England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llangar All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Llangar lies in northeastern Merioneth forming a stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Denbighshire. Llangar sits about 1 mile southwest of the small town of Corwen on the B4401 road which links Corwen with Llandrillo. There is no village of Llangar whatsoever and the place does not feature of modern Ordnance Survey maps. The largest settlement within the parish is that of Cynwyd, a compact crossroads village (and now home to the new parish church) some 1 miles further southwest from the former church. Llangar is an upland parish and quite extensive, the better quality land along the course of the Afon Dyfrydwy (River Dee to the English) is lush pasture for largely cattle, much of the eastern portion of the parish is rough upland grazing frequented largely by hardy sheep. Modern developments have come and gone from the parish, a railway line from Corwen to Bala passing through has now closed and left only bridges and cuttings to mark its former presence. The Dee drains the parish northeastwards, turning east at Corwen to pass through Llangollen and out into the Cheshire plain where a broad curve takes it to Chester and the Irish Sea through the Dee Estuary. Llangar is sited at around 150 metres above the sea at both its former church and at Cynwyd, land rises steeply eastwards onto high hills summitting at 627 metres on Moel Fferna. Like most upland parishes Llangar was extensive covering almost 3,600 acres of which only 1,300 acres was enclosed good quality land, that acreage would have supported a population of close to 250 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llangar is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

The former church of All Saints sits west of the A4401 and almost on the banks of the Afon Dyfrydwy/Dee, the church has been deconsecrated and is now cared for by CADW with a new church built in Cynwyd to replace it as the parish church. All Saints is a small church typical of many within its area, undivided into separate nave and chancel and augmented with a southern porch and western bellcote. The earliest fabric identified by Pevsner is a tiny window to the sanctuary which he dates to the 15th century. Several stone within the church carry dating from 1617 indicating a period of major work at that time, the northern doorway and several windows echo that early 17th century dating. Because of subsidence the entire western end was rebuilt st some time in the 18th century when the gallery was inserted. The church escaped the Victorian restorers and was relatively untouched again until deconsecrated in 1967. The chancel's northern wall was shored up in 1974 to maintain the church's stability. The principal reason for its retention is the wall paintings within the church, restoration has revealed work from the 14th to 18th century in these pieces which are worthy of a visit in themselves. The lane which accesses the church is signed with a brown signboard where it leaves the B4401, it is surfaced but parking should be careful, the church is found by crossing a field from the bank-side farmhouse. The churchyard is open and uncluttered with no obstacles for the photographer.