I was recently asked if I knew about an Arts
and Crafts Church, in a village that I had been driving past for some time and
unfortunatly I had to declare I not seen it.
I was told that it was
hidden back from the road behind some Rhododendrums.
So I decided to
make more of an effort. I almost felt guilty that I had not seen it.
Its not everyones cup of tea, that is
spending time, studying architecture but it keeps me out of trouble
and its something I have done since I was young.
I stopped the car and opened a stop
gate designed to let a single file of people enter, and keep sheep out, and there it was.
My first
thought was whats all the fuss about though it had an interesting
bellfry and a rather heavy overhang.
Then I notice the rather unimposing door was rather small so it is obvious the entrance was
round the back...or the front as the road entrance was not the main.
The first thing I notice is the
brackets for the gutters being wrought out of two pieces of iron,
twisted, leaving a patterned heart as decoration.
The heart was a symbol of the Arts and
Crafts period that is forever linked to C.F.A Voysey but was adopted
by the legions of architects and designers around the late Victorian
and early Edwardian period.
Built of a heavy local stone its long
roof with Aberllefenni slate gently slopes down to just above your
head as you enter the gates of the porch. It reminds me of the
signature roof style of Herbert Lucknorth who designed many houses in
North Wales.
Pulling and twisting a delightful
wrought iron handle the door opens to reveal a Font right in front of
you, almost in the way. Its obvious that the siting of the church is
now slightly out of sync with the modern interaction, which is that
it is owned by The Friends of Friendless Churches. I think that
explains a lot. The Font is unpolished copper, I test it for sound
and noticing the wall decoration and the intricate pannelled door I
turn to see the most amazing Alter.....made of copper a blaze in the
midday sun at the far end of my entrance. Then there is a pulpit, made of copper.The colour of the walls is a mediteanean terracotta which in the sun seems to transport you to another clime.
I turn back to the double doors facing
my entrance which are oak inlaid with what appears to be Macassar
Ebony and Abalone shell. The benches or pews are carved with playfull
animals Rabbit, mice and owls are but a few. The SM stands for St
Marks.
The Church was built in 1895-98 for
Louisa Tooth in memory of her second husband Charles who was the
Chaplain of St Marks English church in Florence. Her first husband
Richard Richards of Caerynwch bequeathed her the land in Merionedd
and she was wealthy enough to adopt a style that pleased her.
The architect she picked was Henry
Wilson (1898-1934) who was Master of The Artworkers Guild in 1917 and
Editor of The Architectural Review. He designed the metalwork for
Holy Trinity Church in Sloane Street that John Betjamin called “The
Cathedral of Arts and Crafts”. He later turned his hand to
silversmithing and designed jewellry.
He said of Mrs Tooths agent, Mr
Williams who he had to liase with that “he knew no more than a cat”
and it seemed there was plenty of disagreements.
Wilson wanted the stone left rugged but
Mr Williams made it smooth.
Wilson believed that “the chief merit
of Brithdir is that it is personal”.
I think in that he achieved great
success.
He also said that “what has come out
of Brithdir must live, because it has come out of my own life”. He wanted a simple beautiful setting
and a beautiful altar. In this he achieved a great thing. The altar
is lined with copper beaten into a beautiful realism with skill and
attention that could only be done by a master.
It was claimed that the work was in
fact hammered in parts, in repouse by Wilson himself along with John
Paul Cooper.
The small boy, winged, with lillies in
his hand is overshadowd by the figures who seem to welcome him or
look over him. He seems to be kneeling in front of a hedge of thorns
with various inscriprions, hammered from behind.
I believe there could be several
different interpretations of this and I will leave people to make
their own mind up. But to me it is a lament in copper and as the
blade of sun shone across it I saw more and more detail unfolding
like a poem before my eyes. It lit up my day.
I will be back. To study in more
detail, When I have some more time,
It made my day. I am so glad I stopped.
I took a little video. Click above.
I took a little video. Click above.
Two days later I purchase a Copper
beaten plate or plaque with Voysey hearts and grapes that could have
come right out of The Church of St Mark.
