Church of St Tegfan

Church of St Tegfan

A rural church comprising a nave and chancel with north and south transepts, a north chapel at the end of the north transept, a three-stage west tower, and a south gabled porch. Lean-to additions are present on the south side between the porch and south transept, and to the rear in the northwest angle. The building is constructed of local rubble masonry with modern openings featuring sandstone dressings. The roof is slate with a tiled ridge and stone copings. A tall stone stack with capping stands against the north wall of the nave.

The south gabled porch contains a reset 14th-century arched doorway with a weathered hoodmould, and a cross finial crowns the gable apex. The nave and chancel are lit by modern cinquefoil-headed windows of one and two lights. The east window features two cinquefoil-headed lights with Perpendicular tracery set within a pointed arch frame with hollow chamfered jambs and hoodmould. The transept walls are lit by modern cinquefoil-headed paired lights, while earlier windows survive in the north and south walls. The north chapel contains a pointed window of two trefoil-headed lights with cusped tracery. The south transept window is similar, with a hoodmould and weathered gable finial base above.

The west tower dates to the early 19th century and is of three stages with raking stepped angle buttresses at its west end. The ground floor has a plinth course; the south wall bears a slate plaque commemorating the tower's erection in 1811, and the north wall features a simple four-centred arched window of two lights. The clock stage has round openings to the north and south with moulded surrounds; the south opening contains a clock face while the north is blank. The bell stage displays paired pointed louvred openings. A castellated parapet, stepped up to centre and at angles, is surmounted by crocketted finials.

Between the south porch and south transept is a railed enclosure containing a rough hewn stone octagonal font bowl, probably of the 14th century, set on a modern support. The flanking walls display mid-19th-century gravestones. To the rear is a slate plaque recording that the font was discovered during the church's restoration of 1901-1902 by E R Bickersteth FRCS of Liverpool and Craig-y-Don.

The church interior features an exposed roof of arch-braced pegged collared trusses. The chancel is raised by two widely spaced steps, and the sanctuary is elevated by a further step. The rail is moulded on twisted stanchions with foliate brackets. The floor is of polished granite and marble, and the walls are faced with ornate carved marble panelling featuring cusped tracery at the heads, set with foliate bosses within diamond trelliswork. The east window is an early 20th-century light depicting the crucifixion.

To the right of the east window is a 17th-century mural monument comprising a half-effigy wearing a ruff, puffed sleeves, and a doublet embroidered with the Royal Arms of the Stuart period, contained within a plain oval frame. This monument commemorates Thomas Davies, King's Messenger to Charles I, dated 1649. Above it is a crowned skull, and below are two badges of the Prince of Wales' plumes. A rectangular tablet with inscription and a winged cherub's head beneath are positioned below. To the left is a weathered 17th-century memorial tablet to Gulielmus Owen, surmounted by a moulded pediment broken and inset with the figure of a mythical beast, scrolled ornate brackets, and a cherub's head below. Recessed on the north wall of the chancel is a tablet to Countess Warren Bulkeley, died 1826, and below it a bronze tablet to Reverend John Thomas, died 176-.

The north chapel is divided into two sections by a Tudor arch. The northernmost section houses an ornate memorial to Owen Williams of Craig-y-Don, died 1832, with a tablet set within a recessed arcade of vaulting. The outer facing panels bear blank shields within cusped quatrefoils between foliate dividers, beneath a bossed rail. Above, drop pediments with angel terminals frame an ornately carved arched canopy. To the left is a draped monument tablet to Margaret Williams of Craig-y-Don, died 1821. The north window of the north chapel, probably the oldest in the church, bears two shields of arms and was largely spared from the extensive restoration of 1901. The south wall of the south chapel also survived the later restoration and displays coloured panes of glass decorated with foliate motifs and banners bearing verses from the Bible, commemorating Hugh Roberts of Glan Menai, died 1857, and his wife Anne, died 1847.

A 20th-century octagonal font with cusped tracery in its facing panels is positioned at the west end of the church. In the porch is a water stoup on a shaped plinth to the right of the round-headed inner doorway with hollow moulded jambs. Stone benches line the west and east walls.

The walls bear numerous gravestones from the 17th and 18th centuries, including memorials to: David Owen, 1623; Ellen Owen, 1624; Mary Owen, daughter of David Owen and wife of Thomas Madryn, 1649; Owen Owens, 1693; Frances Owen, daughter of David Owen, 1624; R. Ll. son of I. Ll. (Evan Lloyd), 1624; John Lloyd, 1666 and his wife Methanwy (Jones), 1710; Elizabeth (Owen), wife of Elice Lloyd of Panhowel, 1708; John Lloyd, 1739; William Owen of Cremlyn, 1712; Richard Griffith, died 1733; Lucretia, daughter of Robert Edwards of Brynteg, died 1744, and other members of the Edwards family; Rowland Pritchard and wife Margaret (Morgan), died 1759 and 1764; John Lloyd of Pant Howel, died 1764, and his family; and Grace Jones of Bryn Mel, died 1773.

Additional inscriptions include a bequest for the maintenance of a Welsh School by Dr John Jones, Dean of Bangor, 1727; a wooden tablet recording a bequest of bread by Thomas Davies, 1649; and a First World War Memorial on the west wall.