Christ Church

Christ Church stands in Bryn-y-Maen, a small village about three kilometres south of Colwyn Bay in Wales. It is an active Anglican church designed in the Neo-Perpendicular style by architects Douglas and Fordham. Locally it is known as ‘The Cathedral of the Hills’ and is recognised as a Grade II* listed building. The church was built between 1879 and 1899 at the expense of Mrs Eleanor Frost in memory of her late husband Charles Frost. The same commission included a vicarage and a house for Mrs Frost herself. The building is constructed from local limestone with Helsby sandstone used for dressings and the interior. Its plan is cruciform with a squat tower at the crossing above the choir. The nave is broad and there is a south aisle, while the transepts contain the vestry and the organ chamber. The tower top is crenellated and the bell openings have straight heads. Inside, the arcade features octagonal piers and the transverse tower arches are almost circular with continuous chamfering. Visitors find furnishings in the ‘characteristic Douglas’ style throughout the church. These include the reredos, organ case, stalls, pulpit, lectern, font cover and pews. Smaller items such as the hymn board, alms box and an umbrella stand are also part of the interior. The church’s limestone and sandstone construction gives it a warm, earthy appearance that blends with the surrounding landscape.