Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride, Amlwch
Encyclopedia
Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride, Amlwch is a Roman Catholic church in Amlwch
, a town on the island of Anglesey
, north Wales. It was built in the 1930s to a design by an Italian architect, Giuseppe Rinvolucri, using reinforced concrete
. The church is in the shape of an upturned boat, reflecting Amlwch's maritime heritage, and is dedicated to Our Lady, Star of the Sea
(a title of St Mary) and St Winefride
, a Welsh saint.
The church is a Grade II* listed building, a designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is a "remarkable inter-war church", built to "a highly unusual and experimental design". The Twentieth Century Society
has called it "a rare and unique church", and it has also been called "one of Britain's most avant-garde churches".
, about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the west of Amlwch, a town on the north coast of Anglesey
, Wales. It is dedicated to St Mary (under the title Our Lady, Star of the Sea
) and to St Winefride
, a 7th-century Welsh noblewoman who is also venerated at St Winefride's Well
, Flintshire
. Construction of the church began in 1932, when the foundations were excavated. It was completed in 1937, and the church was consecrated in the same year. The architect was Giuseppe Rinvolucri, an Italian engineer from Piedmont
, who settled in Conwy
, north Wales, because his English wife was suffering from tuberculosis
. His specialist field was the design of Roman Catholic churches, and other – more conventional – examples of his work can be found in Abergele
and Porthmadog
, also in north Wales.
The church is part of Caernarfon Deanery
within the Diocese of Wrexham. The parish priest is Father Michael Ryan, of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
. The parish of Amlwch also includes the churches of St David, Cemaes Bay, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Benllech
.
Damage from the weather and deterioration in the concrete meant that the church closed for worship in 2004, requiring worshippers to attend services elsewhere on Anglesey. Demolition was a possibility in 2006. An appeal launched raised the estimated £1.2 million to £1.4 million necessary for repairs, which included replacing the roof coverings, redecorating internally and externally, and repairing the steps. An application for planning permission for the work was submitted in May 2008 to the Isle of Anglesey County Council
. An application for a grant of £840,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund
was rejected on 18 March 2009, with the committee concerned about the proposed new extension (terming it "inappropriate"), although recognising the "high heritage merit" of the proposal. Cadw
(the Welsh Assembly Government
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales) made a grant of £150,000 in 2007; the National Churches Trust
made a grant of £10,000 in June 2010; and other bodies and individuals made donations to the appeal. The church reopened after its restoration on 1 May 2011 with a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Wrexham
, Edwin Regan
.
, the building is designed in the style of an upturned boat, and the design has a "nautical theme" with elements such as porthole windows. This is a deliberate reference to Amlwch's history as a port town and its position on the coast. The church has six concrete parabolic arch "ribs" along the outside, with portholes on the base plinth between each rib.
The main entrance is at the south end of the church at the top of some stone steps on either side. A window (shaped, like all the others in the church, like a star) set in mosaic is positioned above the door, and there is a stone cross at the top of the facade. The concrete of the church is dressed with stone on the south side, nearest the main road. The ribs on the outside are visible inside the building; in between them, there are patterns of lights and coloured marble panels on the lower parts of the interior walls. The vestry is to the rear of the church, and there is a parish hall, built from masonry, underneath the church. The altar was replaced in 1995 and again on the reopening of the church in 2011, when a carved crucifix, which was brought to Amlwch from a former convent in Liverpool, was also dedicated. The porch houses a sepulchral slab, dating from the latter half of the 13th century.
A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey describes it as "a very impressive building", that "must surely be the most unusual church in Anglesey." A 2009 guide to the buildings of north Wales describes it as "a piece of Italian architectural daring". Referring to the French structural engineer Eugène Freyssinet
, who worked with concrete, the guide rhetorically asks, "What inspired this Futurist church, closer to Freyssinet's 1920s airship hangars at Orly, Paris, than to Catholic church design, and so unlike the conservatism of Anglesey building?" Writing before the church reopened, the heritage writer and journalist Simon Jenkins
has said that the church was worth a visit for the exterior alone, even though it was closed. He noted the "sweeping parabolic arches, perhaps inspired by airship hangars or by upturned boats in Amlwch harbour", as well as the "bold gable with sloping sides" at the west end, concluding "This church must be saved." It has also been described as "one of Britain's most avant-garde churches". The Twentieth Century Society
has said that it is "by far [Rinvolucri's] best work", calling it "a rare and unique church". It noted the "highly individual interpretation of its seaside setting", with a "strikingly modern" parabolic design and a "monumental almost pyramidal aesthetic" at the entrance. A 2011 guide to religious buildings in Wales (written before the church reopened) described it as "most unusual", but added that the fittings were "not worthy of the building". It also noted one writer's words that "no Catholic church (nor any church of another denomination) built in Britain between the wars has the frankly radical character of Amlwch."
