Described on Wikipedia (link below) St Mary's is introduced:
'St Mary's Church
None of the original church built by Llywelyn in the 13th century remains, except possibly for part of the wall of the south aisle, the result of heavy remodelling in the 15th and 16th centuries, and again in the 19th century. A 17th-century altar remains in the church, although the one used is a larger Victorian example. The carved hexagonal pulpit dates from 1633, and the church possesses a “Breeches” Bible of 1589, (another term for the Geneva Bible of 1560). There is also a silver chalice inscribed “the cuppe of Trefriw, 1701”, and registers date from 1594.'
The origins of the church date back to 1230 with rebuilding in the 15th, 16th and 19th centuries. It was Llywelyn the Great (Llywelyn ap lorwerth) and his wife who founded the church. He was one of the most powerful princes of Wales in the 'Kingdom of Gwynedd'. Llywelyn introduced Welsh castles and signed the Magna Carta.
In the churchyard Glan Geirionydd is buried. He was one of the most renowned poets of the 19th century, being an Anglican Priest and working mostly in Chester. There are more details in the excellent church leaflet.
Inside the church are some beautiful stained glass windows and an informative panel about the church.
Llywelyn's interesting story is told on Wikipedia:
visit link
'Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great) chose Trefriw as the site for a hunting lodge in the 12th century. Given that he had a number of strongholds in north-west Wales, it is not possible to know how much time he spent in the village, although it is reported that he preferred his lodge at Trefriw to his Palace at Aber. There are no remains to be seen today but it is now believed that it was on the site of the Ebenezer Chapel on the main hill. Llywelyn married Siwan or Joan, the youngest daughter of King John of England in 1204 or 1205, when she was only about 13. Despite her relative youth, she in time grew weary of the trek up the steep hill to the church at Llanrhychwyn (regarded by many as being the oldest in Wales), and as a result, in about 1230 Llywelyn endowed a church on the site where St Mary's, Trefriw now stands.
Llanrhychwyn (which takes its name from Rhochwyn, son of Helig ap Glannog) is now a small hamlet. In Llywelyn's time, however, and up to the early 19th century, it was larger than Trefriw itself, which consisted of "a few houses here and there". In Hanes Trefriw, Morris Jones writes in Welsh that Llywelyn "built a church for [his wife's] use, and for the use of the inhabitants, for their kindness towards him, and that he donated a number of farms from the parish of Llanrhychwyn, naming them as the parish of Tref Rhiw Las. It got this name from the slope on which it stood".
At the lower (northern) end of the village is located "Ffrwd Gwenwyn y Meirch" - ("poison the horses stream"). It is said that the stream was poisoned by Llywelyn, resulting in the deaths of many horses, at a time when he was at war with the English.'
Services are held as follows and are detailed on the primary website below:
1st Sunday 10.30 Holy Communion
2nd Sunday 10.00 Family Service
3rd Sunday 9.15 Holy Communion
4th Sunday 9.15 Holy Communion
5th Sunday 9.15 Holy Communion
Other Services
1st Sunday 10.30 United Service