St Michael
Betws yn Rhos, Clwyd
An eccentric Victorian gothic church with twin towers which stands on an ancient religious site.
St Cynbryd's is in the village of Llanddulas, between the towns of Colwyn Bay and Abergele on the north coast of Wales.
The earliest record of a church on this site is in the Norwich Taxation of 1254. The early church was ruined by a great storm in 1732 but was renovated. However, by 1868 the building had fallen into disrepair but a new church (the present one), funded by Mr & Mrs Bamford-Hesketh of Gwrych Castle in Abergele, was built in 1868 and was consecrated on 24th May 1869. The architect was Edward Street.
The church has wonderful stained glass windows and a Hill pipe organ which is more powerful than would be expected for a church of this size. There is an intriguing large Victorian marble font, and the eight tubular bells in the tower were restored to working order in 2010.
The large churchyard has ground at the front and back of the church, and includes tarmac paths, lighting, flower beds, neat boundary walls, and bench seats. The churchyard is now called St Cynbryd's Community Gardens and is very popular with walkers and those who like to sit quietly.
The lychgate has an effigy of St Cynbryd holding a bible in one hand and a large club in the other hand. Near the back gate of the churchyard is the entrance to the glebe field which has a small car park and a grass recreational area with bench seats by the Dulas river. It is known as St Cynbryd's Community Park and is used for fairs and other events.