England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanrhyddlad St Rhyddlad

The Parish

The parish of Llanrhyddlad lies in the extreme northwest of Anglesey forming a stretch of the island's coastline with the Irish Sea. Llanrhyddlad is located roughly 8 miles southwest of the port & market town of Amlwch and stands on the A5025 road which links Amlwch with Valley. Whilst the roadside hamlet of Llanrhyddlad grants it name to the parish it is one of 3 settlements within the parish and probably the smallest, equally small is the modern coastal development around the picturesque Church Bay whilst the main settlement is Rhydwyn lying equally between the two and a simple crossroads settlement. This is countryside on the edges of the Welsh landmass and is heavily influenced by salt from the nearby Irish Sea, consequently the soils are rarely suitable for arable cultivation with most earning a living from hardy sheep. The parish was mineral rich with manganese, copper & sulphur being occasionally exploited. Today this is wild country that attracts intrepid hikers to the rougher parts of the Anglesey Coastal Trail whilst also bringing trippers to the beach at Church Bay. Small streams drain the parish the short distance to the sea arriving at the bay to the south of Church Bay. Llanrhyddlad parish covers land from sea level up to 170 metres on Mynydd y Garn which is shared with Llanfairynghornwy. Covering just under 2,700 acres Llanrhyddlad parish was typically sized for its area and would have supported a population of close to 700 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanrhyddlad is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Rhyddlad's church stands not in the village on the A5025 but rather it is just northwest of Church Bay and has commanding views across the sea to Holyhead. Sadly this is not the church in which these marriages would have taken place as it is a Victorian replacement built in 1858, it is not even on the same site as the medieval predecessor. The result is described by Pevsner as "spikey" with its southern porch tower standing sentinel above a rather plain nave and chancel. The only trace of the medieval kies in the church's font. The access road, a rather narrow lane, climbs up from Church Bay to a T-junction where the church stands back in the northern quadrant. The gateway for entry is arched in a rough and ready local stone, the churchyard in this windswept location is, of course, without obstacles for the photographer.