Llanrhos Church
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| " An
ancient and beautiful church fulfils its
primary function merely by existing. It
is in itself, and irrespective of the
numbers using it, an act of worship. A
beautiful church...standing alone in the
countryside...is a perpetual reminder of
spiritual values. In Shakespeare's
phrase, such churches are "sermons
in stones", and their message is
delivered not for half an hour on Sundays
but every hour of every day of the year
and not merely to those who enter but to
all who pass by." |
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These words are taken from a
booklet I aquired at St. Dyfnog's Church,
Llanrhaeadr in North Wales. The author of the
booklet the Rev. Hywel Davies had himself aquired
them from a "Commission on Churches".
And as the Rev. Davies said they will serve very
well as preface to these all too brief and not at
all complete or exhaustive notes.
A schoolboy of 14 from Boston Massachusetts (over
here on a package tour) when asked what impressed
him answered without hesitation "The
churches, all those old churches. I don't mean
the cathedrals... I sort of expected them. But I
didn't know about all those little village
churches - why there beautiful. We don,t have
anything like that back home anywhere. You seem
to have them all over the place. They're
wonderful." |
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The
church of St Bodfan, Llanaber. |
| The
13th century tower of St. Dyfnog's,
Llanrhaeadr. |
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Llangelynin
Church near Rowen. |
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The history of the Churches
could be said to be a large part of the history
of Wales. The two are so closely knit.
The prehistoric Standing Stones, the Ancient
Burial Chambers, the Hill Forts, and later the
Castles and Churches of Wales. These are the
remains, the bones, and also the monuments, the
"tablets of stone" on which earlier
people wrote.
The Churches of Wales are many and beautiful.
Here are just a few. Please visit the individual
churches by following "next" at the
bottom of each page.
Most of
the sites concentrate on the external views, and
hopefully you will be tempted to visit the
churches to see the beauty of the internal
architecture.
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Epilogue:
Beautiful is the large church
With stately arch and steeple.
Neighbourly is the small church
With groups of friendly people,
Reverent is the old church
With centuries of grace,
And a wooden church or a stone church
Can hold an altar place,
And whether it be a rich church,
Or a poor church anywhere,
Truly it is a great church
If God is worshipped there.
St
Dyfnog's Church and Holy Well, Llanrhaeadr. |
Llandrillo yn
Rhos Church, Rhos on Sea | St.
Bodfan's Church, Barmouth. | The
Llanaber Stones, Barmouth | St
Digain's Church, and 4000 yr. old yew tree, Llangernyw, Conwy | Llangelynin
Church and Holy Well, near Rowen in the Conwy Valley | Llanrhos
Church between Llandudno and Deganwy | St
Cattwg's Church, Port Eynon Gower, South Wales | Chapel
of St Trillo, Rhos on Sea | St
Gwyddelan's Church, Dolwyddelan | St
Tudno's Church Great Orme , Llandudno | Penmachno
Church and Inscribed Stones | Llanrhychwyn
Church | Penmon
Priory and St Seiriol's Holy Well | St
Cwyfan's Church, Anglesey | St
Beuno's Church |
Llaneilian
Church, Amlwch | St
Tysilio's Church, Church Island | St
Cybis Church, Holyhead
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