Church of St Garmon

Church of St Garmon

This is a church built of rubble stonework with large quoins and slate roofs. It consists of two parallel cells: the south cell with a gabled south porch, and the north cell with a gabled bellcote on the west gable end. The bellcote contains a single bell inscribed RAX 1683.

The south porch has an open pointed outer arch with an iron cross on the coped gable. The interior is plastered and features an inner 19th-century boarded door furnished with elaborate ironwork that opens to the interior.

Windows throughout are square-headed with labels. The south nave has three-light windows with each light trefoil-cusped and deep upper lights, partly renewed. The chancel has two-light windows dating from the 15th-16th centuries with the original label. A similar two-light window on the west side dates from the 19th-century restoration, with a two-centred head having deep drops and cusped upper lights between vertical mullions. The north wall has an 18th-19th century three-light east window. The chancel also has a three-light window similar but later than the south nave window, and a two-light window to the nave with ogee tracery. There is a west door.

Interior

The interior is spacious and divided by a squat four-bay arcade of depressed four-centred hollow-chamfered arches, typical of Caernarfonshire, set on octagonal columns. The south nave spans eight and a half roof bays with low-pitched arched braced collar trusses and exposed rafters supported by two tiers of purlins. The walls are plastered and the floor is quarry-tiled. The north nave spans nine and a half bays of arch-braced collar trusses with cusped raking struts, probably 15th century. The walls are similarly plastered and tiled.

At the centre stands a seven-bay rood screen of the 15th or early 16th century with a moulded head bressumer and stanchions, and fleurons on the lower rail. The inserted arches, including those to the central door, are now missing. On its east side are two late medieval benchends, each topped with a carved and much worn crouching animal and a monstrous bird. The screen bears much faded paintwork. A vestry is divided off at the west end by matchboard partitions.

Stained Glass

The east window contains a Crucifixion of 1917 in memory of Lieutenant David Davies.

Fittings and Furnishings

The south nave altar is raised over two steps and has a 17th-century turned communion rail. The north nave altar is 20th century with an oak communion rail and reredos. The font is an octagonal sandstone bowl with a scalloped lip, raised on an octagonal stem. The pulpit is part octagonal, early 19th century, with a brass oil lamp bracket. By the south door stands a poor box, probably 17th century, in the form of a hollowed octagonal post on a short stem. Tradition holds it was placed here by command of Henry II in 1166 for donations towards the crusades, though this claim is unverified.

Monuments and Inscriptions

The south nave contains several monuments. On the east wall is a Carrara marble scroll on slate commemorating William Cadwaladr Jones of Llwyn-onn, died 1916 on the SS Gangarion. On the arcade is a small slate plaque reading "PLACE LLANARMON T. IM. 1763 2 GRAVES". Below the wooden floor lie four ledger slabs: one to Jane Winn, widow of Owen Hughes of Newborough, died 1686; one to Richard Wynne, infant son and heir to William Wynne of Llanfair, died 1727; one to Elizabeth Williams, widow and eldest daughter of Francis Lloyd of Llangwynnadl, died 1749; and one to Ellin Parry, daughter and heiress of Hugh Wynne of Penarth, widow of Love Parry of Cefn Llanfair, mother of Love Parry of Wern-fawr and grandmother of Love Parry of Penarth, died 1750.

In the porch are two slate charity inscriptions: one records a donation of £100 from Evan Griffith, and another from Mrs Jones of Ddol. A third inscription, dated 1847, records £100 from Hendre at 5% on land yield.