St Michael's Church was formerly the parish church of a wide district, including Upper Penrhyn (originally called Cefn Coch). Upper Penrhyn is now part of the new parish of Penrhyndeudraeth, which was created in the nineteenth century and has a new parish church of its own (NPRN 43842). The divisions of the original parish are named as `Parcel bach?, `Parcel yr ynys? and `Parcel y penrhyn deudraeth?. The church was formerly a chapel dependent on Llandecwyn. The churchyard is rectilinear with a curved north-west corner. Its foundation is recorded on a twelfth century inscribed stone in the churchyard (NPRN 275898). The entrance to the churchyard is on its south side. In 1909 five inscribed stones were noted to have been broken up and used by a contractor for pad stones during restoration of the chancel roof.

The church is a Grade II listed building, and consists of a continuous nave and chancel, with a north vestry and a bellcote on the west wall. A joint in the north wall indicates that the nave pre-dates the chancel. The west doorway was originally pointed, and dates to the thirteenth to fifteenth century. There was also once a porch on the west wall. The building is thought to have been restored in 1845, when new windows were inserted and the roof replaced. It was restored again in 1866, when the west gallery was removed. It is thought that the vestry and bellcote were added at this time. The building was further restored again in 1884, when underfloor ventilation was introduced. It may have been at this time that the floor was lowered by half a meter. The existing windows were inserted at this time. During restoration the fragments of two inscribed stones were found.

Sources include:
Beverley Smith, J, Beverley Smith, Ll, 2001, History of Merioneth II, 356
Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, 2000, Historic churches of Gwynedd: gazetteer, 391

N VousdenRCAHMW, 1 May 2012