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.
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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.
Llansilin is 10.5km west of Oswestry via the B5480
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 126
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.
Originally a clas settlement dedicated to St Silin (although at times known as St Giles) and with a nave dedicated to St Mary the church is recorded in C13 when it is referred to in the foundation charter of St John’s Hospital in Oswestry (probably 1210-1215) when reference was made to the clergy of Llansilin confirming its collegiate status. In the Taxatio of 1254 it had a value of £3-6-8. As a mother church it is believed to have had a cruciform shape (similar to that of Tywyn in Merionethshire). During the Civil war in 1646 attempts were made to fortify the church and bullet holes are to be found in the oak door. At around this time the image of St Silin in the chancel was destroyed along with figures on the rood loft.
A south porch was added in 1771 and the gallery repaired in 1777-1778, a tower was erected at the west end in 1832 replacing a timber spire which had burnt down in 1813. The porch was taken down in 1864.
Restoration took place in1890 when at a cost of £1700 Arthur Baker, an architect of Kensington, collaborating with Harold Hughes, an architect from Bangor. This included repairs to underpin the walls, raising the east window cill in the chancel by 2 feet, re-flooring and taking down the plaster ceiling to expose the C15 arch-braced roof of the south nave and the wagon ceiling at its east end. Fragments of the carved rood beam came to light. A vestry was created in the northeast corn and the organ re-sited. The contractor was Mr Clark of Birmingham, the stalls were carved by Bridgeman of Lichfield and the tiles were supplied from Ruabon.
Cadw Listings Notice
CPAT Montgomeryshire Churches Survey
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The church comprises a nave and chancel with a north aisle of similar length but narrower and a west tower attached to the nave. It was built from a variety of sandstones (grey, bluff and brown coloured) with a variety of degrees of coarseness, with lumps of shale and pebblestone. The roofs are slated with red clay ridge tiles with stone cross finials and the east and of the chancel and at the ends of the aisle. The tower with a clock on its west wall dated b1848 was made by Thomas Benjamin and Co, has a battlemented parapet and is surmounted by a weather cock.
References
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 west porch is beneath the tower with flat stones slabs and stairs up into the tower and west gallery. Entry into the church is through a doorway beneath a two-centred arch with chamfered jambs. The nave and chancel are of exceptional quality. The nave has a stone flagged floor with flush wooden boarding beneath the pews. By the font the floor is a reused grave-slab. The pews are panelled with carved top rails and ends. The roof is of four bays and the west gallery is supported on chamfered and stopped wooden columns (possibly making use of wood from the rood screen). Above the gallery is a Commandment Board with Moses and Aaron, painted on canvas it was moved here from the chancel, illuminating the gallery is a wooden chandelier from the C17. Below the gallery is and poor box dated 1661. The pulpit on the right-hand side is C18 with a sound board. At the chancel step is a fine brass chandelier, known as Seren-Silin, which was made by Richard Roberts of Birmingham, a native of the village, in 1824 – it has a lowering mechanism. The floor of the chancel is tilled with a regular pattern of encaustic tiles while above is a highly ornate wagon roof. Two further steps lead into the sanctuary with a hardwood communion rail without a gate and a Carolean altar table.
Two monuments are especially significant ‘a Baroque carved memorial to Sir William Williams of Glascoed who was Speaker of the House of Commons’ dated 1700 and David Morris of Penybont with an inscription detailing the history of his property, dated 1719 it is a splendid example of the use made of a church memorial to publicise title.
On the north wall of the aisle are the Royal Arms of Queen Anne post 1707 together with a Foulkes monument of 1762, in the time of George III, evidently put up at the same time. Was this the Cadw listing asks ‘an anti-Hanoverian gesture.
The east window shows ‘the Four Evangelist and the Ascension’ by Powell and Sons and the in the north aisle installed in 1875 to commemorate ‘Huw Morris of Eos Ceiriog who was a Royalist satirical poet who died in 1705 and was buried in the churchyard.
There are six bells; four by C & G Mears dated 1848, one dated 1891 by Mears &St E&S 2000, and one dated 2000 by Whitechapel
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.