St Wddyn's Church

Heritage listing

Reason for designation: A fine Arts and Crafts interpretation of the Early Gothic style, in a church built in conjunction with the Grade I listed dam of Liverpool Corporation s Vyrnwy Reservoir. History: The parish church of St Wddyn was built to the design of F W Holme, architect, at the expense of Liverpool Corporation. It replaces the ancient church of St John which was destroyed for the flooding of the Vyrnwy valley. The site was probably selected considerably before the construction of the reservoir, when the flooding of the Vyrnwy valley was first contemplated; its adjacent graveyard was evidently established in the 1860s. A carved inscription in the porch records "The old church of St John being covered by the Lake Vyrnwy this Church of St Wddyn was erected AD 1887". The church was consecrated on May 5th 1888. Exterior: St Wddyn s church stands on a site sloping down to the east. It is built in a free Arts and Crafts interpretation of Early English, featuring battered walling of the porch and chancel and prominent additions to the nave and chancel. The masonry is rock-faced in local slate in slightly irregular courses, characterised by many sloping joints in place of perpends, and with sandstone dressings. Gable buttresses to west and south. There is an apsidal string course at sill level. The roofs are of slate generally with sprocketted eaves, and with lead dressings to hips and valleys. Coped gables and verges, an iron cross finial at the east end, stone cross over west end. The chancel is slightly lower than the nave, with an octagonal apsidal end. To the south there is an aisle beneath a lower-pitched roof, a boldly projecting porch and a south transept. To the north is a vestry of lean-to form above the basement for the heating apparatus. The chancel and ve

From Cadw under OGL v3.