England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanbabo St Pabo

The Parish

The parish of Llanbabo lies in northern Anglesey roughly 6 miles southwest of the town of Amlwch. Llanbabo sits within an area devoid of significant numbered roads the closest such road sitting over 3 miles to its northwest being the A5025 road linking Amlwch with Holyhead. Llanbabo is a tiny place, a loose collection of farms and cottages with no real centre. The parish occupies the northern banks of the infant Afon Alaw, nowadays a reservoir and nature reserve, the largest body of freshwater on the island. Completing the green energy theme Llanbabo sits between reservoir and the Llyn Alaw Wind Farm of 34 turbines along the low ridge to its north. Much of the parish is traditional pastoral farmland with a few hardy crops interleaved. The Afon Alaw drains the parish southwestwards to reach the Irish Sea through Llanfachraeth. Llanbabo is sited at around 60 metres in gently rolling countryside, that wind farm topped ridge only reaching 98 metres is nevertheless the highest ground for some distance. By the standards of the island Llanbabo was a modestly small parish covering a little over 1,700 acres which would have supported a population of close to 150 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanbabo is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Pabo's church sits on the southern side of the narrow lane which parallels the northern banks of the reservoir, it sits within the traditional rounded churchyard or "llan" that marks an early Christian site. St Pabo was a nobleman, one of the ancient princes of Wales, who fought for wales in the 5th century. That century allegedly marks the time of this church's foundation but, of course, nothing of that early time remains, that church would have been largely of wood.Today's church has its origins in the 12th century, the era of Norman Romanesque style, a single-chambered church today despite rebuilding to enlarge in the 14th century. Scars on the building indicate the original chancel was apsed and that feature was removed to enlarge the chancel in that date, the eastern wall was also rebuilt in that century. Some sources indicate a contemporary date for the western bellcote but Pevsner questions that dating. For once only a modest restoration, here in 1909, has left us with most of the early features intact. The lane is briefly widened opposite the church enabling careful on-road parking, the lane carries little traffic. The round churchyard has no obstacles for the photographer.