St Garmon's Church

St Garmon’s Church stands in the heart of Llanarmon-yn-Iâl, a small village in Denbighshire. Built mainly of limestone and sandstone, the church has a double nave with the wider north nave leading to the chancel and the narrower south nave acting as an aisle. The slate roof is topped with grey ridge tiles, and a small bellcote holds two bells at the west end. A stone porch with a ball finial and sandstone ridge tiles shelters the main entrance. The churchyard is almost square with rounded corners and overlooks the River Alyn. The church’s history stretches back to 1282, with a second nave added around 1450. Much of the building was rebuilt in 1736, and carpenter Edward Whetnall replaced the stone arcade with a timber one. John Douglas restored the church in 1870, adding Gothic-style windows and removing the box pews. Further restorations took place in 1906, the late 1920s, and the 1970s. Inside, a 1734 baluster font and a pulpit attributed to Douglas remain, along with a 15th-century brass chandelier featuring the Virgin Mary. Visitors find a quiet churchyard with a sundial made from a converted churchyard cross. The war grave of a World War I soldier lies within the grounds. Inside, the medieval arch-braced roofs survive, and round-headed windows from the 1736 restoration contrast with Gothic windows added later. Two early 14th-century monuments and another from 1639 stand among the fittings, while the Royal Arms date to 1740. The church remains an active place of worship, its layered past visible in every detail.