Church of St Catherine, Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey

History

A church of medieval origin, although the oldest part of the present building is the W tower, built by Lord Bulkeley in 1811. The present nave, chancel, N porch and spire were built in 1845 by Weightman and Hadfield, architects of Sheffield. The N aisle was built in 1885 for the Williams Bulkeley family of Baron Hill by R.G. Thomas, architect of Menai Bridge. The S aisle and organ chamber were added in 1890 for the Hampton-Lewis family of Henllys by Henry Kennedy, architect of Bangor.

Exterior

A parish church mainly in Geometric and Decorated styles, comprising an aisled nave with W tower and spire, N porch, and lower and narrower chancel. Mainly of rubble stone with tooled quoins in the nave, and slate roofs behind coped gables on moulded kneelers. The main entrance is on the N side. The porch is buttressed on the R side and its entrance has a pointed arch with 2 orders of continuous chamfer and a hood mould. A small cusped window is in the R side wall. Inside the porch is a nave doorway with pointed boarded door with strap hinges. To its R is a stoup on a moulded shaft. On the L side is a doorway to the N chapel which has a shouldered lintel and boarded door.

Projecting to the L of the porch is the 2-bay N aisle of snecked stone, with freestone quoins and central buttress, and moulded cornice with lions' head water spouts. It has gabled 3-light geometrical windows under hood moulds with linked moulded sill. The 2-light E window has similar tracery. The chancel has simple Decorated windows. The 2-light N window and 3-light E window have pointed trefoils, the former in plate tracery. Above the E window is a re-set stone with Celtic cross in low relief. On the S side of the chancel is a single cusped window and an organ chamber at the end of the S aisle. Both organ chamber and aisle have walls of snecked, rock-faced stone, with freestone dressings and buttresses. The organ chamber has a boarded E door and 2 pairs of cusped lights in the S wall. The higher 3-bay S aisle has a central shallow porch under a steep roof, and boarded door, with blocked side windows. In the R-hand bay is a pair of 2-light windows with pointed trefoils in plate tracery. In the L-hand bay are 2 pairs of simpler cusped lights. To the R of the porch is a re-set memorial tablet to Catherine Jones (d 1717). Further R is a medieval re-set crudely carved face in red sandstone. The 2-light W window also has a pointed trefoil in plate tracery.

The slightly stepped 3-stage tower has banding between stages and deep angle buttresses in the lower 2 stages. In the lower stage is a W window of 2 cusped lights. The middle stage has a narrow window in each face. Paired cusped bell openings have louvres. The ashlar broach spire has lucarnes in the main directions and an upper tier of smaller lucarnes in the intermediate directions.

Interior

The nave has scribed plaster walls and a 3-bay collar-beam roof on corbelled brackets. The 2-bay N arcade has C13 style round pier and responds, moulded capitals and pointed arches with 2 orders of chamfer. A wooden balustrade between arches separates the Bulkeley aisle from the nave and has a gate at the R end allowing the worshippers to proceed to the chancel for communion. The 3-bay S arcade has C14 style octagonal piers with moulded capitals, and arches with 2 orders of hollow mouldings. The segmental-headed tower doorway has a boarded door with iron studs. The N aisle has a faceted roof with moulded ribs, square foliage bosses and an embattled cornice. The S aisle, which is faced in brick and painted white, has a 3-bay arched-brace roof on heavy shafts and corbels. Its S windows have broad colonettes.

The steeply pointed chancel arch has 2 orders of continuous chamfer. The chancel has a 3-bay collar-beam roof on corbelled brackets. On the S side is a pointed arch with continuous chamfer, to the organ chamber, and a doorway to its L with similar detail. The sanctuary has a diaper marble floor added in 1902 and a wooden reredos with blind ogee-headed arcading, brattishing, and central mosaic incorporating an IHS monogram. The organ chamber is faced in brick and painted white.

