All Saints
Sinan, Denbighshire
A simple, spiritual building with a very special, peaceful atmosphere, where you can sit, reflect and pray as you take in the glorious views along the North Wales coast and the Clwydian range.
This Grade I listed church near the North Wales Pilgrims Way, was founded in the 5th century by St Nefydd, grandson of Brychan Brycheiniog. Nefydd's Well can be found on the outskirts of the small, quiet hamlet that nestles on the slopes of the Hiraethog highland.
The church has significant links to Welsh culture and language. Catherine of Berain, cousin of Elizabeth I and known as the Mother of Wales is said to be buried in the churchyard, the Celtic origins of which are evidenced by its raised, curvilinear appearance. It is the burial place of John Roberts, 1775-1829, founder of the Welsh Harvest tradition, who also helped to correct the edition of the Welsh Bible and Prayer Book published by SPCK in 1799. Local tradition claims that a saint is also buried in Llannefydd churchyard in a circular ditch surrounded by stones and known as Frymder's grave whilst in a nearby cave archaeologists have unearthed the teeth and jawbone of a Neanderthal boy from 230,000 years ago.
The church is a delightful plain, simple, spacious, building, retaining some Medieval stone carvings and flooded by the light that pours through the stained glass window that depicts St David, the Virgin Mary and St Nefydd himself. Younger visitors can enjoy the treasure hunt sheets available but many come here to seek peace and to pray, as they did during the Food Riots of the winter of 1739-40 (when The Thames froze over) and during the Tithe Riots of 1887-1890, the village well known for its involvement in the latter.
Famous sons of Llannefydd include: Thomas Edwards, the Welsh language poet and dramatist better known as Twm o’r Nant (1739-1810); Humphrey Foulkes (1673-1747) clergyman, antiquarian and correspondent of Edward Lhwyd, curator of the Ashmolean Museum; Peter Foulkes (1676-1747) cleric & scholar; William Roberts (Nefydd) (1813 -72) Baptist minister, eisteddfodwr, promoter of British & Foreign School’s Society and author; Thomas Robert Jones (Gwerfulyn) (1802-56) Founder of True Ivorians; Griffith John Williams, curate in charge of Llanefydd, who lived at the Vicarage and was also a writer, broadcaster and winner of the Crown at Colwyn Bay National Eisteddfod 1947.