Church of the Holy Cross

Church of the Holy Cross

This church is built of unshaped stone rubble with a slate roof. The tower is constructed of rounded boulders with rubble quoins. The building consists of a nave and chancel in one cell with the tower at the west end, a south vestry, and a gabled south porch.

The south porch, probably of the late 19th century, has a simply-chamfered pointed-arched entrance within a coped gable surmounted by a cross. It contains one small rectangular window and a boarded door. A commemorative panel set above the arch honours the Reverend John Owen, chancellor of Bangor and vicar from 1723 to 1757, with a quotation from the Psalms and naive angels at the ends.

The nave has 2-light windows with trefoil heads and no hood mouldings. The chancel end is similarly fenestrated with 2-light windows. The wide gabled-ended vestry has 3 lancets enclosed in a shallow arch. The east window comprises 3 lancets with trefoiled heads. The building is strengthened by square set buttresses. The tower has a tall square west window and paired lights to the bell stage, with crow-stepped gables to the east and west sides. A lancet opens to the south side and a west door provides access. A single bell hangs in a west opening of the tower. A bench mark has been added to the southwest corner at low level.

The roof comprises 9 bays formed by 19th-century scissor trusses set on wall posts to stone corbels, with exposed rafters. The walls are plastered above a panelled dado and the floor is boarded. A large slightly-pointed arch formed with roll mouldings in sandstone opens to the vestry and organ chamber. Three steps lead up to the sanctuary, which has higher wall panelling incorporating the reredos framing painted texts on metal sheets.

A low octagonal painted stone font stands in the nave. The 19th-century pulpit is also octagonal, raised on a pedestal, with a brass book shelf and candle holders. The altar rail features close-spaced turned columns carrying a moulded rail. The organ was dedicated in 1915.

The east window contains a Crucifixion of around 1870 dedicated to the Ellis family.

The church contains numerous monuments. On the north side of the nave, from west to east: a white marble panel with a draped urn by Pistell of New Road, London, to Sarah Gaven of London and Bodegroes with arms below; a white tablet on grey with a weeping angel set before an urn by Whitehead of London, to William White of Jamaica and Bodegroes; a Carrara marble corniced tablet to Catherine Glynne Griffith of Bodegroes and Catherine Longueville, died 1835; a corniced white marble tablet with a shield on a diagonally set square above, to Richard Lloyd of Ty Newydd, died 1812, with his wife added 1857; and a corniced marble tablet on painted slate to Reverend Griffith Griffith, son of William Griffith of Bodegroes, died 1803.

On the south side, from west to east: an elegant memorial in marble, alabaster and mosaic to Brigadier Philip Neville Ellis RA, died 1947; an oval slate panel with gilded fleur-de-lis at the top to Valentine Ellis, died 1953; a white marble tablet on gabled green marble to Lieutenant Robert Ellis of the Honourable East India Company, who died at Fort Kalunga, Dhoon; a similar memorial to Herbert Mackay Ellis of Rhyllech, died 1912; a Gothic stone aedicule with inset marble panel to John Ellis, solicitor, died 1824, with his wife added; and a gabled marble tablet to Elizabeth Sheppard Jones, organist, died 1830.

In the vestry are two further monuments: a headstone floated into the plaster to James Smith, National School master, died 1892, and a slate stone to the son of David Leslie, mariner, died 1863 aged 12 weeks.

In the porch are two early monuments of particular interest: an important 6th-century early Christian stone of granite inscribed FIGVLINI FILI/LOCVLITI/HIC IACIT, formerly serving as a gatepost to the churchyard and said to come from Cae Maen Hir, Tir-gwyn; and a small stone inscribed BODVEL with initials HT and GB either side of a shield with chevron and 3 fleur-de-lis, commemorating Huw Gwyn and Thomas Bodfel, who built the south chapel.