St Dyfnog's Church

St Dyfnog’s Church stands at the western edge of Llanrhaeadr Hall estate in Denbighshire, Wales. The village itself is Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch, where the church was built in the 13th century with later rebuilding in the 15th and 16th. It is dedicated to Saint Dyfnog, a 6th-century Welsh saint whose family came from North Britain. The church sits beside St Dyfnog’s Well, an important holy well that became a pilgrimage site in the 17th century. The surrounding area, called The Dingle, was developed by the estate in the 18th and 19th centuries. The church is worth visiting for its Tree of Jesse stained glass window, described as some of the finest glass in Wales. The window dates from 1533 and was hidden during the English Civil War before being reinstated in 1661. It shows Jesus’s descent from Jesse and is considered the finest glass window in Wales. The church also contains monuments to local figures like Watkin Edwards Wynne and Maurice Jones. It remains an active parish church in the Diocese of St Asaph and is a Grade I listed building. Inside, the church has a double nave, a south chamber and a four-storey tower. The interior features a rare carved pelican from 1792 and Baroque effigies of local grandees. The architectural historian Edward Hubbard notes the church’s Perpendicular style, with a possible exception in the tower door. The setting, with St Dyfnog’s Well nearby, adds to the historic atmosphere of the site.