St David's Church, Barmouth

Church of Saint David
Church entrance
Church of Saint David Location in Gwynnedd
Coordinates: 52°43′12″N 4°03′05″W / 52.7199°N 4.0514°W / 52.7199; -4.0514
OS grid reference	261537, 315559
Location	Barmouth, Gwynedd
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church in Wales
Churchmanship	High Church
Website	barmouth.church
History
Founded	1830 (1830)
Founder(s)	Rev. T G Roberts
Dedication	St David
Architecture
Status	Active
Functional status	Chapel of ease
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	4 February 1992
Architect(s)	Edward Haycock
Administration
Parish	Bro Ardudwy
Deanery	Ardudwy
Diocese	Bangor
Clergy
Rector	Rev. Beth Bailey
Curate(s)	Rev. Miriam Beecroft

St David's Church is a Church in Wales church by the harbour of Barmouth, Gwynedd, west Wales. It is in the same Ministry Area as St John's Church, Barmouth and St Mary and St Bodfan Church, Llanaber.

As late as 1824, the parish church, St Mary's, Llanaber was the only Anglican place of worship in the area. At that time, the numbers of tourists and visitors was increasing and the Rector, Rev. T G Roberts, saw the necessity of building a new church for the English worshippers. So, in 1824, he convened a vestry meeting of the Churchwardens and the most influential church people of the district to discuss the advisability of erecting a Chapel of Ease. It was resolved to apply to the Bishop of Bangor for his permission, but the bishop only gave his assent on the condition that the cost of the building should be defrayed by voluntary subscription. The rector accomplished this task having immediately commenced collecting necessary funds.

These efforts on behalf of the church were rewarded and on 4 December 1830 Reverend Roberts was able to submit a plan and particulars of the proposed sanctuary. The church designed by Edward Haycock of Shrewsbury is a neat Cruciform structure built in the later style of English architecture and contains accommodation for 470 people of which 230 places were to be free, in consideration of a grant of £300 from the Incorporated Society for Building and Repairing Churches and Chapels.

The church was built at the southern end of Barmouth, on a site that was formerly a ship building yard. At the time of the erection of the church there was a great deal of opposition to the site; the opposing faction contending that sand-drifts would make the approach practically inaccessible.

For some years after the erection of this church, sand-drifts did indeed prove a source of great annoyance to the worshippers. A resident of Barmouth, Mr Black (author of 'A Picturesque Tour') exclaimed that St David's Church was very badly situated. Over time, the effects of sand-drifts eased and then ceased altogether.