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.
Cilcain is about 7km west of Mold along country roads though Gwernaffield, the church is in an oval churchyard close to the centre of the village.
Reference AA Route Planner OS Map 116 Cadw Listing Notice 295
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.
The shape of the churchyard suggests a Celtic origin while the earliest reference to the church is 1291 in the Lincoln taxation. It has been rebuilt several times but had a double nave in the Clwydian tradition. A fire in 1532 left the nave derelict until its partial rebuild in 1746. The church was repaired in 1845 by Ambrose Poynter and substantial restoration occurred 1888-9 by John Douglas for W H Buddicom. Works to the roof were carried out in 1935 -7 by F H Crossley
Reference Buildings of Wales– Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 295 CPAT Flintshire Historic Churches Survey
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
A church largely Perpendicular in style has a double Clwydian nave – the northern nave is often referred to as the north aisle a west tower at the west end of the north nave and a south porch. It was built with irregular lumps of a grey sedimentary rock, probably siltstone, together with some limestone blocks and a buff-coloured sandstone and some pebblestones all randomly coursed and weathered. All is under slate roofs with red ridge tiles. The south porch has a fine set of gates made in Bersham about 1720 and which came from Mold church. The squat tower has a weathered string course about 2m above the ground and second-string course below the bell openings. It is topped by a battlemented ashlar parapet with four corner pinnacles in a bluff coloured sandstone. The is a low pyramidal roof with a weathercock above.
Reference Buildings of Wales – Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 295 CPAT FlintshireHistoric 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.
A hammerbeam roof is one of the glories of the church although out of keeping with the arcade, it should perhaps have been built higher. It is of 4-bays with hammerbeam trusses with arch-braced collars and the tympana above them is pierced by cusped apertures. In between are four further arch-braced collars with queen struts and subsidiary collars and quatrefoils between the struts. The angels on the hammerbeams carry shields bearing the emblems of the Passion. Also there are secular carvings and grotesque forms of animals and human figures on the bosses and on the wall plates beneath the arch-braced trusses. Above the wall plates there is blind arcading with cusped ogee-tracery. There are no angels on the extreme west of the hammer beams as they would not fit against the wall. It has been suggested that the roof came from somewhere else rather than being built in situ. At the east end there is a simple wagon roof. The arcade was formed by cutting through an existing wall and is now filled with C19 screens. What is effectively the chancel is one step up from the nave with further steps into the sanctuary.
Most of the furnishing date to the time of the introduction of the screens although the choir has some C17. The west wall has boards showing the Creede, Lord’s Prayer and Ten Commandments all in Welsh, one board is signed Robert Jones 1809. The stained glass: ’The Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary, St John, St Michael and St Peter’, Burlison & Grylls, The is a church bell cast in 1846 by Bury, Curtis and Kennedy of Liverpool, and a service bell, C19 by Brassfounder.
Reference Buildings of Wales – Clwyd 2003 Cadw Listing Notice 295 CPAT Flinshire 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.