Didn't get in and and hence didn't get enough pictures for a proper report, so popping it in this section...
St Michael's church, Cwm Pennant, North Wales, July 2020
1. The History
Taken from the Cadw Listing database:
“The church lies in the central section of the valley, set within its large, rhomboid churchyard on the low-lying valley floor, set back from the road. The church is perhaps seventeenth century in origin, and the centre of a separate parish centred in the Pennant valley. It was considerably altered in the nineteenth century, to designs of Henry Kennedy, architect, of Bangor; its restoration scarcely influenced by gothic revival principles.
The church is built of local coursed stone rubble with a slate roof. It is a long, single-cell building, continuous nave and chancel, with a boarded west door within a pointed arch and, above, a gabled bellcote. There are three pointed-headed windows to each side, and a similar window over the west door, all furnished with diamond pattern lead glazing. The east window is composed of three equally sized round-headed lancets with transomed timber frames, each containing coloured glass in the upper half.
Inside, a western entrance lobby with store on the south side is formed under a western gallery dated 1847. Internal features include plastered walls above a dado formed with seventeenth-century panelling (probably from earlier box pews) and bearing the dates 1687 and ST RM 1688; six roof trusses forming seven bays, of collar and king-post form with knee braces carrying the roof on two tiers of purlins, all probably nineteenth century or refurbished at that time; the west gallery with panelled cornice front, raked and carrying four ranges of pews; two timber lecterns; and an octagonal Gothic pulpit with openwork tracery sides. On the north and south sides of the nave are memorials of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century date.”
2. The Explore
Or non-explore. Coudn’t get in as it was (understandably) locked. Situated on the banks of the Afon Dwyfor, got some nice externals and several peep shots of the interior of this lovely little redundant church. Back in April 2017 St Michael’s Church was up for sale for offers more than £30,000. Looks like no one decided to take a punt.
3. The Pictures
Pictured with Isallt Slate Quarry in the background:
In better weather:
And back to the grey skies!
Brynkir church 05
Peeking down the aisle:
Pews and stained-glass windows:
Memorial stone of Jane Brynkir (1706-1760) who lived at the nearby Brynkir Hall: