St Mary's
Church is
an ancient church that sits high and dry on the steep bank of the River
Clwyd in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located just a few
hundred yards from Rhuddlan Castle.
The first church in the Norman Borough of Rhuddlan was
built about 1080. A new Parish Church was built in 1301
-and this appears to have consisted of the present south nave of St Marys,
with further additions over the next two centuries making the building
that is here today. The church celebrated it's 700th. Anniversary
in the year of our Lord 2001 and a stained-glass window depicting the
Castle, the Church, the Bridge and the River Clwyd was commissioned and
installed.
During the summer months
stewards are in church to welcome visitors on Thursday afternoons.
Interesting
features within the church include a tombstone of William de Freney,
Archbishop of Edessa in Syria, which was brought from the Dominican Friary
at it's dissolution in 1536 (he lived about 1250-1300 and his uncle Gilbert
de Freney had been sent by St. Dominic to found the Dominican Order in
England in 1221).
There are also inscribed Biblical quotations (one
of only two sets found in Britain) dating back to about 1650. These are
in Welsh and the text is the Welsh Bible of 1620.
The building was substantially
restored in 1812 and by George Gilbert Scott in 1870. It has the appearance
of a typical 'Clwydian' or double-naved church of the late 15th Century.
Further information about St Mary's can be found here >
Directions : [ Map
of St Mary's Church location ]
From the A55 at St Asaph take the A525 north. Turn right at the
junction with the A547. Cross the River Clwyd and St Mary's Church
is left at the top of the hill. |
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