Parish Church of St Dyfnog

The Parish Church of St Dyfnog is a large double-naved church with a west tower adjoining the southern chamber. Built of local limestone rubble with red and buff sandstone dressings, it has slate roofs with 19th-century lapped copings and stone crosses on the gable parapets.

The north aisle features a fine late Perpendicular slated timber-framed porch, positioned off-centre to the right. This two-bay structure has arched-braced principals with finely moulded members forming round arches to both front and rear, the latter framing the north entrance. A moulded bressummer displays crenellated brattishing and foliated relief-carved bosses flanking a primitive Green Man carving at the centre. Further brattishing adorns the gable apex with simple blind tracery uprights flanking a central niche fitted with a 19th-century cusped and finialed canopy. The gable has deep verges with 19th-century tracery bargeboards. The sides feature hollow-chamfered post-and-panel lower sections, with eight-bay open tracery upper sections. Inside, additional brattishing decorates the wall plates and tie beams, with the end truss having cusped decoration on its raking struts. The double-arched sandstone entrance has a primary restored oak door with primitive ironwork and wire bird doors. Late 19th-century fixed benching lines the sides, and a modern tiled floor completes the interior.

To the left of the porch are three pointed-arched two-light Victorian windows, the first two paired, featuring cusped Y-tracery with moulded labels and curious volute returns. To the right of the porch is another similar window, with a 16th-century late Perpendicular window beyond. This has a basket arch with hollow chamfer and three squat pointed-arched lights. The mullions, sill and some jamb sections of this window are restored. A similar window appears in the west gable of the north chamber, with an applied 19th-century moulded label featuring carved head stops. The west end of this chamber has an irregular rubble plinth.

The south chamber displays a 16th-century (probably post-Reformation) three-light window to the left (west) with red sandstone jambs and simple buff sandstone tracery. These have round-arched heads and original iron ferementa. To the right stands a 19th-century stepped buttress. East of this is a large, fine four-light early 16th-century window with four cusped-headed lights recessed within a hollow-chamfered basket arch and original ferementa. Immediately right of this is a small grilled cusped light positioned high up, serving the former Rood stair, probably dating to the 14th century. Finally, there is a large four-light 15th-century window with cusped-headed lights and hollow-chamfered jambs, the latter containing a carved head in the soffit, with a moulded label featuring carved figurative returns. The southeast corner has a buttress matching the earlier one.

The square four-stage tower features a battlemented top and heavily battered base. It has a pointed-arched late 13th-century west entrance with moulded jambs, returned label and weathered head stops, containing a recessed early plank door. Small rectangular lights with ferementa and chamfered jambs appear in the ground and first stages of the tower and at the west end of the south chamber flanking. The bell stage has two-light windows with cusped heads and a plain string course above. The north side displays a clock face on the bell stage. Large Perpendicular five-light tracery east windows feature in both chambers — the south with ferementa, the north with hollow-chamfered jambs and carved head stops on returned labels.

The double-naved interior is divided by a late medieval four-bay arcade with octagonal piers having chamfered bases and moulded abaci. Both chambers retain exceptionally fine late 15th or early 16th-century roofs: the main south side has eight bays, the north side nine. The former features hammerbeam principals and arched-braced collar intermediate trusses with moulded members, pegged construction and fine cusping above the collars. Moulded rafters and purlins are arranged in compartments with foliated bosses at the intersections. The wall plate displays good crenellated brattishing with blind tracery arcading above. The hammerbeam trusses have octagonal shafts with moulded abaci and bases, topped by carved wooden angel busts. The two easternmost bays form the sanctuary and feature a fine waggon roof with complex blind tracery panels in eight tiers with moulded ribs and crenellated brattishing. The wall plates and purlins display vinescroll relief carving, the latter with foliated central bosses, the former with carved angel busts at centre and ends, each holding a shield bearing instruments of the Passion (the central north side angel is missing).

The north chamber roof resembles that of the south in its easternmost bays, though the angel carvings on the hammerbeams are 17th-century, with only three of six originals remaining. The four western bays have more conventional arched-braced collar trusses with two tiers of cusped windbraces. Modern parquet flooring covers both chambers, furnished with simple early 20th-century Gothic oak pews with fleurs-de-lis ends. These incorporate several original late medieval bench-ends from which the remainder have been copied. The north chamber contains a medieval octagonal sandstone font with stepped octagonal plinth and chamfered base, plain panelled sides and squat fluted shaft. At the east end, a pointed arched recess in the north wall features a chamfered arch that is a 19th-century restoration. A large medieval iron-bound dug-out chest with early 17th-century poor box post attachment stands here. The chancel (south) has Jacobean-style oak choirstalls from the early 20th century, though partly made from earlier material, featuring strapwork and gadrooned relief friezes with carved urn finials. 18th-century oak altar rails define the sanctuary and return on the north side, with fluted columnar balusters. A Gothic-style organ at the west end dates to 1892, by Hope-Jones, inventor of the electric soundboard.

