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.
Harlech is 15 km south of Porthmadog via Penrhyndeudraeth and 17 km north of Barmouth the church sits in its own churchyard just off the main street.
References
Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps AA
Cadw Listings Notice
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.
There was a medieval garrison church closer to the castle, this church effectively replaced it. Strangely Harlech is part of a much larger parish Llanfair a little way south. The present church was built in 1841 by Thomas Jones of Chester. The site was given by Sir Robert Williams Vaughan of Nannau and Hengwrt, Bart. He was a prominent land owner and benefactor across North Wales
Buildings of Wales – Gwynedd 2009
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
The church was built in the style of Pre-Ecclesiological Gothic in squared dark granite with large yellow sandstone lancets – a nave and chancel with a short north aisle. It was covered by a shallow slate roof with coped and kneelered gable with a gable cross at the east end. There is a bell turret. There are tiled ridge and moulded sandstone eaves.
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 church has a spacious interior with a west gallery with C20 partition in the lower section, the walls have mostly been stripped back to the rock save round the chancel and south transept arches. Above the nave is a seven-bay roof lies above with straight braced trusses with king-posts and small raking struts above the collars. There are stone flagged floors. A chamfered and pointed chancel arch rises above the two steps into the chancel which has a simple tiled pavement. The chancel roof of thin arched-braced collar roof trusses has 2 full and 2 half bays, the braces returned onto moulded corbels with applied shields.
The fittings: a simple octagonal oak pulpit with a punched quatrefoil above 2 trefoiled-headed lights on each face with a moulded base and top. At the west end is the font – a C15 perpendicular font probably from an earlier church, it is octagonal and carved from sandstone with blind tracery panels and quatrefoils to the base and basin, the latter with a quatrefoil to each face. The altar rails are C20 The stained glass: ‘Christ the Good Shepherd with the Supper at Emmaus’, 1965, Celtic Studios; ‘The Ascension with Nativity and the Risen Christ meeting Mary Magdalene’, 1945, Christopher John Powell. The east window is stained and painted glass having figurative scenes showing the Assumption flanked on the left by the nativity and on the right a scene of the Mourning Magdalen all dated 1943.
There is a single bell cast by Whitechapel in 2009.
A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
Stained Glass in Wales
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.