victorian restoration left the original fabric and much of the detail intact, and traces changing
attitudes to church layout and style without obliterating the character of the original." It also states that the church is historically important for its links with copper mining. The lychgate has also been given listed building status at the lowest level, Grade II (for buildings of national importance and special interest), because it is a "good early example" of a 19th-century lychgate of "characteristic local type" and because it forms a group with the adjacent church.
The 19th-century Welsh antiquarian Angharad Llwyd
described the church as a "spacious handsome structure", and Samuel Lewis (a writer of topographical guides in the 19th century) described the church in very similar words as a "spacious and handsome structure"; he particularly noted the "lofty square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles." A 2009 guide to the buildings of north Wales describes the 19th-century alterations by Kennedy as "egregious", but says that the interior "possesses considerable grace", with the columns of the arcades being "touched by a breath of classicism". A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey describes it as "a good example of a tastefully restored church", and a "spacious, high sided building with an impressive tower". It also comments that its shape is not typical of churches on the island.
Amlwch
Amlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
, a town on the island of 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...
in north Wales. It stands on the site of earlier buildings, with the first church here said to have been established by St Elaeth (or Eleth) in the 6th century. Increasing prosperity in the town through copper mining during the 18th century led to the construction of a new church to serve the growing population.
The church is still used for services within 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 a Grade II* listed building, a designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is a "substantially Neo-classical church retaining much of its original architectural character".
History and location
The first church in the area was reputedly established in the 6th century by ElaethElaeth
Elaeth was a Christian king and poet in Britain in the 6th century who is venerated as a saint. After losing his territory in the north of Britain, he retreated to Anglesey, north Wales, where he lived at a monastery run by St Seiriol at Penmon...
, or Eleth. He was a ruler from northern Britain who fled to 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...
in north Wales when ousted from power, settling at St Seiriol
Seiriol
Seiriol was an early 6th century saint, who created a cell at Penmon Priory on Anglesey, off the coast of north Wales. He later moved to Ynys Seiriol . He was a son of King Owain Danwyn of Rhos....
's monastery at Penmon.
Amlwch grew and became increasingly prosperous during the 18th century after copper mining began at nearby Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain – in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys – is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century.-History:...
in 1768. As a result, the church became too small. Planning for a replacement church began in 1787 when Thomas Williams, "the Copper King", offered £600 (approximately £ in present day terms). The Copper Mines Company provided the majority of the money required for the new church; Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge, and the Reverend Edward Hughes (a co-owner of the mines) also made donations. Work eventually got underway and the church, designed by the architect James Wyatt
James Wyatt
James Wyatt RA , was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.-Early classical career:...
, was built and consecrated in 1800. Different figures for the cost of construction are given by two 19th-century writers: in 1833, 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...
said that the cost was £4,000 (approximately £ in present day terms) but in 1849, Samuel Lewis stated it to have been £2,500 (approximately £ in present day terms).
The new church was constructed on the same site as earlier buildings, set back from the road on the east side of Queen Street in the town centre. Some internal alterations were made in 1867 under Henry Kennedy, the architect of the Diocese of Bangor: tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
was added to the windows, a 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...
arch and arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
s inserted, and the galleries removed. Restoration took place in 1999 and 2000 under the architect Adam Voelcker, when a gallery at the west end, a baptistry and meeting rooms were added.
The church is still used for services as part of 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 in the parish of Amlwch, which has three other churches in the surrounding area (St Eilian, Llaneilian; St Gwenllwyfo, Llanwenllwyfo
St Gwenllwyfo's Church, Llanwenllwyfo
St Gwenllwyfo's Church, Llanwenllwyfo is a 19th-century parish church near the village of Dulas, in Anglesey, north Wales. It was built between 1854 and 1856 to replace an earlier church in the parish, also dedicated to St Gwenllwyfo, which needed repair and had become too small for its congregation...
; and St Tyfrydog, Llandyfrydog
St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog
St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog is a small medieval church, in Llandyfrydog, Anglesey, north Wales. The date of establishment of a church on this site is unknown, but one 19th-century Anglesey historian says that it was about 450...
). As of October 2011, the priest in charge
Priest in charge
A priest in charge or priest-in-charge is a priest in charge of a parish who does not receive the temporalities of the parish. He or she is not legally responsible for the churches and glebe, simply holds a licence rather than freehold and is not appointed by advowson.The appointment of priests in...
is H. V. Jones. The parish is in 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 Twrcelyn, the archdeaconry of Bangor and the Diocese of Bangor.
Architecture and fittings
The predominant style of the church is Neo-classical, although there are some GothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
elements. It is built from local stone, with course
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
s of rubble and ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings; the roof is made of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. There is a tower at the centre of the west end, which houses a clock and a bell-chamber behind large arched windows; it has a parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with pinnacles at each corner. There are two bells, one dated 1687 and the other dated 1820. The arched doorway is set into the tower, with a circular window (an oculus
Oculus
An Oculus, circular window, or rain-hole is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century. They are often denoted by their French name, oeil de boeuf, or "bull's-eye". Such circular or oval windows express the presence of a mezzanine on a building's façade without competing for...
) above it; the tracery in this window was added in the 19th century.
Inside, the division of 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...
from the narrow 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...
was carried out in the 19th century through the addition of a chancel arch and creation of a chapel at the east end. Arcades were also added in the nave, to form aisles to either side. The inside of the roof is plastered. The east window contains 19th-century stained glass. There are memorial stones, mostly from the previous church on the site.
The organ is 19th-century by Bevington and is housed in a gallery at the west end that was added in the restoration in 1999 and 2000. The font dates from 1900. Outside the church, the large 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:...
at the west of the churchyard dates from the early 19th century. Inside the churchyard, the gravestones have been moved to the side, possibly for ease of maintenance.
Assessment
The church is a Grade II* listed building – the second-highest of the three grades of listing, designating "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". It was given this status on 25 October 1951, and has been listed because it is "a substantially Neo-classical church retaining much of its original architectural character." 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 Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales) notes that the "lightness of its Victorian restoration left the original fabric and much of the detail intact, and traces changing
attitudes to church layout and style without obliterating the character of the original." It also states that the church is historically important for its links with copper mining. The lychgate has also been given listed building status at the lowest level, Grade II (for buildings of national importance and special interest), because it is a "good early example" of a 19th-century lychgate of "characteristic local type" and because it forms a group with the adjacent church.
The 19th-century Welsh antiquarian 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...
described the church as a "spacious handsome structure", and Samuel Lewis (a writer of topographical guides in the 19th century) described the church in very similar words as a "spacious and handsome structure"; he particularly noted the "lofty square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles." A 2009 guide to the buildings of north Wales describes the 19th-century alterations by Kennedy as "egregious", but says that the interior "possesses considerable grace", with the columns of the arcades being "touched by a breath of classicism". A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey describes it as "a good example of a tastefully restored church", and a "spacious, high sided building with an impressive tower". It also comments that its shape is not typical of churches on the island.