The Rectorial Benefice of St Asaph

The Parish Church of St Asaph and St Kentigern

CHURCH HISTORY

The Parish of St Asaph derives its Welsh name (Llanelwy) from the River Elwy, on the banks of which the exiled Cyndeyrn (Kentigern or Mungo) founded his church in about AD 560. The first bona fide notice of the existence of the Parish can be found in Domesday AD 1088. The Parish Church, like most of those in the Vale of Clwyd, consists of two equal and parallel aisles separated by an arcade. According to Archdeacon Thomas' 'History of the Diocese' they were traditionally known as 'Eglwys Cyndeyrn' and 'Eglwys Asaph'. The general character of the church is perpendicular and its most striking feature is the handsome roof of the south (right) aisle. It is thought that this dates to the restoration that followed Glyndwr's destructive visit. Proof of the existence of an earlier building is seen inside at the base of the pillars of the arcading which are built on earlier bases and outside in the south wall which shows an earlier foundation. The inner door to the south porch, although much repaired, appears to date from 1687. The church came through the Commonwealth seemingly unscathed due to one of the local gentry at Wigfair (now in the Parish of Cefn) being a sympathiser of the Cromwellian Party. In the course of restoration in 1872 by Gilbert Scott, the gallery on the north wall, the old pews and the triple decker pulpit on the south wall, between the door and rood loft light, were removed. Open seating was inserted, the chancel paved with encaustic tiles and new oak seats supplied. A new porch was built on the south side and a new vestry on the north. The reopening took place on St Luke's Day 1872. The oak reredos was given in 1889 by public subscription. The stained glass in the church also dates from this period. Much of the church silver, some dating back to 1621, is kept in the Cathedral Treasury and can be viewed on request.

The old oak chest was at one time used to house the Parish Registers and plate. It has three locks and required the Vicar and Churchwardens all to be present to obtain access, each having a key. Today the original Parish Registers are housed at the County Records Office, The Old Rectory, Hawarden where they can be read by the public.A little way up the hill from the Parish Church, on the right hand side, are the Alms Houses (now the Barrow Restaurant) which were founded by Bishop Barrow in 1680 and rebuilt in 1795 by Bishop Bagot. The Alms Houses provided accommodation for eight widows chosen by the Bishop, Dean and families of Cefn and Llannerch. At the beginning of its history, the Parish seems to have included a larger area than the present Parish of St Asaph. It seems, from an enquiry held in 1607, that even as late as 1572, the inhabitants of the townships of Meifod, Kinmel and Dinorban were considered parishioners of St Asaph. The Norwich Taxation, AD 1254, reckoned the Cathedral and Parish under the Deanery of Rhos and Rhufoniog, but the Lincoln Taxation, AD 1291, placed them apart and mentioned five priests here. The stipend of one of them, Kenewr ap Beddyn, being returned as £4-6s-8d and the rest as £3-6s-8d each. A few years later, on September 20 1310, Bishop Llewelyn ap Ynyr (de Bromfield), who took a prominent part in remodelling the Cathedral services, made a new arrangement for the Parish, assigning the Cure of Souls to four vicars. In 1860 the new Parish of Bodelwyddan took the senior Vicar's district, Cefn, and in 1865 that of the second Vicar, leaving the remainder of the Cure to the remaining two. Richard Robert Jones, 'Dick Aberdaron', who died in 1843, is buried in the Parish Churchyard, as is Sion Tudyr, bard, who lived at Wigfair and died in 1602.

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