Church of St Madryn

Church of St Madryn

A double-aisled parish church built of mortared rubble masonry with freestone dressings. The roof is modern slate with a single bellcote at the west end of the north aisle. The porch is positioned at the southwest corner and has a wide arched entrance with a head of radiating narrow stones. A simple flat-headed doorway is also present at the west gable of the north aisle. The windows are single-light and two-light trefoil-headed lights, mostly in rectangular frames; the east window of the north aisle has a shallow pointed head. The lateral walls are of four bays, with a blocked window at the east end of the north wall.

The interior is a simple church of two aisles with the sanctuary at the east end of the north aisle and a modern enclosed vestry in the northwest corner. The chancel is raised by one step, with the sanctuary a further two steps above it, finished with a brass rail on shaped brass stanchions with foliate brackets.

The church underwent extensive restoration in the mid-19th century. The two aisles are divided by a simple timber arcade of octagonal posts on stone piers. According to the Inventory of Merioneth, the arcade has a plain entablature made of discarded pews, two of which bear the dates 1772 and 1779, now obscured by plaster. The roof has exposed timbers. The south aisle contains six roof bays with arch-braced chamfered collared trusses with cusped braces above the collars. Between the trusses are moulded timbers following the roofline, possibly remains of 16th-century roof timbers. The north aisle has nine roof bays, also with arch-braced chamfered trusses with angled braces over the collar. These were most probably replaced following a fire in 1978, though the truss over the sanctuary may be a re-used 14th-century example.

The fittings date from the mid-19th century, including box pews with chamfered angles. The font, positioned east of the doorway, is an intricately traceried 19th-century octagonal font with traceried panels and a tall, highly decorative carved wooden cover.

The north wall features a small recessed area lit by a single window bearing the image of the patron saint, St Madryn. The east window of the south aisle is an early 20th-century window depicting Jesu Mercy and St David, dated 1904, to Elizabeth Hatton Wood of Pantglas. Alongside is a bronze tablet to her husband, Richard Henry Wood, who died in 1908. The north aisle contains a late 19th-century window depicting Christ as shepherd, dedicated to William Williams, Rector of the parish, who died in 1888.

The church contains numerous memorial tablets. Between two windows is a slate memorial to Richard Roberts of Tyddyn Du, who died in 1816, and his wife Ann, who died in 1828, as well as their daughter Gwen, who died in 1859, and their daughter Ann, who died in 1840, and Margaret, his wife, who died in 1846.

The north wall bears multiple mid and late 19th-century slate memorials and an early 20th-century bronze tablet. It also features a slate to the Jones family of Dolgain, including Elizabeth Jones (died 1840), John (died 1849), Robert (died 1826), Anne (died 1853), Anne (died 1853), and William (died 1793). Additional memorials commemorate Elizabeth Poole (died 1815), Elizabeth Jones (died 1846), Elinor (died 1853), Frances (died 1817), Richard (died 1822), Margaret (died 1805), and Robert Lloyd Jones (died 1890).

Within the recess along the north wall are several mid-19th-century slate, marble and bronze memorial tablets, as well as a bronze to John Lloyd of Bryn Llefrith, who died in 1764, and a slate to John Pryse, who died in 1809.

The west wall bears a mid-19th-century slate memorial and a slate inscribed with an englyn: "Annedd fair sanctaidd noddfa - Gor breiniol / Ger bron Duw a'r dyrfa / Er dim na thyred yma / Y dyn, ond a meddwl dda. / Parch E B Thomas 1899 Eosceiriog."

The south wall contains several slate memorial tablets, including one to John Morris of Calgwyn, who died in 1816, his daughter (died 1828), son John (died 1845), and wife Sarah (died 1847). A slate tablet commemorates Maurice Roberts of Gwynfynydd, who died in 1807, his wife Catherine (died 1818), son David (died 1816), and son Robert (died 1847). Another slate memorialises the family of Rhiwgoch: David Davies (died 1784), Robert Roberts (died 1787), Ann Davies (died 1804), Robert Roberts (died 1842), Jane, wife of Robert Roberts (died 1831), John Roberts (died 1845), Jane Roberts (died 1852), David Roberts (died 1856), Elizabeth Roberts (died 1860), and Robert Roberts (died 1871).