Visit-a-Church
Key Image Eglwys Hywyn Sant/St Hywyn’s Church
LL53 8BE Pwllheli (Aberdaron)
United Kingdom
Denomination: Anglican
Congregation: Bro Enlli (Esgobaeth Bangor/Diocese of Bangor, Archdeaconry of Meirionnydd, Synod Gogledd Meirionnydd)
Geogr. Coordinates: 52.80384° N, 4.71144° W
Geo Location
Reference year: 1137
Architectural style: Romanesque
Building type: Hall Church
Description: Hall church consisting of two equally-sized naves
Name derivation: From St Hywyn, an early Welsh Saint
Bells
  • One bell, hung in 1901
Noteworthy
  • Norman archway in the west façade of the north nave
Pulpit
  • Small pulpit in the north nave (1906), large decorated pulpit in the south nave (1911)
Font
  • Octagonal stone font (14th/15th cent.)
Noteworthy
  • Stone slabs remembering Vernacius and Senacus (probably priests or monks of a nearby community)
  • Medieval stoup next to the entrance
  • Modern quilted tapestries, including a “banner of the earth”
  • “St Hywyn’s Cairn” from beach pebbles, which are returned to the sea every year on the last Sunday in October
History:
6th cent.:   Foundation of the original church by St Hywyn
About 1137:   Construction of a stone church by (or inspired by) Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd
11/07/1252:   First written record of the church
1417:   Enlargement of the church, addition of the south nave
1624:   Patronage of the church bestowed upon St John's College, Cambridge
1906:   Refurbishing of the church and enlargement of the graveyard
09/07/2006:   Re-dedication of the church after extensive restoration works, for which £ 300,000 had been raised
2012:   Uncovering of the stone walls as part of another renovation (further restoration work ongoing)
Important persons:
Cleric:  Thomas, Ronald Stuart (1913–2000, Welsh poet and Anglican priest)
Patron:  Hywyn (Welsh Saint of the early 6th cent., son of Gwyndaf Hen and his wife Gwenonwy)
Sources
Cotter, Jim: Sauntering Around St Hywyn’s – A brief guide to our church, Aberdaron 2013
Elliss, W. J.: The Church of Saint Hywyn Aberdaron, Alun Jones, Aberdaron
St Hywyn’s Church: St Hywyn’s Church, Aberdaron – Background Information, from the Past to the Present, http://www.st-hywyn.org.uk/st_hywyn.html, retrieved 06/11/2018
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TuK Bassler
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