St Cybi's Church
overlooks the harbour in Holyhead.
Which is not surprising when the history of the site is known. The site
was originally a Roman Fort and naval base used to defend the Island
from marauding pirates in the Irish Sea. After the departure of the Romans
from Britain the site was gifted to Cybi by Maelgwyn, the 6th Century
King of Gwynedd, where he founded a monastery. To this day the remains
of the walls of the Roman Fort butt up to the walls of St Cybi's Church
and indeed form a peaceful area within the bustling ferry-port town of
Holyhead.
The remains of the Roman walls, with the corner towers still standing,
are some 13ft, 4m, in height and 5ft, 1.5m thick with the corner towers
being 16ft, 5m in diameter.
The original church was founded in the 6th Century by the Cornish saint
Cybi and the church has suffered a violent history, being
sacked by the Vikings in the 10th Century and by the English during the Glyndwr
Rebellion in the 15th Century. During the Glyndwr Rebellion Henry
IV's army invaded Anglesey from Ireland and sadly, when Henry's men returned
to Dublin, they took with them St. Cybi's shrine and relics. Another
assault on the church took place in the 17th Century when Cromwell's
soldiers systematically destroyed the interior windows, font, tombs and
statues.
The present day church is perpendicular in style. The chancel is 13th
Century with the rest being 15th to
16th Century. There are fine stained
glass windows, and beautiful stone carvings from different ages on the
parapet and in the porch.
I have included some pictures of the stone carvings below and you can
find similar stone work on the churches of St
Mary's in Mold and
St Winefride's in Holywell,
(both churches were commissioned by Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry
Tudor).
Directions: [ Map of St Cybi's
Church Holyhead ]
The Church is located between the new Celtic
Gateway Bridge and Stanley Street in the
centre of Holyhead. |
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