England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanrhos St Hilary

The Parish

The parish of Llanrhos, also named Eglwys Rhos in some sources, lies in the extreme northeast of Caernarvonshire, part of a small incursion of that county's territory east of the Afon Comwy and consequently forming part of the county's border with neighbouring Denbighshire as wel as two stretches of the county's Irish Sea and Conwy Estuary coastlines. Llanrhos is located roughly 2 miles north of the town of Conway and sits immediately west of the A470 road which links the resort of Llandudo with the A55 (North Wales Expressway). Llanrhos historically was a small estate village, indeed two such estates Gloddaeth & Bodysgallen dominated the area, the former now St David's College, the latter a hotel. Llanrhos has an early history where it is believed it was the seat of the ancient Kings of North Wales residence of Maelgwn Gwynedd in the 6th century. The parish contains the site of Degamwy castle established by the incoming Normans in the late 11th century and destroyed by the Welsh in 1260 and now largely a ruin. Llanrhos would have been a typical estate village with its economy dominated by the needs of the two estates and largely based upon pastoral farming and quarrying of the local stone, a few villages would also have been employed in the copper mines of neighbouring Llandudno and the estuary of the Afon Conwy would have been exploited for both fish & shellfish. Modern developments have come to the parish, the branch railway line from Llandudno Junction to Llandudno passes through the parish and the A55 has been upgraded to fast dual-carriageway highway. Despite the proximity of Afon Conwy Llanrhos is drained eastwards by a small stream which reaches the Irish Sea at Penrhyn Bay. Llanrhos is sited at around 30 metres above the sea at the church but covers land from sea level to the 128 metre top of Bryn Pydew, a height also reached by 1 other knoll and the 108 top of the site of Deganwy Castle. Covering just over 3,700 acres Llanrhos was quite an extensive parish for lowland Wales, it would have supported a population of close to 650 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanrhos is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Hilary's church stands on the eastern side of Conway Road a little north of the small village. Whilst the church is largely a construct of the 13th century it is recorded as early as the 7th century on this site. Heavily restored/rebuilt in the 19th century much of the dating detail of the main body has been erased. Pevsner deduces that the nave of this cruciform church must be 13th century to precede the 14th century transepts. The western window of the north transept is about the only recognisable 14th century feature that is original medieval. Two such restorations have wrought such change as to turn the church relatively modern, the first took place in Georgian times in the early 19th century whilst the second of 1861 was the more major work. This was done in keeping with the Decorated style so perhaps a nod to the original styling of the church. At the northern end of the site a layby provides safe parking and enables a relaxed visit, the churchyard is raised slightly and square, there are trees close to the eastern end of the church which impact views from that area but otherwise all other angles are available for the photographer.