Three Vale Churches

The final meeting of the season of the newly reconstituted Ruthin Local History Society took place yesterday. Dr Bob Sylvester, who has the splendid title of the Hon. Diocesan Archaeologist, compared three churches in the Vale: St Marcella's, Llanfarchell, Dinbych (aka Eglwys Wen); St Dyfnog's, Llanrhaeadr; and St Searen's, Llanynys. The diocese had some splendid churches (e.g. St Giles, Wrecsam and All Saints', Gresford) but it also had smaller interesting ones, such as the three to which he yesterday evening referring. Rather than consider each in turn, as you might expect, Sylvester took various attributes against which he made comparisons, looking for clues.

Churchyards

Rough circular churchyards indicated pre-Conquest formations. On face value, none of the three could be considered as such. Llanynys, however, had a hint of circularity on its northern side but there was a circular bank outside the churchyard that might once have been part of a circular boundary. This might have coincided with Llanynys' status as the Vale's mother church.

Llanrhaeadr's churchyard was nothing more than a skewed rectangle. Llanfarchell had a single unconvincing circle but a plan of 1811 indicated that there had been two churchyard extensions and that the original boundary was roughly circular.

Exteriors

All three churches were double-naved. This, of course, was a popular feature unique in North East Wales to the Vale. Sylvester speculated that some felt that this was under the influence of the Dominican friars whereas the more plausible explanation, he felt, was to increase congregational space by extended to the side rather than rear, to allow a view of the altar.

St Marcella's exterior was now lime-washed and this prevented the exterior being "read". For over 10 years, CADW had promoted the use of lime-wash as a method of offering breathable protection. To many, it was aesthetically pleasing and, of course, was used in the 17th century.

Stonework was exposed at Llanrhaeadr. Following window restoration, the Llanrhaeadr stonework was not particularly informative but there was a curious bricked-up door on the east side, a very unusual position for such an entrance and only viewed from within

Llanynys was also lime-washed but behind it there was hidden an obvious transition from sandstone to limestone where the roof had been raised and an extension built.

Interiors

Only Llanrhaeadr was unplastered within, yet the brickwork did not yield much information.

Fixtures & Fittings

St Marcella's has a fine monument to the Salisbury family. There are few churches of its size with such a rich mausoleum, inaptly described by Sylvester as "a classy piece of work". Carved thereon were the Salisbury's not inconsiderable family of nine boys and four girls. Also within was a 1623 altar signed underneath by David Rogers, 17th century altar rails, an impressive yet rare brass commemorating the Myddletons, a carved stone memorial plaque to Humphrey Llwyd and one of painted wood—one of few in the diocese.

Llanrhaeadr had its famous Jesse window of 1533 and also a further fine stained glass window of medieval glass fragments removed from the church, used in a nearby farmhouse and subsequently returned. There was an interesting pelican that had stabbed itself in the chest to draw blood to feed its brood.

Llanynys could boast a porch of 1544 with original studded door complete with graffiti dating from 1598 and later. There was a rare and large St Christopher on one wall, discovered in 1967 beneath other artwork and one of what would have been numerous depictions of saints within. There was also an almost unique 14th century churchyard cross, now within. The interior boasted some original wood panelling, with additions from a large house. There was one of few 18th century wooden candelabras. There was a fine rare canvas coat of arms to Charles II dated 1661. Usually these were in plaster or on wood. Finally, there was a rare surviving dog tongs, used to keep dogs apart or to eject them from services.

Roofs

Llanfarchell had a number of wooden carvings of humans and animals. Perhaps the most intriguing were two representations of miserable-looking people, one clutching a bottle and the other a money bag. The inference was that unrepentant sinners would be denied glory in heaven.

Llanrhaeadr’s roof was supported by hammer beams that included carvings of angels. Llanynys' hammer beamed roof would almost certainly also have supported angels had they not been removed in Elizabeth I's reign. There were nevertheless some human face carvings in the church roof, some of which showed scurrilous figures with tongues out.

To the Vote

To finish, Sylvester asked the audience which church they felt was the more interesting. About 20 were either undecided or abstained but 23 voted for Llanynys; 20 for Llanrhaeadr; and two for Llanfarchell, one of whom said he lived in Dinbych and was loyal to that town. That the audience marginally favoured Llanynys was interesting as, surely, Llanrhaeadr was of equal interest. Perhaps they already realised that it was the pre-eminent mother church of the Vale, the representative church of the bishop of Bangor, in whose diocese the church then sat.