St Gredifael's Church

St Gredifael’s Church stands in the quiet village of Penmynydd on the Isle of Anglesey. The first wooden chapel was built here in the 6th century by the saint himself. A stone church took its place in the 12th century, and later work in the 14th and 15th centuries added the nave, chancel and a north chapel. The building is now Grade II* listed for its fine medieval fabric and its links with the Tudors. The church matters because it houses the alabaster tomb of Goronwy Fychan ap Tudur, great-uncle of Henry VII. His tomb was moved here after the Dissolution from Llanfaes Friary. The effigies have lost hands and fingers to centuries of pilgrims chipping off stone for healing charms. Inside, Tudor roses and a portcullis appear in the stained glass, while pew ends carry fleurs-de-lys recalling Catherine of Valois. Visitors find a plain medieval interior with Norman carved stone in the nave and chancel. The north chapel, once called the Tudor chapel, holds the damaged effigy tombs. Outside, the churchyard is calm and the village still feels remote. The building’s quiet walls and simple furnishings speak of its long history and the dynasty it once served.