1. St Mary's church is situated on the east side of the A487 through Tremadoc, sited on a low rocky eminence in a large churchyard to the south of the Market Square. The church dates from 1811, paid for by William Madocks to whom the town owes its existence. It was built in Gothick style, a pioneering example of its use. Aspects of its construction were also pioneering, in particular the rendering of the brick spire in Parker's Roman Cement, an early type of imitation stone which had been patented in 1796, using brick clay dug locally. The church was extensively re-ordered in 1895. Further repairs were carried out in 1958 but the church closed in 1995 after which it was converted to office accommodation by Arroll & Snell of Shrewsbury. Major renovation work was in progress during 2006. However, it still retains significant elements of its original nineteenth-century character and construction.
The church was built of roughly dressed, squared and coursed Moel y Gest granite boulders with freestone dressings to the later windows (replacing cast-iron tracery predecessors), and slate roofs. Built on a cruciform plan, it consists of three-bay nave and chancel, shallow transepts, lean-to vestry with long porch abutting east side of south transept, and west tower. The latter is in three-stage, with angle buttresses and a porch in the lower stage. Its parapet is embattled, the spire rendered over brick, and with two tiers of lucarnes.
The interior is simple, a shallow roof with five trusses and with curved braces to collar, short king posts and struts. There was no structural division between nave and the short chancel, the only demarcation was given by the 1895 raised steps with mosaic inlay (by J C Edwards of Ruabon). The gallery was also removed in 1895, along with box pews, and the organ re-housed in the north transept. At the same time, the decoration of the spire was simplified (pre-1900 photographs show a more elaborate scheme), and the ceiling removed. Fittings include simple communion rails, a fine altar and reredos in Renaissance style designed by C R Ashbee and carved by Emile de Vynck, a Belgian carver who was living in Pentrefelin; and a pulpit carved by Constance Greaves of Wern Manor (c.1895) in Jacobean style.
The gateway to the churchyard (NPRN 43789) was built c.1811, unusually of Coade stone, as a triumphal Gothic archway framing the approach to the church. It features octagonal embattled piers and a four-centred arch decorated in Gothic-horror fashion with dragons and a menagerie of animals.
Sources:
Cadw Listing description.
R.Haslam, J.Orbach & Adam Voelcker, Buildings of Wales: Gwynedd (2009), p.526-7.

RCAHMW, 30 March 2016

2. St Mary's church is sited on an eminence at the south-east edge of the village, in a large churchyard. The town of Tremadog owes its existence to the vision and enterprise of William Madocks. The church was completed in 1811 in Gothick style, one of the earliest in Wales, and was paid for by Madocks. It was also pioneering in all aspects of its construction. However, in 1895 the church was extensively re-ordered, the windows renewed in stone (replacing the cast-iron tracery), the interior refitted. Further repairs were done in 1958 when the roof was renewed.
The church is constructed of roughly-dressed, squared and coursed Moel y Gest granite boulders with freestone dressings to the late nineteenth-century windows, and slate roofs. The plan is cruciform and consists of three-bay nave with shallow transepts, chancel, lean-to vestry to south transept and west tower-porch.
The tower, with angle buttresses, is of three stages: The entrance is through an arched doorway in the west wall and modern outer doors, bell stage with embattled parapet, then the spire which is rendered over brick, and has two tiers of lucarnes. The interior is simple, the roof shallow pitched with five trusses, short king posts and struts, and with no structural division between and short chancel but with demarcation given by late nineteenth-century raised steps with mosaic inlay. Fittings include altar and reredos in florid Renaissance style (C.R.Ashbee and Emile de Vynck, 1917), and a pulpit carved in Jacobean style by C.Greaves (c.1895). Stained glass includes work by Shrigley & Hunt (?) (1899).

The churchyard gateway is separately described (NPRN 43789).

Sources:
Cadw Listing description.
R.Haslam, J.Orbach & A.Voelker, Buildings of Wales: Gwynedd (2002), p.526.

RCAHMW, 9 August 2017