Past & Present Work

Project: St Michael's Betws-y-coed
Client: The Friends of St Michaels www.stmichaelsbyc.org.uk
Architect: Adam and Frances Voelcker
Date: 2004

History
St Michael's is a very old and beautiful Church that stands next to the river Conwy surrounded by the Gwydir Forest. The name of the village, Betws-y-coed, translates as 'House of prayer in the woods' and has been a religious site since the latter part of the Celtic Church era. Most of the Church that stands today was rebuilt during the 14th–15th century on the site of the earlier ‘Betws’ (from the word ‘Bede House’ meaning a house of prayer).

The Project
The Church had suffered much damage to its internal wood and plasterwork due to a leaking roof and had been repaired in the past using inappropriate materials. Over three months we carried out the following works:

Repair of rotten ceiling timbers and re-lathing using riven oak

Extensive repairs to barrel vaulted ceiling and walls using lime mortar

Removal of 1960's cement pointing to external walls, re-pointed in hydraulic lime, using local aggregate

New drains were dug, cast iron gutters and downpipes were fitted

Rotten wood on some of the windows and doors was cut out and replaced

The rotten wooden gate under the lychgate was re-made, an exact copy using the old Victorian ironwork

The internal walls and ceiling were limewashed.

2006 Ongoing Work

Survey and condition report of the stone effigy of Gruffydd ap Dafydd Goch c 1370-1380, housed in the Nave of the church.
One of the finest examples of its type in Wales, the knight is depicted in armour of the period with sword and dagger. The effigy would once have been polychromed but there is no longer any evidence of the colour, which may still remain beneath the Victorian cement wash.



Repairs to the 14th century pointed Arch on the North wall that frames the stone effigy of Gruffydd ap Dafydd Goch. Careful removal of cement with lime mortar repairs to match the stone.



Investigations into wall-paintings. In 2005 our conservators found traces of wall painting on the west wall. In 2006 we will make small exploratory windows in chosen areas to see whether there is any further evidence of wall-paintings.

New pointing in hydraulic lime. Click on image to see the building before the work began.

Rotten roof timbers

Completed interior after extensive replastering

Effigy of Gruffydd ap Dafydd Goch