Church of St Tegfan, Llandegfan

Church of St Tegfan in Llandegfan is the parish church of a village on the southeast coast of Anglesey, in north Wales. It is a Grade II listed building, and its story reaches back to the early medieval period.

Who was St Tegfan?

The name Llandegfan means "the church of Tegfan". According to tradition, Tegfan was born in Wales to refugee parents: his father was a nobleman from a northern British kingdom that had been crushed, and his mother came from Brittany. He is associated mainly with Anglesey, and the account places his religious cell of the 6th century on the site of the church. These details are a traditional account rather than documented biography. A nineteenth-century gazetteer spells the dedication "St Tegvan", a reminder of how Welsh names were once rendered in English.

How old is the church?

A church at Llandegfan is recorded in 1254, which makes the site at least that old in written sources. The oldest parts of the present building date from the 14th century. The church was then largely rebuilt in 1901-1903, so what visitors see today is mostly a Victorian-Edwardian restoration built around the medieval core. The porch dates from the 16th century. During the rebuilding, workers found an ancient font bowl.

The church was once the mother church of Beaumaris, the historic town a short distance along the coast. It was listed Grade II on 30 January 1968.

What is worth looking for inside?

Near the east window is a memorial to Thomas Davis, who was born in Llandegfan and served as a Messenger to King Charles I. He died in 1649 and left money in his will for the poor of the parish. His will was found in a safe in the church in 2007, and the documents are now kept at the Anglesey Archives in Llangefni. The memorial links a small village church to the events of the English Civil War era.

Where is it?

The church stands in Llandegfan, within the community of Cwm Cadnant, on the Menai Strait side of Anglesey. It belongs to the Church in Wales, in the Diocese of Bangor. The coordinates are roughly 53.2469 N, 4.1538 W.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church old? A church here was recorded in 1254. The oldest surviving parts of the building are from the 14th century, though much was rebuilt in 1901-1903.

Is it a listed building? Yes, it has been Grade II listed since 30 January 1968.

What does Llandegfan mean? It means "the church of Tegfan", after the saint associated with the site.

Who is commemorated inside? Thomas Davis, a Llandegfan-born Messenger to Charles I, who died in 1649 and left money for the parish poor.

Is it close to Beaumaris? Yes. Llandegfan lies near Beaumaris, and this church was historically its mother church.

Visiting

Check locally for opening times, as small parish churches often open only for services or on particular days. The village is a good base for exploring the Menai Strait coast and the nearby historic town of Beaumaris, so a stop at St Tegfan's fits easily into a day on this side of Anglesey. Allow time to look at the porch, the font and the memorial near the east window.