England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llandegfan St Tegfan

The Parish

The parish of Llandegfan lies in eastern Anglesey forming a lengthy stretch of the county's Menai Strait coastline and sitting across that body of water from the Caernarvonshire town of Bangor. Llandegfan is located roughly 3 miles west of the town of Beaumaris and sits northwest of the A545 road which links Beaumaris with Menai Bridge. Llandegfan consists of two principal settlements, along a lane inland parallel to the A545 lies the linear settlement of Hen Bentref Llandegfan with the church at its southwestern end, between that lane and the A545 lies the more modern development that now forms the main village. The main economic activity of the parish lay in pastoral farming supplemented by the exploitation of the resources of the Menai Strait, a short pier at the northern end of the parish serving that need. Today tourism is an important activity boosted by the Anglesey Coastal Trail which passes extensively through the parish. Llandegfan is drained by the Afon Gadnant which transforms from gentle stream running southwestwards across the inland plateau to a tumbling brook as it descends to the Menai Strait though a wooded and steep sided course. Llandegfan is sited at sea level and rising to the high parts of Hen Bentref Llandegfan which reach 90 metres, the highest ground for a mile or two. Llandegfan parish was typically sized for the island covering close to 2,800 acres and supporting a population of around 800 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llandegfan is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Tegfan's church sits at the junction of lanes running up from Menai Bridge and along from Hen Bentref Llandegfan, where they meet the church sits on the northern side of the junction. Enough remains of medieval fabric to deduce that the church originates from the 14th century but such has been the restoration and rebuilding that most fabric dates from the early 19th century through to the early 20th. Both nave and chancel sit on the original 14th century foundations with patches of rough walling stone presumably from the first build, the porch doorway is contemporary but has been reused from its original position, the doorway to the south is Perpendicular and 15th century. The western tower is the earliest of the more modern features with its completion date in Georgian times in 1811, inscriptions record that date in both Latin and Welsh. The chapel and transepts are also 19th century and many windows, built in Cheshire red sandstone, are from the early 20th century restoration. Outside the churchyard a small set of marked car parking places allow an extended visit if fortunate, otherwise on-street parking may be found further west. The church is built on a north to south line rather than the traditional east to west version, the tower being prominent immediately inside the gate is best viewed from there, both aspects from west and east are available for the landscape plan of image.