England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanrug St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Llanrug lies in western Caernarvonshire not too far from its western Irish Sea coastline. Llanrug is located roughly 3 miles east of the coastal town of Caernarvon and sits on the A4086 road which connects Caernarvon through Llanberis and Snowdonia National Park to Capel Curig. The parish of Llanrug is quite extensive with the village of Llanrug only forming a relatively small part of its overall population, Llanrug village is a mid-sized village sitting on the A4086 and on the southern banks of the Afon Rhythallt. Most properties lie along that road or in extensions to both north and south of largely modern developments. The village, itself, lies outside the higher ground of Snowdonia in an area that would have been mixed in agricultural methods, early gazetteers place around 50% of the parish acreage as set to arable, the wider parish incorporate much higher ground where hardy hill-sheep graze the scant upland pastures. This area of Wales is, however, irretrievably associated with slate mining and Llanrug parish included a large quarry owned by Lord Newborough, other extractive industries employed many, notably in the mining of copper. The Afon Rhythallt drains the parish westwards the short distance to meet the Menai Straights just south of the town of Caernarvon. Llanrug is sited on a rising site between 100 & 130 metres above the sea, land rises into the National Park, however, with Cefn Du at 441 metres a mere foothill before Moel Eilio at 726 metres, both looming large in the eastern horizon and proving a lure to today's hikers and climbers. Caernarvonshire parishes are often notably extensive and Llanrug at a little over 4,100 acres was one of the smaller, within that acreage a growing population would peak at close to 1,750 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanrug is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Michael's church sits well out of the village on top of a small hill reached by a narrow lane running southwest from the village and A4086. Dating of this church is a little difficult given all of the external fabric is covered in render, giving it a slate-grey appearance to match the local product. The church probably dates from as early as the 13th century, the period of Early English Gothic, but it is a simple church with nave & chancel only enhanced by curiously shallow transepts of the late 16th or early 17th century. Other early indications are the presence of Decorated style windows of the first half of the 14th century. A date inscribed on the bell of 1767 is indicative of when the bellcote was added. The major work of restoration fell in 1856, one which is described by Pevsner as "obliterating" and rather thorough in its application of that render. The narrow lane of Ffordd Glanmoelyn heads southwest and a small slate sign indicates the track, eventually declining into a footpath, that leads to the church.Whilst narrow the track has a broader verge by the churchyard to enable careful parking. Sadly trees surround the southern aspects of this church making only those views available from the north to the photographer and making for a challenging shoot on a sunny day.