Sunday …. so Off to Church – in Snowdonia

Saint Marys Church, Beddgelert, Snowdonia

Thanks to Victorian modifications Saint Marys Church, the Parish Church of Beddgelert, looks much younger than its actual history. In fact Saint Marys Priory and Church is built upon the oldest known Christian settlement in North Wales. Records go back as far as the 6th century but like so many of our Abbeys and Monasteries the Benedictine Monastery that once stood here was substantially destroyed in the 16th century during the infamous Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Later the Priory  became the Parish church and with care over the following years it was rebuilt and modified at various stages.

Whilst the exterior is solid and austere the interior is more simplistic and modern…

The white walls contrast with the dark carved wooden Rood Screen before the Alter. The modernisation continued with the installation of new Stain Glass windows thru the 19th  and the 20th centuries.

Beddgelert is a small village and ‘Promotes’  itself as the ” Place of Legends “.  It is an attractive Welsh Stone village were two rivers meet to form the River Glaslyn.  The twin arched Bridge and the famous Prince Llewelyn Hotel are the picturesque centre piece of the village.

The village has a population of only 500 folk and during the Tourist season welcome visitors by the thousands. Visitors drawn to Beddgelert both by its naturally beautiful location in the shadows of the Snowdonia mountain range and by the many romantic legends that are just that…… legends. They can trek to Grave of Gelert the Faithfull Hound (see link for text :- http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/textonly760-the-story-of-gelert.html)….ironicallyn the name Gelert means Grave.

After passing close to Saint Marys the Glaslyn rapidly descends over cascades down through Aberglaslyn Pass…

23rd April

(C) David Oakes 2017