St Mary’s Church Conwy — Attraction in Conwy

The Church of St Mary's & All Saints is the parish church of Conwy, Wales in the United Kingdom. It was originally the Cistercian Aberconwy Abbey, but in 1283 King Edward I of England moved the Abbey to Maenan. The parish registers date back to 1541.

The foundations of the church date back to 1172, and the Aberconwy Abbey was completed in 1186. Since then the church has grown and changed. The East and West-end buttresses and parts of the walls, particularly on the North side, are original. In the 14th Century, the church received the lower portion of its tower, the South transept, and the North and South porches. A room north of the tower was enclosed to serve as a charnel house. The 15th Century saw the completion of the tower, and the installation of the rood screen and the early Tudor period baptismal font. In the 16th Century the roofs over the aisles were raised. Next to the altar at the south end is the tomb of Robert Wynne, a major benefactor of St Mary's, and the builder of Plas Mawr on Conwy's High Street. The chancel floor was raised at a later date, and in 1872 the roof of the nave was raised. At some point the South window of the transept was reconstructed and the clerestory windows were reset to where they now remain. Also in the 19th Century, Lord Penrhyn donated the tower clock. In 1921 the church received a memorial chapel on the church's north side, and five years later the vestry was enlarged. In 1949 the former charnel house became the Parish Room. The church holds a number of objects of interest dating back to medieval times, and two windows in the nave's south aisle made by the workshop of the Pre-raphaelite artist Edward...

I've never been lucky enough to visit when st Mary's is open but from the outside this is a very nice looking historical church and well worth a look around if you are in Conwy. St Mary's is on the site of the original abbey that was moved further inland when Edward the first picked this location for his castle and accompanying walled town,it is believed that the current church incorporates some of the original building however there is no indication from the outside which parts these are. It would be nice if there were some sort of information boards giving some historical details although there maybe when the...

Spent an enjoyable and informative hour here whilst on holiday. Enticed in by their butterfly initiative - visitors make an origami butterfly, write on a spiritual message and the butterflies are used to decorate the church. Surprised by the number of people who responded (was a cool refuge on a very hot day). Well worth a visit, interesting history, beautiful windows. The words on one grave provoked contemplation... he had 45 children!! Didn't make mention of the...