Brief History of St. Beuno Church
According to tradition Clynnog was founded in about 630 by Beuno who was given the site by the cousin of the King of Gwynedd. The earliest church was probably a fraction of the size of the present St. Beuno’s chapel although it was built on the same site. Beuno founded a “Clas”, a cross between a monastery and a college, an institution peculiar to the Celtic Church. It became the most important ecclesiastical centre for western Caernarfonshire. The church is recorded as being burnt by the Vikings in 978 and later by the Normans. The present building dates mainly from 15thC and 16thC. The chancel and transepts were built about 1480. The nave and porch around 1500, the vestry, tower and St. Beuno’s Chapel 1500-1550. The passage between the main church and chapel dates from about 1610-1620. The lych gate is probably 18thC. The nave roof, the screen to the right of the main door and the rood screen are from the Tudor period. In the chancel there are fourteen prebendary stalls bearing the arms of Glynllifion family (double headed eagles) and sedillia, stone seating for the clergy. The present appearance, except for the loose chairs, is very much as the church would have been 450 years ago. Until 1796 it housed Beuno’s tomb.
For centuries Clynnog Church has been an assembly point for pilgrims, especially to Bardsey Island. Because of the many grants of land by local Princes and gifts from pilgrims Clynnog became a wealthy institution. By the late Middle Ages it had become a “portionary” church where a number of clergy shared the benefice and duties. As a portionary church Clynnog escaped dissolution by Henry VIII.
Hanes Byr o Eglwys St. Beuno
Cafodd Clynnog ei greu o gwmpas 630 gan Beuno, a gafodd y lleoliad gan gefnder Brenin Gwynedd. Mae'n debygol bod yr Eglwys wreiddiol dipyn llai na'r Eglwys a saif heddiw, er iddo gael ei adeiladau ar yr un llecyn. Sefydlodd Beuno "Clas" sydd yn groes rhwng mynachlog â choleg, sefydliad unigryw i'r Eglwys Geltaidd. Fe ddatblygodd i fod yn ganolbwynt eglwysig pwysig i Orllewin Arfon. Yn ôl cofnodion, cafodd yr Eglwys ei losgi gan y Llychlynwyr yn 978 ac unwaith yn rhagor gan y Normaniaid. Mae'r adeilad presennol yn dyddio yn bennaf rhwng y 15fed a 16eg ganrif. Adeiladwyd y gangell a'r transepets o gwmpas 1480, y nave a'r cyntedd o gwmpas 1500, y Festri, tŵr a chapel St. Beuno 1500-1550. Mae'r ffordd rhwng yr Eglwys a'r capel yn dyddio o gwmpas 1610-1620. Mae'r giât yn debygol o fod o gwmpas 18 ganrif. Mae'r to, y sgrin i'r dde o'r drws ffrynt o gyfnod y Tuduriaid. Yn y Gangell, y mae yna bedwar ar ddeg o stondinau prebendariaid yn arddangos arfbais teulu Glynllifon (Eryr efo dau ben) â seddi cerrig i'r clerigwyr. Ar wahân i'r cadeiriau rhydd y mae'r eglwys yn edrych bron yn union fel y byddai wedi 450 mlynedd yn ôl. Tan 1796 roedd yn gartref i feddrod Beuno.
Am ganrifoedd, roedd Eglwys Clynnog yn fan cynnull i bererinion ar y ffordd i Ynys Enlli. Oherwydd nifer o grantiau tir gan y tywysogion lleol ac anrhegion gan bererinion, ddaeth y sefydliad yng Nghlynnog yn gyfoethog. Erbyn diwedd y Canol Oesoedd roedd wedi datblygu yn Eglwys cydgyfranedig, lle'r oedd yna nifer o glerigwyr yn rhannu'r fywoliaeth a'r dyletswyddau, oherwydd hyn llwyddodd i osgoi ymdoddiad Harri'r VIII
To find the coordinantes for the cache answer the following questions:
I ddarganfod lleoliad y cache, atebwch y cwestiynau dilynol:
A) What is the purpose of the standing stone?
A) Beth yw pwrpas y Maen Hir?
1) To mark the original church site. (7) 2) A sundial. (2) 3) To mark St. Bueno’s tomb. (9)
1) I nodi lleoliad yr Eglwys wreiddiol. (7) 2) Deial Haul. (2) 3) I nodi bedrodd St. Beuno. (9)
B) Displayed is the south transept what was this object used for?
B) Wedi ei arddangos y mae transept deheuol, beth oedd y hwn yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer?
1) To handle hot coals. (4) 2) To handle St. Beuno’s relics. (8) 3) To remove fighting and unruly dogs. (6)
1) I gydio mewn glo poeth. (4) 2) Ar gyfer dal Creiriau St. Beuno. (8) 3) I gael gwared o cwn oedd yn ymladd (6)
C) Seen near the rood screen in the glass case how many pieces of wood is St. Beuno’s chest made of?
C) Mewn cist gwydr ger y sgrin, Sawl darn o bren y mae cist St. Beuno wedi'u neud gan?
1) 1 2) 3 3) 5
Take the numbers in brackets after your answers for A and B, for C take you answer and substitute in the following equation:
Defnyddiwch y rhifau yn y braced ar ôl eich ateb i A a B, a defnddwch eich ateb yn C a defnyddiwch y canlynol:
Cache is found at:
Mae'r cache i'w ddarganfod:
N53 01.AB(B/A) W004 21.(A+B)(B+C)(A+C)
Placed by kind permission of Reverend Lloyd Jones
The church is generally open during the hours of daylight - a minimum of between 9:00am and 4:00pm - every day of the year including Christmas Day.
Please note and respect other Church users and Church services, currently Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 10.00am and Sunday 11.am. Please enter the Church by the main entrance (through the porch) where there is a sign that indicates if there is a service taking place.
If the Church is not open this link will help you to obtain the answers St. Beuno
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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9 Usual Suspects