Historic Churches 2023

BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON H ISTOR I C CHURCHE S 30th ANNUAL ED ITION 29 and the conversion of the stand-alone Eglwys y Bedd (charnel chapel) in an urban churchyard into a social enterprise café beside a children’s play area. Pilgrimage (pererin) is a common theme across at least three of the churches and Llefa’r Cerrig works alongside a funded diocesan pilgrimage initiative. Llwybr Cadfan, a revived pilgrim route, is being developed with Welsh language poetry and music that follows the watery travels of 6th century missionaries from the Age of Saints, including St Cadfan and St Beuno, and later medieval pilgrimage routes to these sites. One architect developed a sea-inspired wave form to better display the 7th- to 9th-century Cadfan Stone, which is incised with the earliest written Welsh, within Cadfan’s church. The sea travelling theme has been picked up in designs for the children’s treasury in St Deiniol’s Cathedral. GOING GREEN In addition to developing low energy solutions for all five major churches, ‘going green’ also comprises enhancing biodiversity and creating attractive open spaces in churchyards. Moving towards carbon neutrality we are seeking to introduce underfloor heating with air source heat pumps, especially where heating will be needed for new activities. PV solar panels are planned for power generation on the south-facing roofs of all five churches following the precedent established by Gloucester cathedral. (Gloucester was the first major Grade I listed British cathedral to deploy a full set of PV cells on its nave roof. Chester Cathedral followed, and most recently in November a large PV installation on the roof of iconic King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.) However, as several of our churches lie low and do not have parapets, there is still third-party concern that the solar panels might be deemed unsightly. Given the stated policy and ambition of the Church in Wales, the Church of England (and the government) to achieve net zero by 2030, the Llefa’r Cerrig team was surprised by the high cost of carbon reduction measures. These are estimated at £1.5 million or 15 per cent of the project’s budget, and grants no longer exist for their installation. We believe the sector would greatly benefit from central church and government action to standardise and speed up planning permission for reversible carbon reduction measures and reduce the costs of converting to renewable energy. We also look forward to working with Caring for God’s Acre and local authorities that manage Welsh churchyards to create green spaces for local communities that promote biodiversity, preserve ancient yews and other trees, and encourage beekeeping. Eglwys Beuno Sant (St Beuno’s Church) at Clynnog Fawr on North Wales Pilgrim’s Way, overlooking the sea towards Ynys Mons (Anglesey), with its holy well and Capel Beuno, where 6th century St Beuno and his followers are said to be buried. (Photo: Esgobaeth Bangor) Eglwys Cybi Sant (St Cybi’s Church) in Caergybi (Holyhead): this early artist’s impression shows the Eglwys y Bedd, a detached chapel that sits with the Roman wall, which is to be converted into a social enterprise café with a play area and rewilded churchyard. (Photo: Pegwa Architects and Esgobaeth Bangor) Cadeirlan Deiniol Sant (St Deiniol’s Cathedral), Bangor: this architects’ preliminary mock-up demonstrates how visitors might be given a better and more informed welcome. Physical access improvements include replacing steps from the West End entrance with a gentle ramp with bronze railings in the form of the wattled fence or ‘bangor’ which would have surrounded the 6th century clas or monastery. Of the two treasuries on either side of the entrance, the one shown is designed for children, with a coracle by which the early saints would have travelled as they spread Christianity along coastal Wales. (Photo: Donald Insall Associates and Esgobaeth Bangor)