Island 224 - Cribinau/St Cwfan's Church, Anglesey, Wales

St Cwfan's Church is located on a very small tidal island called Cribinau on the Ordnance Survey maps but apparently the locals all call it St Cwfan's.  The original church was probably built in the 7th century.  A stone church was built in the 12th century and this was re-built in the 14th century, although some Norman masonry remains in the south wall.  The arched braced roof is partly 16th century.  The church is also known as eglwys bach y mor = the Church in the Sea.

The island can be accessed at low tide across the sand/rocks from between Porth Cwfan and Porth China on the western side of Anglesey near Aberffraw.  The church was probably originally located on a peninsula but centuries of erosion gradually separated it from the mainland thus creating an island.  John Speed's map of 1636 shows it as a peninsula.  Erosion around the island continued and the wall around the churchyard was built in the late 19th century to prevent the graves from falling into the sea.  The church had become derelict by this time and was restored in 1893-4.

St Cwfan was probably a monk and disciple of St Beuno, with whom he came to North Wales in the 7th century.  St Cwfan is thought to have been Irish and may be the same person as St Kevin of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland.

I don't know how I missed this church on my previous visit to Anglesey in 2011 but I have seen it featured on at least 3 television programmes since then and I was glad to have an opportunity to come back to Anglesey and visit it at last.  It is a delightful spot on a sunny day.  I found my 8,000th geocache there but only after a 20 minute fingertip search of the base of the church wall.  The church was locked, so I could only look through the windows at the interior, which is quite plain.  I understand that services are occasionally held there.

I recommend the café at the Llys Llewelyn Centre in Aberffraw - excellent coffee cake and toasted sandwiches and very friendly and helpful staff.  There is some limited parking at Porth Cwfan but the walk down the lane from Aberffraw and then back to Aberffraw via the coast path is delightful and very easy.  It is about a 5 mile round trip.

St Cwfan's Church from the south at low tide

St Cwfan's Church



St Cwfan's Church



Wall around St Cwfan's Church

St Cwfan's Church at low tide

There are seats at both ends of the church