St Beuno's Church is located just north-west of the village of Pistyll, Gwynedd, Wales. The church is dedicated to Beuno, a 7th-century Welsh saint. It is a Grade I listed building.
| St Beuno's Church | |
|---|---|
Eglwys Beuno Sant | |
 | |
  St Beuno's Church Location in Gwynedd | |
| 52°57′08″N 4°29′23″W / 52.9521°N 4.4898°W | |
| Location | Pistyll, Gwynedd |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican (Church in Wales) |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Beuno |
| Dedication | Beuno |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 19 October 1971 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Bangor |
| Archdeaconry | Meirionnydd |
| Benefice | Synod Meirionnydd |
| Parish | Bro Madryn |
History
editThe village of Pistyll stands 1.2 mi (1.9 km) south-west of Abersoch just inland from the southern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula. The church stands to the north-east and is dedicated to Beuno, a 7th-century Welsh saint.[1] The church dates from the 12th century,[2] but most of the present structure dates from later building campaigns, principally of the 15th century.[3] The church was on the pilgrimage route to St Mary's Abbey on Bardsey Island.[4][5] The church maintains an ancient tradition of scattering the floor with "rushes and sweet-smelling herbs" at Christmas, Easter and in August.[4][2]
The church remains an active parish church in the Diocese of Bangor and occasional services are held.[6]
Architecture and description
editRichard Haslam, Julian Orbach and Adam Voelcker, in their 2009 edition Gywnedd, in the Buildings of Wales series, note the church's setting, "on a shelf above the sea".[4] The design is extremely simple, a short, combined, nave and chancel with a bellcote above.[5] The building material is local rhyolite rubble.[2] The interior contains an important 11th century font. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) records the external decoration of the bowl; "Anglo-Scandinavian two strand chain interlace design".[3] There is evidence of wall decoration in the form of biblical texts in Welsh and a painting of Saint Christopher but these are very decayed.[4] St Beudo's is a Grade I listed building.[2]
Gallery
edit-
Interior - the floor covered with rushes and herbs -
11th century font -
The "Lepers Window"
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References
edit- ^ Baring-Gould 1908, p. ???.
- ^ a b c d Cadw. "Church of St Beuno (Grade I) (4374)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b "St Beuno's Church, Pistyll (43702)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d Haslam, Orbach & Voelcker 2009, p. 497.
- ^ a b "Church Heritage Record 2448: St Beuno, Pistyll". Church in Wales. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "St Beuno, Pistyll". Church in Wales. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
Sources
edit- Baring-Gould, Sabine (1908). The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in Britain. Vol. III. London: Charles Clark.
- Haslam, Richard; Orbach, Julian; Voelcker, Adam (2009). Gwynedd. The Buildings of Wales. New Haven, US and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-14169-6. OCLC 1023292902.
External links
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