St Mary's Church is an active parish church in Caerhun, Conwy County Borough, Wales. A scattered settlement, Caerhun lies 6.5 km to the south of Conwy. The church stands in the north-east corner of the remains of the Roman fort of Canovium. Its wider setting is the 19th century parkland of Caer Rhun Hall. Cadw records that the church dates from the 13th century. It is a Grade I listed building, and the Caer Rhun parkland within which is sited is listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
| St Mary's Church, Caerhun | |
|---|---|
 | |
  St Mary's Church, Caerhun Location in Conwy County Borough | |
| 53°12′59″N 3°50′00″W / 53.2165°N 3.8333°W | |
| OS grid reference | SH 776 703 |
| Location | Caerhun, Conwy County Borough |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Saint Mary |
| Associated people | Reverend Canon T J Jones (area dean) |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 13 October 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Bangor |
| Archdeaconry | Bangor |
| Deanery | Synod Bangor |
| Parish | Bro Celynnin |
History
editCaerhun lies 6.5 km to the south of Conwy on the east bank of the River Conwy. Richard Haslam, Julian Orbach and Adam Voelcker, in their 2009 edition Gywnedd, in the Buildings of Wales series, call it, "hardly a village".[1] From AD77 until the 4th century, the site was occupied by the Roman fort of Canovium, begun by Gnaeus Julius Agricola during his invasion of Wales, and the largest Roman fortification in the area.[2]
The Church of St Mary dates from the 13th century.[3] Later medieval additions were made in the 14th and 15th centuries.[4] The church was restored in 1851.[5] In the late 19th century, the Caer Rhun estate was extensively redeveloped by Major-General G. H. Gough, and the church is entirely enclosed by Caer Rhun parkland.[6]
The church remains an active parish church in the Diocese of Bangor and regular services are held.[7]
Architecture and description
editSt Mary's is a small and simple church comprising a combined nave and chancel, a south chapel and a bellcote. The construction material is local rubble, under a slate roof.[4] St Mary's is a Grade I listed building.[3] The lychgate is listed Grade II.[8] The surrounding parkland is listed, also at Grade II, on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.[6]
References
edit- ^ Haslam, Orbach & Voelcker 2009, p. 279.
- ^ Cadw. "Kanovium Roman Site (Grade SM) (CN001)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b Cadw. "Church of St Mary (Grade I) (3167)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b "St Mary's Church, Caerhun (43767)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Church Heritage Record 2042: St Marys, Caerhun". Church in Wales. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b Cadw. "Caer Rhun Hall (PGW(Gd)12(CON))". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Church of St Benedict, Gyffin". Church in Wales. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ Cadw. "Lychgate at Church of St Mary with churchyard walls including former Bierhouse and store (Grade II) (17009)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
Sources
edit- 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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