The font has an octagonal bowl with 2 ogee-headed panels to each facet, moulded stem and base, and a marble-lined bowl. Pews and choir stalls are simple late C19 work. The wooden pulpit, dated 1898, is a polygonal with a panelled front, on a low round pedestal. Spanning the chancel arch is a low wall in imitation of a screen base.

There are numerous memorials, some of which were salvaged from the earlier church on the site. In the centre of the chancel N wall is a large wall tablet to Henry Whyte (d 1728) with double inscription panel framed by pilasters with scrolled sides, apron with low-relief cherubs, elliptical pediment with keystone, achievements to the R and L and surmounted by a bust in the centre. To its R is a Gothic memorial to Sir Robert Williams (d 1830) and his wife Anne (d 1837). An inscription panel is framed by a quatrefoil frieze across the base, panelled polygonal shafts, thinner to the upper portion flanking a canopy of nodding arches, surmounted by a rich frieze. On the L side of the N wall is a smaller Gothic wall tablet to Ann Williams (d 1858). It has a pointed inscription panel within a surround decorated with low-relief foliage and 2 angels, under a crocketed gable. A lower panel by White of London is in a different style, and comprises crossed torches and a wreath.

The E wall of the chancel has a small memorial to Jane White, comprising inscription panel with slate surround, apron, entablature and achievement. A simpler tablet is to Eliza Wilmot (d 1887), and a brass plaque to Robert Williams (d 1865) is by Hart & Son of London.

In the nave W wall is a wooden plaque over the tower doorway commemorating the completion of the new church in 1845. To its R is a memorial to Emma Jones (d 1786), comprising inscription panel over an apron with coat of arms, and beneath a steep pediment with urn. Below it is a white marble panel with grey marble surround to Elizabeth Jones (d 1813). Further R is a memorial to John Hampton Hampton Lewis (d 1843) by C.M. Seddon of Liverpool. It has a tapering panel, scrolled sides over a moulded base, and pediment with achievement. On the L side of the tower doorway is a simple marble tablet to Justina Morgan (d 1851) and a simple tablet with moulded surround to Joseph Hampton Hampton (d 1878).

In the nave N wall are 2 plain panels commemorating Charles Lewis (d 1844) and Owen Owen (d 1857). A slate panel to William Dalton (d 1763) has an inscription below a coat of arms in low relief. In the S aisle E wall is a large brass plaque commemorating all the members of the Hampton and Hampton-Lewis family of Hennllys who were buried at Llanfaes between 1460 and 1946. Below it is a triple brass plaque to 3 members of the family who died in the period 1906-12. In the N aisle is a large brass plaque commemorating Thomas James Williams Bulkeley (d 1887) by Matthews & Hodgson of London. It comprises 3 Gothic arches with central inscription panel and guardsmen under the outer arches. To its R is a Gothic wall tablet with inscription panel framed by a cusped arch, foliage cornice and crowned by a frieze of flowers.

Several windows have stained glass. The E window depicts the Resurrection. The chancel S window has a re-set figure of St Peter, possibly from the older church. In the chancel N wall is the baptism of Christ. In the S aisle, the window near the E end depicts the Nativity and resurrected Christ in one pair of lights, and SS Catherine, Nicholas and Maurice in the other pair, the latter dated 1964 and probably by Martin Travers (the monogram is partly obscured). In the window near the W end the L-hand pair of lights depicts Christ as the Good Shepherd, by T.A. Gibbs and W.W. Howard, and the R-hand pair the New Testament scene 'Suffer little children'. The W window has 2 angels. In the N aisle a commemorative window on the W side has 3 angels and 2 earthbound mourners, dated 1884 by Ward & Hughes of London. The window on the E side, dated 1885 and probably also by Ward & Hughes, shows the Crucifixion.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its special architectural and historical interest as a well-detailed C19 parish church with family aisles, and with good interior detail, some of it salvaged from an earlier church on the site.

External Links

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