Monuments in the south chamber (nave): at the west end on the south wall is a very fine large baroque monument to Maurice Jones Esquire of Ddol and Llanrhaeadr hall, died 1702, by Robert Wynne, sculptor of Ruthin. The monument is of figured white marble and consists of a life-sized recumbent effigy lying upon a sarcophagus with a dedication inscription on the front. Behind the effigy is a depressed arch with associated carved drapery swags, parted to reveal a black-coloured back panel. Surmounting the arch is a polychromed heraldic cartouche. Encompassing the whole is a fine aedicular Tuscan architectural frame with engaged pilasters and columns supporting a complex entablature. Flanking the effigy and surmounting the columns are life-sized figures of weeping putti. A segmental entablature displays central and flanking flaming urns with garlands between. To the east on the same wall are five white marble funerary tablets. The first is to Watkin Edwards Wynne of Llwyn, Esquire, Major Commandant of the Merionethshire Militia, died 1796. This consists of a high relief sculpture of a mourning muse contained within an oval niche, sitting within a plain rectangular architectural frame with moulded base and entablature and flanking pilasters, a shaped apron with memorial inscription, and a squat grey marble obelisk above with applied heraldic roundel. Below this memorial is a simple Grecian-style tablet to Anna Maria Wynne (wife of the above), died 1828. Next are three tablets, one above the other: the top one is to David Jones, died 1822, and family, by George Owen, sculptor of Hatton Garden, Liverpool; the middle one is to Miles John Thelwall Esquire, died 1807, and the bottom one is to the Reverend Robert Roberts of Brynmorwydd, died 1817. To the east of the latter is a simple tall Gothic-style tablet of sandstone on a black marble background, commemorating Henry Meredith Mostyn, Royal Navy, of Segryd and Llewesog, died 1840.

On the chancel south wall: a small but fine baroque wall monument to John Lloyd of Brynttyarth Esquire, died 1723 (erected 1724). Of light grey figured marble, this consists of a swagged drapery inscription tablet supported by winged putto heads with voluted sides. A moulded entablature is surmounted by a black painted overthrow with swagged heraldic arms in white marble and a shaped apron with winged putto head. Immediately west of this monument is a Gothic-style tablet in grey, white and brown marble commemorating Charles Manford of Llanrhaeadr, died 1890.

On the north chamber north wall: to the right of the north door is a small second-quarter 18th-century tablet of polished slate to Edward Lloyd, with a shaped top featuring relief-carved skull and crossed bones. Below this is a plain black marble tablet to Margaret Roberts, died 1812. Below this is a small brass funerary plaque inscribed to Robert Lloyd of Llwyn, Gentleman, and his wife Elizabeth, died 1771 and 1766 respectively, with a shaped top displaying skull and crossed bones motif. East of these, between the two windows are three plain classical tablets one above the other, of white and black marble, commemorating Ambrose Price Esquire (top), died 1813, James Vaughan Horne (centre), died 1848, and finally Major John Griffith Price of Llanrhaeadr hall, who died during the Indian Mutiny in 1858. To the right of the east window of the north chamber (the famous Jesse Window) is a small classical tablet of white and black marble to Elizabeth Roberts of Bachymbyd, died 1841. Below this is a small rectangular white marble plaque to Martha Hughes, died 1821, aged 17.

Stained and painted glass: the north chamber east window contains the famous 'Jesse Window', a large and remarkably accomplished Tree of Jesse dated 1533, widely regarded as representing the apogee of the early Tudor North Wales school of glazing. The fragmentary remains of what presumably formed the figurative glass of the chancel (south chamber) east window are contained within the north chamber west window. Amongst the fragments is a date inscription of 1508. This glass was found around 1830 hidden in a local farmhouse, presumably having been removed during the Civil War.

The south chamber has good figurative glass in its four-light window, with two scenes per light: those in the upper portion show scenes from Christ's Passion, the lower show Acts of Charity. The glass commemorates Margaret, wife of Thomas Hughes of Ystrad, died 1854. To the west of this is a four-light window with good figurative glass showing eight scenes from the life of Christ, commemorating James Vaughan Horne, died 1848.

The north chamber north wall has four two-light windows with fine figurative glass dedicated to the memory of Thomas Hughes of Ystrad, died 1881, depicting scenes following the Resurrection. To the west of these is a further window with fine figurative glass from around 1900 showing Christ amongst children.