St Pabo's Church, Llanbabo

St Pabo's Church, Llanbabo
A view of the north side
St Pabo's Church, Llanbabo Location in Anglesey
Coordinates: 53°21′10″N 4°26′18″W / 53.352899°N 4.438391°W / 53.352899; -4.438391
OS grid reference	SH 378 867
Location	Llanbabo, Anglesey
Country	Wales, United Kingdom
Denomination	Church in Wales
History
Founded	5th century (reputedly) 12th century (earliest parts of the building)
Founder(s)	St Pabo (reputedly)
Dedication	St Pabo
Architecture
Status	Church
Functional status	Active (occasional services only)
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	12 May 1970
Style	Medieval
Specifications
Length	45 ft (13.7 m)
Width	14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
Materials	Rubble masonry, dressed with freestone
Administration
Parish	Bodedern with Llanfaethlu
Deanery	Llifon and Talybolion
Archdeaconry	Bangor
Diocese	Diocese of Bangor
Province	Province of Wales
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Vacant since September 2009

St Pabo's Church, Llanbabo is a medieval church in Llanbabo, in Anglesey, North Wales. Much of the church dates to the 12th century, and it is regarded as a good example of a church of its period that has retained many aspects of its original fabric. The church houses a tombstone slab from the 14th century, depicting a king with crown and sceptre, bearing the name of Pabo Post Prydain, the reputed founder of the church. However, there is no evidence that Pabo, a 5th-century prince, lived in the area and the tradition that he founded the church has little supporting basis.

The church is still in use, as part of the Church in Wales, although services are only held here occasionally. It is a Grade II* listed building, a designation given to "particularly important buildings of more than special interest", because it is a medieval church that has been little altered.

The date of foundation of the church in Llanbabo, Anglesey, is unknown, but it is known that there was a church here before 1254 as it is recorded in the Norwich Valuation of that year. According to tradition, it was founded by Pabo Post Prydain (Pabo the "Pillar of Britain"), a 5th-century prince from North Britain who was driven out in 460 and settled thereafter in Anglesey. He is also said to have been buried in the area. A stone slab gravestone dating from the late 14th century, made from Flintshire sandstone, was found in about 1680: according to the 17th-century Welsh historian Lewis Morris, it was unearthed by a sexton digging a grave in the churchyard. The rectangular slab (from the same workshop as one at Bangor Cathedral and one of St Iestyn at St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn, given the similarities between them) has a shallowly engraved full-length image of a bearded man wearing a crown and a loose, pleated tunic over a garment reaching to his wrists. He holds a sceptre in his right hand; his head is on a cushion underneath an arch, and the background is decorated with flowers. The effect is somewhat like a monumental brass in stone; the slab is now displayed vertically inside the church. The inscription, which is incomplete, reads "Hic iacet Pa[bo] Post Priid" (or "Prud") – "Here lies Pabo the Pillar of Britain". Additional letters have been interpreted as denoting the name of the donor of the monument. Apart from this, the tradition linking Pabo to the church is not recorded in writing until the Welsh antiquarian Henry Rowlands in the 18th century, nor is there evidence that Pabo devoted himself to religion or died in Anglesey; accordingly, modern writers suggest that there is no link between him and the church.