Thread by @friendschurches

In the early 7th century, St Peulan chose a bumpy knoll at the end of an isolated causeway on Anglesey to build his church. Raised up out of the earth, surveying the surrounding patchwork fields, it is a beacon in the landscape.

#thread

St Peulan was a pupil of St David and later a follower of St Cybi. After his adventures in Ireland with Cybi and Cyngar, Peulan returned to Wales. Sadly, but perhaps not surprisingly, nothing of Peulan’s original church survives.

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The oldest part of the church is tucked behind the pews at the west end. It’s a hefty, rectangular font. And was possibly carved as early as the 11th century. There’s decoration on four sides: blind arcading, a chevron frieze, a chequerboard panel and a ringed cross.

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Some scholars believe the font was originally an altar and held relics. Perhaps even the bones of St Peulan himself. If this is so, Peter Lord wrote “as an altar of the pre-Norman period, it is a unique survivor in Wales, and, indeed, in Britain.”

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While almost every century has left its mark on this church, perhaps none so much as the 1600s. One thousand years after St Peulan’s foundation, the people of Anglesey continued to worship on this mound.

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Ledgerstones and grave-markers from this period are built into the church as steps and thresholds. Recalling the days of pew rents, one of the chancel stalls declares, “The seate of William Bold of Treyrddol Esquir 1664”.

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Dated stones from this time are even built into lichen spattered churchyard wall. In particular, look out for the gravestone used as a step in the stile over the wall.

There's lots more to St Peulan's: friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/llanbeulan/

#eglwys #ancientwales

Photo @AntonWardPhoto