Amlwch
Amlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
, a town on the island of Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, north Wales. It was built in the 1930s to a design by an Italian architect, Giuseppe Rinvolucri, using reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
. The church is in the shape of an upturned boat, reflecting Amlwch's maritime heritage, and is dedicated to Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris, first reliably used with relation to the Virgin Mary in the ninth century...
(a title of St Mary) and St Winefride
Winefride
thumb|right|300px|St Winifred's Well, [[Woolston, north Shropshire|Woolston]], ShropshireSaint Winefride was a legendary 7th-century Welsh noblewoman who was canonized after dying for the sake of her chastity...
, a Welsh saint.
The church is a Grade II* listed building, a designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is a "remarkable inter-war church", built to "a highly unusual and experimental design". The Twentieth Century Society
The Twentieth Century Society
The Twentieth Century Society is a British charity which campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards. The society's interests extend to buildings or artefacts, whether important or humble, rare or commonplace, that characterise Twentieth Century Britain.The Sociey was...
has called it "a rare and unique church", and it has also been called "one of Britain's most avant-garde churches".
Location and history
The church is on the A5025 roadA5025 road
The A5025 is a British 'A' road that runs from Llanfairpwllgwyngyll to Valley in Anglesey, Wales. It runs up the east, north and finally north-west side of the island via several places including Benllech and Amlwch. In all the road is around long...
, about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the west of Amlwch, a town on the north coast of Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Wales. It is dedicated to St Mary (under the title Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Our Lady, Star of the Sea
Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris, first reliably used with relation to the Virgin Mary in the ninth century...
) and to St Winefride
Winefride
thumb|right|300px|St Winifred's Well, [[Woolston, north Shropshire|Woolston]], ShropshireSaint Winefride was a legendary 7th-century Welsh noblewoman who was canonized after dying for the sake of her chastity...
, a 7th-century Welsh noblewoman who is also venerated at St Winefride's Well
St Winefride's Well
St Winefride's Well is a holy well located in Holywell, in Flintshire in North Wales. It is the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in Great Britain....
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
. Construction of the church began in 1932, when the foundations were excavated. It was completed in 1937, and the church was consecrated in the same year. The architect was Giuseppe Rinvolucri, an Italian engineer from Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, who settled in Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
, north Wales, because his English wife was suffering from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. His specialist field was the design of Roman Catholic churches, and other – more conventional – examples of his work can be found in Abergele
Abergele
Abergele is a community and old Roman trading town, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on the Irish Sea coast and is known for its beach, where it is claimed by some that a ghost ship...
and Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
, also in north Wales.
The church is part of Caernarfon Deanery
Caernarfon Deanery
The Caernarfon Deanery is a Roman Catholic deanery in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham that covers sixteen churches in Caernarfon and the surrounding area in Gwynedd and Anglesey.The dean of Caernarfon is yet to be appointed.- Churches :...
within the Diocese of Wrexham. The parish priest is Father Michael Ryan, of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
. The parish of Amlwch also includes the churches of St David, Cemaes Bay, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Benllech
Benllech
__FORCETOC__Benllech is a small town on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. It is in the community of Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf, which has a population of 3,408...
.
Damage from the weather and deterioration in the concrete meant that the church closed for worship in 2004, requiring worshippers to attend services elsewhere on Anglesey. Demolition was a possibility in 2006. An appeal launched raised the estimated £1.2 million to £1.4 million necessary for repairs, which included replacing the roof coverings, redecorating internally and externally, and repairing the steps. An application for planning permission for the work was submitted in May 2008 to the Isle of Anglesey County Council
Isle of Anglesey County Council
The Isle of Anglesey County Council is the governing body for the county of Anglesey, one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. The council consists of 40 councillors, representing 40 electoral wards.-Political makeup:...
