St Mary's Church, Betws Gwerful Goch
St Mary's Church, Betws Gwerful Goch, is in the village of Betws Gwerful Goch, Denbighshire, Wales. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Penllyn & Edeyrnion, the archdeaconry of Wrexham and the diocese of St Asaph.[1] The church is designated by Cadw as a Grade II* listed building.[2]
| St Mary's Church, Betws Gwerful Goch | |
|---|---|
 St Mary's Church, Betws Gwerful Goch, from the north | |
| 53.0079°N 3.4436°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ 032 465 |
| Location | Betws Gwerful Goch, Denbighshire |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 20 October 1966 |
| Architect(s) | John Douglas (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Shale with slate roofs and stone ridge tiles |
| Administration | |
| Province | Church in Wales |
| Diocese | St Asaph |
| Archdeaconry | Wrexham |
| Deanery | Penllyn & Edeyrnion |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Revd S. J. Roberts |
History
The building dates probably from the 12th century although there may have been an earlier church on the site dedicated to Saint Elain.[3] It was restored by the Chester architect John Douglas in 1881–82.[4] In the process of this restoration, the north door was removed, a vestry with a chimney was added, and the box pews were taken out. The plaster was removed from the walls, windows were replaced, a buttress was added to the south side, a new screen was erected. A new bellcote with a spire, and the lychgate were added. In 1985 the bellcote had to be removed.[3]
Architecture
The church is built in shale. The roofs are covered in slates, with stone ridge tiles. Its plan consists of a nave and a chancel, with a south porch and a vestry to the north of the chancel. At the east end is a stone cross finial. The east window is part of Douglas' restoration; it consists of three lights with ogee heads.[3]
References
- Betws Gwerful Goch with Llangwm (Dinmael) with Llawrybetws, Diocese of St Asaph, retrieved 9 February 2014
- Cadw, "Church of St Mary (Grade II*) (664)", National Historic Assets of Wales, retrieved 2 April 2019
- Church of St Mary , Bettws Gwerfil Goch, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, retrieved 21 June 2009
- Hubbard, Edward (1986), Clwyd, The Buildings of Wales, London: Penguin, pp. 141–142, ISBN 0-14-071052-3
Douglas' groundplan for the restoration