Church of St Bridget, Dyserth

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: Listed at Grade II* as a late mediaeval church restored by Sir Gilbert Scott, retaining considerable early fabric and possessing a fine east window with mediaeval glass. History: Dyserth Church is dedicated to St Cwyfan and St Ffraid or Bride, now St Bridget. There was a well dedicated to St Cwyfan locally. Domesday mentions ecclesia cum presbytero (1086). In the Middle Ages the living was appropriated to the Archdeaconry of St Asaph, and annexed in commendam to the Bishopric of St Asaph under Bishop Hughes in the C16. The list of perpetual curates commences in 1558. The origin of the present structure can be traced back to the C12 on the basis that the west door of the church before its C19 restoration was described as apparently Norman. The west wall has massive buttresses also of early character, retained in the rebuilding of the gable end. Other dateable features are the south door and the single-light cusp-headed window south of the nave, both probably C13. The nave roof trusses carry the date 1579. The chancel was added on an axis inclined slightly to the north; the east window has glass which is partly dated 1450 and partly early C16 and the four-light window at the south of the chancel was inserted in 1636. Before its restoration in the C19 the church was described as a small neat structure with a west gallery and closed pews. There was some expenditure on repairs in the early C19 and Glynne in 1839 referred to the interior as modernised . The font was restored in 1863. The church was substantially restored in 1873-5 by Sir Gilbert Scott, who rebuilt the west wall and some of the south, removed the gallery, added the porch and the north transept and vestry and installed open seating. The churchyard has been much enlarged to the south (187

From Cadw under OGL v3.