Church of St Mary with Parsonage and School, Towyn

ABERGELE. CONSECRATION OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, TOWYN. The consecration and opening of the new church which has been erected at Towyn, a village about two miles from Abergele, took place on Monday. The church, which is dedicated to St Mary, occupies a site on the left-hand side of the turnpike road leading to Rhyl, and constitutes the third building of the kind which has been erected in this neighbourhood through the liberality of Mrs R B Hesketh of Gwrych Castle, Abergele – Llanddulas and Llysfaen  being also indebted to this lady for the handsome churches which have recent been erected in those villages. The cost of the present building, inclusive of the parsonage house and schools which adjoin it, was close upon £10,000 and the whole of this large outlay has been nobly defrayed by Mrs Hesketh without the least extraneous assistance. Mrs Hesketh has also liberally endowed the church. ….

 St. Mary's Church consists of a nave, sixty feet by twenty-two to the top of the wall plate, a side aisle on the north side, seven feet six inches wide, clerestory and chancel, thirty-two feet in width, and a commodious porch at the west end. The style of architecture adopted has been Second Pointed or Geometrical. The seats are free and open, and accommodation is provided for about two hundred and thirty worshippers, and there are seats provided in the chancel for ten choristers. Over the choir is a central tower with a groined ceiling in Bath stone. The dressings are also of Bath stone, and the walling, which is very solid and substantial, is of native limestone from the Dinorben quarries. The roof is an open one of pitched pine, stained, and supported with five principals, and the seats in the nave are of the same wood. The seats in the chancel are of oak. The floors are laid with Leintwardine encaustic tiles of a triangular and quadrangular pattern. The chancel screen is handsomely carved in oak, and is surmounted with a large cross. The communion rails are of brass, and the Holy Table, which is covered with an elegantly-worked altar cloth of an elaborate and tasteful design, is of carved oak. The reredos is of Caen stone, and represents the Crucifixion. The sides are filled in with encaustic tiles. The sacrarium is raised six steps from the nave, and there is a stone sedilia and piscina let in on the south side. The large five-light window at the east end is filled in with traceried stained glass. The centre light is occupied with a painting emblematic of Christ coming in His glory, and the smaller lights are filled in with figures of the Old and New Testament saints and early Christians. On the south side of the chancel is a small double-light window, which is also filled in with stained glass representing our Lord's, charge to Peter, "Feed my lambs," and the Blessed Virgin. The windows which light the nave are in the decorated style, square-headed with stone shafts, filled with tinted cathedral glass with clear margins. Adjoining the sacrarium is the organ chamber leading to the belfry, by a circular stone staircase to the vestry, and thence by a cloister in harmony with its surroundings to the rectory. The pulpit and font are of Bath stone, and are elegantly carved by Earp, of London, who also designed and executed the reredos and other carved work in the church. The brass lectern is a very handsome specimen of ecclesiastical furniture, and all the appointments of the church are most elegant. The windows were supplied by Messrs J. Hardman and Company, Birmingham, and the handsome brass coronas in the nave, ani side brackets in the aisle were furnished by Messrs Potters, London. The building is heated by means of underground stoves, which have been supplied from the establishment of Mr Parrott, Bolton. The tower contains the first bell of a peal which will be hung there, and will be cast by Taylor, of Loughborough. Adjoining the church is a commodious parsonage, containing all the necessary offices, and on the east side there was erected two years ago a large schoolroom, capable of accommodating one hundred and thirty children. A master's house and the necessary classrooms are included in the building, which has dressings of Cefn stone and is surmounted with an ornamental pinnacle. The rooms are lofty, cheerful, and well-ventilated, and the building is replete with every necessary appliance. The designs for the church, school, and parsonage, were supplied by Mr G. E. Street, R.A., and the works, which have occupied about two years in completion, have been admirably carried out by Mr Rhydwen Jones, contractor, Rhyl, Mr Chapelow being the clerk of the works.

CONSECRATION OF A NEW CHURCH AT ABERGELE -On Tuesday the Lord Bishop of St Asaph consecrated a new church which had been erected at Towyn, about two miles from Abergele. The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, has been erected at the sole cost of Mrs Heketh, of Gwyrch Castle, that lady having liberally endowed the church, which is the third building of the kind which has been erected by her in the neighbourhood. The cost of the present building, inclusive of the commodious parsonage house and school adjoining was nearly £12,000. The style is early pointed. Mr Street, R A., was the architect; and the contract which has occupied about two years carried on by Messrs Rhydwen Jones contractors, Rhyl, Mr Chapelow being the clerk of the works.  Accommodation is provided for 250 worshippers, and the seats are all free and open. The chancel windows are filled in with stained glass, supplied by Messrs Redmond of Huddersfield, and the reredos, representing the crucifixion, pulpit, and font, are of Caen stone and have been executed by Earp. [Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser 21 June 1873 page 8]

Reference    North Wales Chronicle Saturday 21 June 1873 page 7
Reference    Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser 21 June 1873 page 8