St Mary Magdalene
Cerrigydrudion, Denbighshire
On the southern edge of the timeless Mynydd Hiraethog landscape, this historic church has served the parishioners of Cerrigydrudion for at least 700 years.
St Michael's is at least 700 years old and there may have been a church on the site long before that.
Its close proximity to the River Alwen has made it a victim of flooding on more than one occasion; in 1781 the food level rose to a height of more that 8ft inside the church, sweeping away the east window and wall as the powerful water receded. A stone plaque to the left of the pulpit marks the line of the flood. Further restoration took place in the 1850s and again at the start of the 20th century (the date 1900 can be seen on the church roof, imprinted with patterned slates).
The church porch contains the gravestone of Owain Myfyr (1741-1814), a Welsh bard and patron of many poets and writers of Wales. Owain Myfyr was a native of the village who moved to London as a young man and amassed a large fortune which he then used to encourage the literary life of Wales through co-founding the Gwyneddigion Society.
Another poet also has connections with the church. William Wordsworth visited Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr in 1824 to stay with his friend Robert Jones who was the Rector at the time. It is likely that Wordsworth visited the church during his stay at the parsonage with Robert. Wordsworth was so inspired by the landscape that he penned the poem 'Vale of Meditation' which takes its title from the English translation of Glyn Myfyr and makes reference to Robert Jones' life.
It is possible that the Romantic poet was also inspired by the mythic connections of the area: some Arthurian legends claimed that Merlin was buried in Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr in a round tomb known as Murddyn y lleian. However, if the tomb did ever exist it has been lost for over five hundred years.
Today St Michael's is a pilgrim church offering its quiet welcome to all those who travel through.