The name or dedication of the church.
This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.
A unique identification number given to every church.
The name of the diocese in which the church is located.
The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.
This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.
Please enter a number
There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.
Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.
There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites.
There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.
The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales.
It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).
This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.
Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc.
If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.
Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).
This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.
This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.
This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.
Barmouth is on the A496 16km west of Dolgellau and 33 km south of Porthmadog, the church, dedicated to St John, up St John’s hill, sits on a platform created to house it, created by blasting.
References
Route Planner Directions, traffic and maps AA
The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales
This is a description of the ground plan of the church.
If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.
If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.
A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.
Douglas & Fordham of Chester were the architects and the church was built largely at the expense of Mrs Sarah Perrins of Plas Mynach, whose husband the late James Dyson Perrins was of the Worcestershire Sause Company. Mrs Perrins gave £15,000 which paid for the tower, chancel, transepts, bells, clock, glass and the furnishings at the east end while the parish raised £3,000. This was between 1889 and 1895. Just as the church was nearing completion in 1891 the tower collapsed taking much of the nave with it. Douglas explained that the cause had been the blasting but he suffered much shame face. Mrs Perrins gave another £15,000 to take the work to its conclusion. The foundation stone had been laid by HRH Princess Beatrice (Princess Henry of Battenberg) on August 27th 1889
Buildings of Wales – Gwynedd 2009
Cadw Listings Notice
A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.
This is one of the most splendid Victorian Churches in Gwynedd sitting on a platform special created for it overlooking the town. It is cruciform in shape built of grey Minffordd granite with red Runcorn Sandstone creating a colourful effect against the mountain backdrop. Built in the Early Perpendicular style, the long nave has aisles neatly framed by the gables of the transepts and porches. The great crossing tower, set well to the east against the short high chancel, has bold angle buttresses, paired bell lights, a parapet with finials and a pyramidal roof topped by a weather vane. There is a niche in the south porch gable which contains a figure of St John the Baptist flanked by the inscription ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’.
Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.
Information about any important features and building fabric.
If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.
Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.
This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.
The interior is dominated by the red sandstone. There are five-bay arcades with angel stops and octagonal piers under deep set four-light clerestory windows. The chancel arch is of many orders, the inner one on foliate corbels. The roof is a delight having hints of Arts & Crafts having elongated shafts supporting tie-beams in the nave, and in the chancel, a higher wagon roof. There is a parquet floor.
The marble font has a life-sized sculpture of an angel, made by Davidson & Co of Inverness in 1894. It follows the designed of Thorwaldsen of Stockholm for his font in Copenhagen, it has a brass rail supported on decorative iron balusters. The large, pink, sandstone reredos has a series of canopied niches round the central niche of the crucifixion, flanked by saints, with angel finials and a blind tracery dado.
The stained glass is all by C E Kempe and made in his studio in London: ‘Christ with the Twelve Apostles’, 1892; ‘St Paul and St Stephen’, c1892; ‘St Joseph of Arimathea and St Mary Magdalene’ 1892; ‘St Gregory the Great and St Augustine of Hippo’, 1892; ‘St Ambrose and St Jerome’, 1892; ‘The Nativity with Angels’ 1892; ‘The Annunciation to the Shepherds’, 1892; ‘The Annunciation’ 1892; The Tracery Lights ‘Detail from the Resurrection’, 1911.
There are eight bells cast by Mears & Stainbank in 1891
A National Bell Register - George Dawson's Website - Homestead
Stained Glass in Wales
Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings.
Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.
A description of the ecology of the churchyard.
Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.
Records whether the church has been consecrated.
Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.
Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.
Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.
Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.
Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.
Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community.