England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Bryn Eglwys St Tysilio

The Parish

The parish of Bryn Eglwys lies on the southern border of Denbighshire forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Merioneth. Bryn Eglwys is located roughly 5 miles northwest of the town of Llangollen from which it is separated by loft Llantisilio Mountain, by road it is over 11 miles. Bryn Eglwys sits on and mostly south of the A5104 road which connects Chester through to Corwen and the A5 (London to Holyhead) road. The heart of this small village is a crossroads of lanes with most properties lying along that headed southwestwards along the valley of Afon Morwynion which constrains its sideways expansion. The valley bottom would have provided some richer grazing for cattle but the majority of the parish acreage is upland rough grazing suitable only for the hardy sheep of the area. Bryn Eglwys is drained southwestwards by the Afon Mowynion which meets the River Dee (Afon Dyndwy for the Welsh) at Carrog, here water turns east passing through Llangollen and out to the Cheshire plains before curving around Wrexham and heading for Chester and the Irish Sea through its Dee Estuary. Bryn Eglwys is sited at around 240 metres above the sea but it surrounded by tall mountains, to the northwest lies Bryn-ye-Orsedd at 405 metres but Llantisilio Mountain overtops this with Moel Morfydd at 549 metres and Moel y Gamelen at 577, all of this terrain being the target for hikers & mountain bikers sparking a tourism industry for Bryn Eglwys. For a largely upland parish Bryn Eglwys was rather small covering only a little under 3,300 acres as a strip along the valley, that acreage would, however, have supported a population of around 450 parishioners. Like most of Wales Bryn Eglwys is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Tysilio's church sits on the northern edges of the village quite close to the Afon Morwynion and the A5104, it is tucked away behind the properties of Llys Ial and accessed by a footpath. This is a simple church with most fabric dating back to the late medieval period of the Perpendicular. Whilst Pevsner does not give a specific date the British Listed Buildings site attributes the core of the building to the 15th century. The 3-light east window is a typical example of the Perpendicular style. Prior to the dissolution of Henry VIII the church was a satellite of the Abbey at Valle Crucis. During the 16th century estimated at c1570 a new chapel for the local Yale family was added to the southeast, it is believed this also prompted a thorough restoration of the remainder. Like most churches there was a typical Victorian restoration, here in 1875, besides restoring the church that work removed the former west gallery and added the present south porch and northwestern vestry. Llys Ial is more than adequately wide enough to permit safe on-street parking, the church is accessed by an alley beside a house where Llys Ial performs a tight turn. There are some trees to the southeast but they can be easily avoided and all other angles are totally free for the photographer.