St Tegai's, the parish church of Llandegai, comprises a nave and chancel, trancepts with tower above crossing, an eastern porch and a vestry. The eastern part of nave is thought to be fourteenth century, as is the chancel arch. The chancel and trancepts are sixteenth century. A thoroughgoing restoration in 1853 saw the nave refitted and extended to the west and the tower rebuilt. The parapets were renewed above the original string course and the porch and vestry added.

Below the gallery is a late Gothic alabaster table tomb perhaps of Sir William Griffith, who died in 1510 and his wife. Life-size figures, he in armour with a lion at his feet, she very slender, in a long gown. Shallowly modelled angels under crocketed and pinnacled canopies are on the tomb-chest.

There is also a large Neoclassical monument to Richard Pennant, 1st Lord Penrhyn of Penrhyn (died 1808) , and his wife, who died in 1816, by Sir Richard Westmacott. Made in 1820 it consists of life-size figures of idealized -peasants. On the plinth there are four pastoral scenes in high relief of cherubs playing pan pipes to goats; chiselling slate; learning to read; dancing and harvesting. The inscription records that `he opened the first carriage road through the valley of Nant-Ffrancon, formed the quay of Port Penrhyn, enriched and adorned the demesne and the country around it with buildings, agriculture and plantations?.

Source: Haslam, Orbach and Voelcker (2009), The Buildings of Wales: Gwynedd. Pevsner Architectural Guide, page 397.

RCAHMW, October 2009



Source: RCAHMW Caernarvonshire (east) inventory, 1956, 103-105 No. 330.

John Wiles 17.10.2006