The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
Please enter a number
There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Whitford is 5km north west of Holywell and 12km south east of Prestatyn along country roads north of the A5151. The church is north west of the cross roads in the centre of the village.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 116 Cadw Listing Notice 327
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
Said to have been founded by St Beuno in C7 the church was rededicated after the Norman conquest, the settlement appears as ‘Widford’ in the Domesday Book. Fragments of worked and inscribed stones remain in the fabric. The first stone church may have been on this site from C11, it was recorded in the Norwich Taxation on1254 and the Lincoln Taxation of 1291 valued at £17-6s-8d but the North aisle C14/15 is the earliest part of the church now. The building suffered damage during Edward I Welsh Wars. Ambrose Poynter rebuilt the tower in 1842 and between 1845 & 6 he remodelled the church in the Perpendicular style at a cost of £3,000. The rails and sanctuary flooring are by Lingen Barker in 1876 and then in 1888 Ewan Christopher included new pews, pulpit and screens behind the chancel and aisles
Reference Buildings of Wales– Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 327 CPAT Denbighshire Historic Churches Survey
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
This is a large Perpendicular church with a west tower, nave and chancel under one roof, north and south aisles and a south porch and was built with coursed yellow sandstone and ashlar dressings and some limestone blocks, the surface pecked and all under a slate roof with ridge tiles probably of reconstituted clay. There are cross finials to the north and south aisles, the south porch and the chancel. The three-stage tower, divided by string courses, has as a saddleback roof surmounted by a weather vane with battlement parapets with gargoyles to the angles and a clock on its east face.
Reference Buildings of Wales – Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 327 CPAT Denbighshire Historic Churches Survey
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The single cell nave and chancel has a 14-bay arch-braced roove (9 to the nave, 5 to the chancel). The braces are flattened with king posts flanked by curved strut which rest on canted bell-shaped corbels. There a re three tiers of cusped wind braces. To the aisles there are 6-bay Tudor-arched capitals and plain bases, those on the south side are copies in C19 of those on the northern side. The doubles chamfered arches stand on octagonal piers with ringed capitals and plain bases. The north aisle has an original arch-braced roof with two curved struts above ach brace and an ornate boss to each soffit. At the east end is the Mostyn Chapel while west end has been enclosed by wooden panelling to make a vestry. The south aisle roof is similar to the amin roof. The church floor slopes steeply towards the east end. The octagonal stone font dated 1649 has blind quatrefoils to each face and sits on an octagonal stem on a square plinth. Most of the wooden furnishings are C19. The wood panelled polygonal pulpit has blind cusped lancets. On each side of the chancel are oak panelled screens with open cusped lancets. On the east chancel wall is the Creed on a marble plaque with a wooden surround. The raised sanctuary has encaustic floor tiles, the altar rail has fluted piers and a moulded wooden handrail. The large pipe organ in the corner is by Blackett and Howden of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The 2-tier chandelier is 1756 while the one with the two six branches is 1755. There is a large pillar stone from Plas-yn-Rhos, Conwy, is C6 with a Latin inscription commemorating Bona, wife of Nobilis. The stained glass: ‘Scenes from the Gospels’, Charles Alexander Gibbs’, 1876; ‘Scenes form the Youth of Christ’, Lavers & Westlake, 1898; ‘St Michael the Archangel and St David’, Heaton, Butler and Bayne, 1917; ‘The Risen Christ Appearing to St Mary Magdalene’, Goddard & Gibbs, 1968. There are three bells, one cast by Thomas II Clibury in 1662 and two cast in 1844 by C & G Mears.
Reference
Buildings of Wales – Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 327 CPAT Denbighshire Historic Churches Survey Stained Glass in Wales A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.