Llanycil, Bala, Gwynedd, Wales
The church of Llanycil sits beside Llyn Tegid, Bala Lake, in the old county of Merionethshire, Wales. The Llanycil church is built on an ancient Celtic Christian site. The church was renowned as the destination for 15-year-old Mary Jones in 1800 when she walked 26 miles from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to buy a bible from Rev Thomas Charles. Thomas Charles, Lewis Edwards, Dafydd Cadwaladr, Ellis Gwyn Jones (Bala and Llangwm)and Elisabeth Davies, to name a few, were laid to rest in the church's yard. Sadly the church was declared redundant by the Church in Wales in 2003 and placed on the market much to the dismay of many. Fortunately the church has been rescued from redundancy and is to be converted into a heritage centre by the Bible Society. News of the purchase has been received well by local residents, who in previous months had been struggling to protect the church. The purchase was made by the Bible Society and is linked to the Society's deep historical associations with the Bala area. Mary Jones' walk contributed to the founding of Bible Society as the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804. The Llanycil church is expected to become a magnet for a wide range of visitors from those who might have general interests in old churches, Welsh heritage, and people following the "Mary Jones Walk" from Llanfihangel y Pennant to Bala. ....
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