St Mary's Church

St Mary’s Church stands in the village of Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy on the north-west coast of Anglesey, set beside a minor road with the churchyard facing open land. The oldest parts of the building date from the 11th or 12th century, though the tower at the west end belongs to the 17th century. A chapel was added in the 16th century and the chancel rebuilt in the 15th, giving the church its present shape. The entrance now leads through the tower after a 19th-century porch was closed and turned into a vestry. The church is recognised as a Grade I listed building because of its fine rural fabric and early medieval elements. In the 19th century writers praised the tower and east window, and Harry Longueville Jones called it one of the best old parish churches on the island. A modern guide describes an impressive lychgate, and the churchyard holds war graves from both world wars. Rectors and artists connected with the church include James Williams, who won a gold medal for sea-rescue work, and his great-grandson Sir Kyffin Williams, both buried here. Inside, the nave and chancel roofs show exposed medieval timbers with painted plaster shields along the beams. The chancel arch, from the 11th or 12th century, leads up a step into the sanctuary where 18th-century gravestones lie in the floor. The chapel on the south side is separated by three arches on octagonal columns, one bearing early 16th-century lettering. The font is octagonal outside with a circular bowl, and the church still holds 18th-century silver and pewter communion vessels.