St Cybi's Church

St Cybi’s Church stands beside the Roman fort of Caer Gybi in Holyhead on Anglesey. The present building was raised in the 13th century on the site of a 6th-century monastery founded by Saint Cybi, cousin of Saint David. The church was rebuilt after Viking raids in the 10th century and again after damage by Henry IV’s troops in 1405. Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers garrisoned the church in the 1650s and raised the tower by seventeen feet for use as a lookout. The Grade I-listed church preserves medieval fabric alongside later additions such as the Stanley chapel of 1897. The church is notable for its 13th-century chancel and the Stanley chapel designed by Sir Gilbert Scott. Inside, a life-size marble statue of William Owen Stanley by Hamo Thornycroft stands within the chapel. A carved sundial on the south transept bears the words “Life though long it stay will end in night and day.” Ornamental figures appear both inside and outside the building. The tower was restored in 2012 with a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Visitors find a church set within the stone walls of the Roman fort. The chancel’s early Gothic arches lead into the nave, while the Stanley chapel holds its marble monument. The sundial casts shadows on the south wall, and carved figures line the aisles and porches. Outside, the Roman fort’s ramparts frame the churchyard where Saint Cybi was buried. The tower offers views over Holyhead’s harbour and coast.