Priory and Parish Church of Saint Mary, Beddgelert

Saint Mary's, Beddgelert
The Priory and Parish Church of Saint Mary (Beddgelert)
53°00′40″N 4°06′06″W / 53.0110911°N 4.1016582°W / 53.0110911; -4.1016582 (Beddgelert Priory)
Country	Wales
Denomination	Anglican
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
Administration
Province	Wales

The Priory and Parish Church of Saint Mary (Beddgelert) is the site of one of the oldest religious establishments in Wales. An early Christian community was established there in the 6th century AD and a community there is mentioned by Gerald of Wales. An Augustinian priory was founded there in the 13th century and in the Middle Ages it grew substantially thanks to the support of important Welsh nobles including Llewelyn. The priory and many of its records were destroyed in 1283 or 1284 by a fire. In the 16th century, following the dissolution of the monasteries, the priory became a simple parish church. Remnants of the church's medieval past include transept arches and some of the stonework around the lancet windows. The Victorian era brought further modifications including the demolition of the north aisle and some new stained glass. The existing glass is dated only to the 19th and 20th centuries and includes work by Dunstan Powell (1920) and Trena Cox (1968).^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

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