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.
Llanaber is 2.5 km north of Barmouth off the A496 were it rises slightly above the sea, the church is built into the hillside to the west of the main road, there is a station on the Cambrian Coast Railway line.
References
Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps AA
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.
Overlooking the sea there has been a church here since St Bodfan (to whom the church is also dedicated) founded one in the C6 or C7. The present church is an example of some high-quality building in the early English style in the C13, indeed it shows some of the best work in this style outside of the monasteries and abbeys of the period. It was made for one of the Welsh Princes either Hywel ap Meredith ap Cynan, Lord of Ardudwy, the benefactor of Cymer Abbey and great-grandson of Owain Gwynedd; or Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. Either way a significant pedigree. The double square chancel may well be over the site of the original church founded by St Bodfan. In early Victorian times 1858-9 the exterior was restored by the antiquarian W. W. E. Wynne of Peniarth with Philip Rose of Cheltenham when the north chapel was removed.
Buildings of Wales – Gwynedd 2009
Cadw Listings Notice
GAT Historic Churches in the Diocese of Bangor
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
This is a two-cell regular planned church with north and south aisle in the nave and single-story chancel. It has parapet stone-coped gables with simple kneelers with, at the east end, C19 stone crosses while at the west end is the gabled bellcote. The traditional style porch from works carried out in C17 and vestry were added during the C19 restoration. It was uncoursed rubble built against the slope of the hillside with yellow sandstone dressings. It has a slate roof
Bangor GAT Historic Churches in the Diocese of Bangor
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 interior walls are plastered, the floor of the nave has stone flags with timber flooring beneath the seating (the floor has probably been lowered at some time. Both the chancel and aisles have stone flagged floors. The nave has a five-bay arcade with triple -moulded Gothic arches carried on stout cylindrical columns, some of which have primitive petalled capitals, all have moulded octagonal abaci and simple roll-moulded necking and bases. The roof dates from the mid C15 and has alternating arched-braced collar trusses and queen struts and two tiers of curved windbraces. All shows an integration of Early English and Romanesque styles. The nave floor is lower than that of the chancel which is entered beneath a chancel arch with responds of one large half column and four smaller ones all with fillets. The arch itself has an inner chamfered step and two filleted rolls.
The C15 octagonal font with blind quatrefoil panels and one foliate and one figurative panel on the underside sporting shields on a plain octagonal column and moulded base. It is unusual in having each face carved with: a gargoyle face, a plant design, and a rose. There are the remains of the medieval screen. The altar area has C19 floor tiles with an early C20 Celtic Arts and Crafts reredos, designed by John Batten and carved by Mary Batten, Ada Ridley and Norah Bennett, a twisting central vines spreads over wheat sheaves on each side, it was dedicated April 23rd 1911. The altar rails are believed to be from this time. The stained glass is small and intimate in most windows, in a simple Gothic style dating from1859. There is a bell in the bellcote.
There are two inscribed stones in each aisle, late C5 or early C6, they have horizontal inscriptions, one: ‘to Aeturnus and Aeturna’; the other inscribed ‘CALEXTI MONEDO RIGI’.
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.