England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Gyffin St Benedict

The Parish

The parish of Gyffin lies in the extreme northeast of Caernarvonshire forming stretch of the county's coastline, here with the estuary of the River Conway (Afon Conwy). Gyffin is located just under a mile south of the town of Conway and is in reality merely the southern extension of that port and market town. Gyffin was, at the time of this transcript, a discrete small riverside village sitting on the southern banks of the Afon Gyffin and being mostly set along the route of today's B5106 road which connects Conway with Llanrwst along the western side of the valley of Afon Conwy. Over the years Conway has expanded to engulf the former village. Gyffin has some claim to historical fame as the site of a noted battle between Welsh & Mercian forces in 880 when the latter were routed ending their attempt to annex northern Wales. Gyffin would primarily have been a pastoral farming parish with some exploitation of the resources of the Conwy's estuary supplementing farming incomes. Gyffin is drained by the Afon Gyffin into neighbouring Afon Conwy's estuary and thus to the Irish Sea. Gyffin is sited at around 10 metres above the sea t its bridge but climbs steeply southwards to 50 metres on its edges, to the south stands the 130 metre high knoll of Gorse Hill whilst westwards land rises onto the rocky terrain of the ridge which rises into the hills of northern Snowdonia, Cefn Maen Amor at 392 metres leads on to Tal y Fan at 610, the whole dotted with ancient forts, standing stones and hut circles. Gyffin parish covered just over 3,700 acres and would have supported a population of around 650 parishioners. Like most of Wales Gyffin is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Benedict's church stands just west of the bridge over the Afon Gyffin and almost on that river's southern banks, it sits on the northern side of Henryd Road. The church occupies a traditional rounded "llan", usually an indication of an early Christian site, it is believed the first church may have been of wood and 8th century. The core of the current church dates to the 13th century Early English Gothic period with the church consisting of two simple square chambers separated by a wooden rood screen, the southern doorway's jambs remain of this early fabric. The church was expanded during the Perpendicular era with the chancel being rebuilt in that style, the nave extended westwards and the church's iconic timber-framed southern porch added. The 17th century saw further change as a large southern chapel was added to the chancel and a northern chancel aisle also added to increase the capacity. St Benedict received a major Victorian restoration, albeit differing sources suggest alternative dates of 1858 or 1866, that work saw the 17th century chancel aisle replaced with a northern transept and vestry, the eastern wall of that chancel was rebuilt, the bellcote added and internally work removing old whitewash revealed 15th century wall paintings which Pevsner describes as the only "comprehensible 15th century wall-paintings in Gwynedd", they may be faded but they are worth seeing. Gyffin has a large village car park on the northern side of the river allowing a leisurely visit, the churchyard has a significant obstacle, thick tree cover to the southwest, which limits the angles available to the photographer.