Church of St Beuno, with attached Chapel of St Beuno

The Church of St Beuno, with its attached Chapel of St Beuno, is built of large-scale local roughly coursed gritstone rubble, with squared rubble used as quoins, sandstone dressings, and lead roofs concealed behind crenellated parapets. The church comprises a chancel, north and south transepts with a north porch, and a west tower, to which the chapel is linked by a covered way. A two-storey vestry was attached around 1500 to the north side of the chancel.

The walls have a hollow-moulded plinth and continuous sill string. Both nave and chancel feature Perpendicular windows with sharply pointed heads and cusped panel tracery, the alternate lights ogee-headed, all with casement moulded jambs. At the east end stands a huge seven-light window; five-light gable windows light the transepts. A door in the north transept has a four-centred head. The two-storey porch has a moulded outer open arch, the jambs splayed internally, and two chambers above lit from small two-light windows, with an external door at first floor level on its east side. The inner door to the nave is moulded as the outer. The west door of the tower is deeply set and square headed, with shields containing quatrefoils in the spandrels. The label drops terminate in mitred heads. Above is a three-light window, also deeply set in casement mouldings and with a hood moulding. The tower has two upper stages, the top stage with three-light bell openings with slate louvres on three sides. The crenellated parapets throughout, rebuilt during the restorations when the gargoyles were removed, have crocketed square pinnacles at the corners. The vestry, added to the north side of the chancel, is of three storeys, with an external stone stair on the west. A polygonal stair in the southeast angle of the south transept provides access to the roofs. The tower has slate louvres to the bell openings and a cast lead roof covering.

The Chapel of St Beuno lies south of the west tower, angled slightly to the south of the axis of the church. Built of the same materials, but roofed with copper sheet, it is of four undifferentiated bays, with a moulded plinth and low wall string, and a further string at the base of the low-pitched crenellated gables. A large five-light east window with sub-arcuate panel tracery, and similar three-light side windows with supertransoms lighting the east end. Leaded glazing throughout. The west door has moulded jambs and head, set in a square opening interrupting the wall string, and has a label moulding with crouching beast terminals, and quatrefoil and mouchette spandrels. A small two-light trefoil headed window is placed at high level. Crocketed pinnacles sit on the square corner merlons. Lead downpipes and hoppers. The linking vaulted pentice has one narrow square-headed lancet placed centrally at each side, and an offset course at the springing of the vault.

The interior of the church is grandly spacious, with whitewashed walls and clear of fixed furniture. A later 15th-century roof of alternate hammer-beam trusses and moulded intermediate principal tie beams supporting the low-pitched roof supported by moulded purlins and ridge piece, with the intersection bosses carved with leaf and rosette motifs. The wall posts below the ties stand on stone corbels. Wide arches to the crossing, with triple roll imposts separated by hollow mouldings, rising to small circular capitals and the arch over with a bracket-moulded order. The crossing is stone paved, carried into the transepts. Six 16th- to 17th-century trusses in Gothic style infilled with tracery above the tie beams, the end trusses arched over the heads of the transept windows. Two steps lead into the chancel, passing through a rood screen of 1531, much restored in 1940. The short chancel is of two roof bays, with further steps to the high altar. Whitewashed walls and stone paving. On the south side, a small arched piscina and triple sedilia with crocketed canopies. The tower has a transverse oak bellframe with three bells. The tower roof contains some reused moulded timbers.

Fittings: The chancel screen of 1531 has three bays either side of central doors. Bar-stop chamfered sill and moulded posts supporting the roof loft, mostly of 1940, with excellently carved bands of undercut oak swaying scrolls based on original evidence. The tower screen is a robust post and panel partition with the upper register of turned balusters. Three-plank studded door with a curved head. Font: diminutive panelled step carrying a modern octagonal bowl of oak. Organ: the gift of the Glynne family of Glynllifon, 1932, originally hand blown, with an end console. Pulpit: around 1700, octagonal and panelled, a scrolled beast on the top panel. In the chancel, fine choir stalls of around 1500, four each side returning as three backing on to the rood screen. Small arms with carved head terminations and misericords supported on traceried brackets with leaf supporters. The book desks have linenfold panelled fronts between moulded muntins, poppy-head terminals, and facing into the axial passage, the Glynne double-headed eagle crests.

Glass: Seven 19th-century roundels in the east window; the Glynllifon glass of 1540–1558 has been removed.

Monuments: In the chancel (a) Chest tomb in the northeast corner. Shallow carved sides and capstone, carrying armorial bearings of William Glyn de Lleiar, knight, died 1609, the side panelling with quartered arms superimposed. Above, (b) William (Glynne de Lleuar) died 1609, kneeling in front of a reading desk, seven children behind, set in a corniced panel, inscription between supporting consoles, and arms on a cartouche over; (c) White figured marble panel with pilasters supporting a broken cornice, putto on apron, to George Twistleton of Llyaer (married to the heir of William Glynne of Lleiar), died 1714, his sister added; (d) Black marble tablet by Spence of Liverpool, with white panel with cornice and acroteria, to the Reverend Hugh Williams, vicar, died 1833. On the south wall (e) a black marble tablet with white marble inscribed panel and cornice, to Reverend John Williams, died 1809. In the north transept, (f and g) two tablets of white marble on black slate, to John Williams, died 1877; (h) Soloman Williams, died 1848, a Methodist. Also various brasses of the Williams family of Brynaerau, and a Lleuar brass to William Glynne of Lleuar, died 1633, in a still medieval style. At the northwest end of the transept (i) a ledger raised on square balusters, to George Twistleton of Lleuar, died 1667, carved with inscription and arms, another slightly raised ledger before it (j) to Reverend Philip Twistleton BA, died 1700, with his sister, and (k) a further ledger slab on the floor under to a later William Glynne, died 1660, with his arms and inscription. In the south transept, set low on the wall, (l and m) two tablets to Elizabeth Williams of Nantcall, died 1760, and Thomas Williams, also of Nantcall, died 1794.

Furniture: In a glass case, Cyff Beuno, the hollowed trunk chest of St Beuno, bound in iron in the 17th century and provided with two locks. It was originally located at the east end of the chapel.

The Chapel of St Beuno is approached by an external passage from the tower, which was at one time used as the village lock-up. The plain walls corbel inwards to support the large slab ceiling, above which the vault is corbelled. Stone lintels at each end, and one small window each side. The chapel is of four roof bays, the trusses carried on wall posts on corbels. The walls are whitewashed and the floor stone paved. One step only differentiates the east end. A vice stair in the northwest corner provides access to the roof. On the south wall at the east end a trefoil headed piscina, with an aumbrey in the east wall. Set in the floor the 'Maen Beuno', a boulder inscribed with a simple cross of seventh- to ninth-century date, found at Glan Beuno y Bont Newydd, where it had served as a boundary marker. The tomb of St Beuno was here until moved in 1793.