St Michael's Church, Trelawnyd
Encyclopedia
St Michael's Church, Trelawnyd, is in the village of Trelawnyd, Flintshire
, Wales
. It is an active Anglican parish church
in the benefice
of Dyserth and Trelawnyd and Cwm, the deanery of St Asaph, the archdeaconry of St Asaph, and the diocese of St Asaph
.
, lectern and pews were added. The arch of the porch was replaced, a stone cross was added to the east gable
and the bell turret
was remodelled. In 1917 a vestry was added to the north side of the church by the same firm of architects, now known as Douglas, Minshall and Muspratt.
with sandstone
dressings. The roof is of slate with stone ridge tiles. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel in one chamber, a south porch, a north vestry and a bellcote with a single bell at the west.
slab, which is set upside-down. The stained glass in the east window is by Hemming and dates from 1897. A window in the north wall was dedicated on Ascension Day 1930. A pair of windows in the chancel, made by Shrigley and Hunt
, was dedicated in 1969. The octagonal font
consists of a medieval bowl set in a modern base. The oak cover dates was added in 1968. The lectern was given in 1899, the altar in 1929, and the pulpit
was bought from Kinmel School in 1936. The organ, built by the Positive Organ Company, was installed in 1920 and electrified in 1951–52. Of the church plate, the chalice
dates from 1549.
In the churchyard is a cross dating from the 14th century which is a scheduled ancient monument
. A square plinth is set on a circular concrete base. In this is set a sandstone chamfer
ed shaft, rectangular in cross-section, which is about 3.5m high. On the head are cinquefoil panels, those on the east and west sides containing depictions of the Crucifixion
. Also in the churchyard is a sundial
consisting of a sandstone pillar about 1.3m high, without a plate or a gnomon
.
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...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is an active Anglican parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Dyserth and Trelawnyd and Cwm, the deanery of St Asaph, the archdeaconry of St Asaph, and the diocese of St Asaph
Diocese of St Asaph
The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese in north-east Wales, named after Saint Asaph, its second bishop.-Geography:The Anglican Diocese of St Asaph in the north-east corner of Wales stretches from the borders of Chester in the east, to the Conwy valley in the west, to Bala in the south-west, and...
.
History
The first documentary reference to the church is in 1291 but the present church was not built until 1724. During a restoration in 1863 a gallery was added to the west end, the roof was re-slated and the walls were plastered. In 1895–97 a major restoration was carried out by the Chester firm of Douglas & Fordham when the plaster and the gallery were removed, and a new east window was installed. The other windows were replaced, and a new pulpitPulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, lectern and pews were added. The arch of the porch was replaced, a stone cross was added to the east gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
and the bell turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
was remodelled. In 1917 a vestry was added to the north side of the church by the same firm of architects, now known as Douglas, Minshall and Muspratt.
Structure
The church is built in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
with sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
dressings. The roof is of slate with stone ridge tiles. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel in one chamber, a south porch, a north vestry and a bellcote with a single bell at the west.
Fittings and furniture
In the vestry is a 14th-century sepulchralSepulchre
The rock-cut tombs in ancient Israel are a group of hundreds of rock-cut tombs constructed in Israel in ancient times. They were cut into the rock, sometimes with elaborate facades and multiple burial chambers. Some are free-standing, but most are caves. Each tomb typically belonged to a...
slab, which is set upside-down. The stained glass in the east window is by Hemming and dates from 1897. A window in the north wall was dedicated on Ascension Day 1930. A pair of windows in the chancel, made by Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt was the name of an English firm which produced stained glass windows and art tiles.The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire....
, was dedicated in 1969. The octagonal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
consists of a medieval bowl set in a modern base. The oak cover dates was added in 1968. The lectern was given in 1899, the altar in 1929, and the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
was bought from Kinmel School in 1936. The organ, built by the Positive Organ Company, was installed in 1920 and electrified in 1951–52. Of the church plate, the chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
dates from 1549.
External features
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. A square plinth is set on a circular concrete base. In this is set a sandstone chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed shaft, rectangular in cross-section, which is about 3.5m high. On the head are cinquefoil panels, those on the east and west sides containing depictions of the Crucifixion
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
. Also in the churchyard is a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
consisting of a sandstone pillar about 1.3m high, without a plate or a gnomon
Gnomon
The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning "indicator", "one who discerns," or "that which reveals."It has come to be used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields....
.