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| St Bodfan's
Church is the finest 13th-century church
in Gwynedd. It was built by Hywel ap
Gruffudd ap Cynan, a great grandson of
Owain Gwynedd who became overlord of this
part of Meirionnydd in 1202 but was dead
by 1216.The church houses the Llanaber
stones dating from the late 5th-early 6th
century AD. |
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The first church on this site
was probably built by Bodfan, a Celtic Saint in
the 6th century. This Bodfan may have been the
son of Helig ap Glannog whose territory was
destroyed by the great inundation that formed the
Lavan Sands which lie between the Great Orme's
Head and the Menai Straits off the north coast of
Gwynedd.
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After the
disaster both Helig and his sons embraced
a religious life. The church at Aber, in
Gwynedd, is dedicated to St. Bodfan and
he may be the same Saint associated with
Llanaber. One of Bodfan's brothers was
Celynin, who likewise has a Church
dedicated to him at Llangelynin in the
Conwy Valley and at Llangelynin near
Llwyngwril, a few miles south of
Llanaber. Other brothers were Brothen,
who founded the Church at Llanfrothen,
and Boda and Gwynin who founded the
church at Dwygyfylchi, near Penmaenmawr. |
| Bodfan, no doubt,
built his Church of wood and wattle but
of that building no trace remains. With
the coming of the Normans the art of
building in stone was introduced and,
following their custom, many Welsh
dedications were either changed to, or
coupled with , the name of the Blessed
Virgin Mary or the Apostles. Ancient maps
refer to the Church as St. Bodfan's and
an association with the Saint is
preserved in the name of the nearby
Bodfan farm, but the Church is today more
popularly known as St. Mary's. |
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The present church
dates from the early 13th century. One of
its great benefactors was Hywel ap
Meredydd ap Cynan, the Lord of Ardudwy,
the commot which has given its name to
the Rural Deanery of Ardudwy in which the
parish of Llanaber is situated. This
Hywel was a near relative of Llewelyn the
Great.
The plan of the church consists of a
Nave, with north and south aisles, and a
long and narrow chancel. Entering the
church by the south Porch, rebuilt in the
nineteenth century, the visitor notices
the very fine south doorway, reputed to
be one of the finest examples of Early
English architecture in the country. |
| This doorway, built of a
yellow sandstone, is deeply
recessed and is composed of six
shafts on either side. The north
door opposite is much narrower
and of simple design. The nave is
divided on either side into five
arcades. The Nave is a wonderful
example of transition from Norman
architecture to Early English
style. The piers are Norman in
character with foliated capitals
from which spring pointed arches.
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| The four
Clerestory windows on either side
of the the Nave are delightful
examples of Early English
Lancets, whilst the two long
Lancets of the west wall are part
of the nineteenth century
restoration.The Chancel, which is
separated from the Nave by an
Early English arch, is approached
by a flight of steps,
necessitated by the sloping
nature of the site on which the
Church is built. The East window
is a perfect example of a single
Early English Lancet with very
wide splays and shafts in the
inner arch. The main roof
timbers ,both in the Nave and
Chancel, date from the sixteenth
century, whilst the ceiling above
the sanctuary is panelled and its
bosses and carvings picked out in
gilt and colour.
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| In
1860 extensive work of
restoration was carried out. The Bell
turret was rebuilt
as well as most of the west wall
with it's heavy buttresses. The
small vestry adjoining the north
side of the Chancel was also
constructed at the same time on
the site of a previous building. The Glass in
the windows dates from the
nineteenth century and is on the
whole good with the design in the
Clerestory windows depicting
angels with musical instruments.
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Directions: [ Map
of St Bodfan's Church location ] 
The
Church is on the seaward
side of the A496, 1.9mile
north of the harbour at
Barmouth. Parking is in
the layby outside the
Church,which is usually
open.
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