. An application for a grant of £840,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
was rejected on 18 March 2009, with the committee concerned about the proposed new extension (terming it "inappropriate"), although recognising the "high heritage merit" of the proposal. Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
(the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
body responsible for the built heritage of Wales) made a grant of £150,000 in 2007; the National Churches Trust
National Churches Trust
The National Churches Trust, formerly the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, is a British registered charity whose aim is "promoting and supporting church buildings of historic, architectural and community value across the UK"...
made a grant of £10,000 in June 2010; and other bodies and individuals made donations to the appeal. The church reopened after its restoration on 1 May 2011 with a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Wrexham
Bishop of Wrexham
The Bishop of Wrexham is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham in the Province of Cardiff in Wales.The diocese covers an area of and consists of the Welsh historic counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire The Bishop of...
, Edwin Regan
Edwin Regan
Edwin Regan is a Welsh prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the second and current Bishop of Wrexham.-Biography:...
.
Architecture and fittings
Built of reinforced concreteReinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
, the building is designed in the style of an upturned boat, and the design has a "nautical theme" with elements such as porthole windows. This is a deliberate reference to Amlwch's history as a port town and its position on the coast. The church has six concrete parabolic arch "ribs" along the outside, with portholes on the base plinth between each rib.
The main entrance is at the south end of the church at the top of some stone steps on either side. A window (shaped, like all the others in the church, like a star) set in mosaic is positioned above the door, and there is a stone cross at the top of the facade. The concrete of the church is dressed with stone on the south side, nearest the main road. The ribs on the outside are visible inside the building; in between them, there are patterns of lights and coloured marble panels on the lower parts of the interior walls. The vestry is to the rear of the church, and there is a parish hall, built from masonry, underneath the church. The altar was replaced in 1995 and again on the reopening of the church in 2011, when a carved crucifix, which was brought to Amlwch from a former convent in Liverpool, was also dedicated. The porch houses a sepulchral slab, dating from the latter half of the 13th century.
Assessment
The church is a Grade II* listed building – the second-highest of the three grades of listing, designating "particularly important buildings of more than special interest". It was given this status on 12 December 2000, and has been listed as "a remarkable inter-war church". Cadw describes it as "striking and individual", and "a highly unusual and experimental design which exploits the plastic qualities of its constructional material to create a powerfully expressive religious building."A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey describes it as "a very impressive building", that "must surely be the most unusual church in Anglesey." A 2009 guide to the buildings of north Wales describes it as "a piece of Italian architectural daring". Referring to the French structural engineer Eugène Freyssinet
Eugène Freyssinet
Eugène Freyssinet was a French structural and civil engineer. He was the major pioneer of prestressed concrete.Freyssinet was born in at Objat, Corrèze, France. He worked in the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, France where he designed several bridges until the First World War...
, who worked with concrete, the guide rhetorically asks, "What inspired this Futurist church, closer to Freyssinet's 1920s airship hangars at Orly, Paris, than to Catholic church design, and so unlike the conservatism of Anglesey building?" Writing before the church reopened, the heritage writer and journalist Simon Jenkins
Simon Jenkins
Sir Simon David Jenkins is a British newspaper columnist and author, and since November 2008 has been chairman of the National Trust. He currently writes columns for both The Guardian and London's Evening Standard, and was previously a commentator for The Times, which he edited from 1990 to 1992...
has said that the church was worth a visit for the exterior alone, even though it was closed. He noted the "sweeping parabolic arches, perhaps inspired by airship hangars or by upturned boats in Amlwch harbour", as well as the "bold gable with sloping sides" at the west end, concluding "This church must be saved." It has also been described as "one of Britain's most avant-garde churches". The Twentieth Century Society
The Twentieth Century Society
The Twentieth Century Society is a British charity which campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards. The society's interests extend to buildings or artefacts, whether important or humble, rare or commonplace, that characterise Twentieth Century Britain.The Sociey was...
has said that it is "by far [Rinvolucri's] best work", calling it "a rare and unique church". It noted the "highly individual interpretation of its seaside setting", with a "strikingly modern" parabolic design and a "monumental almost pyramidal aesthetic" at the entrance. A 2011 guide to religious buildings in Wales (written before the church reopened) described it as "most unusual", but added that the fittings were "not worthy of the building". It also noted one writer's words that "no Catholic church (nor any church of another denomination) built in Britain between the wars has the frankly radical character of Amlwch."