St Paul's church - Gorsedd, Flintshire, Wales
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SMacB
N 53° 16.794 W 003° 16.342
30U E 481839 N 5903441
The High Gothic parish church of St. Paul in the North Wales village of Gorsedd
Waymark Code: WM10V7E
Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/25/2019
Views: 2
"This Victorian church owes its existence to the outrage felt by many members of the public after Lord and Lady Fielding promised the Anglicans a new church in nearby Pantasaph, only to give the building to Franciscan friars. You can read more about their conversion to Catholicism on our web page about the Franciscan friary, which includes the Pantasaph church.
Affronted Anglicans across Wales and England donated enough money for two new Anglican churches. The churches were built on each side of Pantasaph, at Brynford and here at Gorsedd.
St Paul’s Church in Gorsedd was consecrated in October 1853 as the centre of a new parish (the area was formerly under Whitford and Ysceifiog parishes). The architect was Thomas Henry Wyatt. Also built at the same time were a vicarage and a school, which still stands, west of the church.
The church is listed as a fairly early example of “high Gothic” style. It cost £2,024 to construct. The accompanying school cost £665 and the vicarage £1,110.
The church retains its original pews. Some are marked Rhydd – Welsh for “free” – and were always available for anyone to use. Other pews were “bought” by parishioners (a common practice at the time). Some of the Bibles and other books also date from the church’s opening.
Most of the church plate, including the chalice, dates from 1836 to 1856 and was given to St Paul’s by Lady Mary Fielding. She was the second wife of the Lord Fielding, who had switched to Catholicism in 1850. She herself was from a Catholic family.
Unusually, the west window includes Queen Victoria’s coat of arms in stained glass, dated 1853."
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