St Mary's - Church of Wales - Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia, Wales.
N 53° 05.503 W 003° 48.150
30U E 446258 N 5882774
St Mary's Church, is in the village of Betws-y-Coed, It is an active Anglican parish church of the Church in Wales, in the deanery of Arllechwedd, the archdeaconry of Bangor and the diocese of Bangor, North Wales.
Waymark Code: WMP1KZ
Location: North Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/10/2015
Views: 1
St Mary's Church church was built between 1870 and 1873 to accommodate the increasing numbers of summer visitors to the area. The church was consecrated in July 1873, but the Tower was not completed until 1907, St Mary's replaced a medieval church dedicated to Saint Michael, also located in the picturesque village of Betws Y Coed, North Wales.
"During the nineteenth century, Betws y Coed grew from being a stage point on the London to Holyhead Road to become a popular holiday resort. As a result, the old church of Saint Michael (near the station) became too small for the growing community. In 1873 this new church, initially known as Christ Church, but later with Saint Mary as patron, was built on an open site in the centre of the village. This was a field previously used for fairs, cockfighting, eisteddfodau, and open-air preaching: it was given by the Gwydir Estate.
The growing village of Betws y Coed was already a varied and progressive community, and this outlook is displayed in the church they built. The tower, however, was not completed until 1907 – this contains the church clock and a set of tubular bells which can be played from a keyboard in the vestry." Adapted from: (
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History
"There has been a church in Betws-y-Coed since before the coming of the Normans to Britain. That Celtic church was replaced in the 14th century with an attractive new church dedicated to St Michael. For centuries St Michael's was perfectly adequate to meet the needs of the relatively isolated village and its surrounding area. However, two things changed that state of affairs.
In the 1820s Thomas Telford's new road from London to Holyhead (the present A5) brought an influx of visitors to Betws, and a subsequent increase in population. Then in 1863 the railroad reached Betws, and another upsurge in the population and number of visitors drawn by the scenic beauty of the area meant that St Michael's would no longer suit the needs of the community. A new church was badly needed." Text Source:
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