St. Mary’s Church, Ruabon

Description

St. Mary's Church is located just around the corner from Ysgol Rhiwabon School in Pont Adam. The church is for marriages and funerals. There is a beautiful chandelier inside which was a present from the Williams Wynn family. The vestry and the entrance to the 14th century bell tower are at the back of the church and here also is one of the few remaining family bow pews. The wall painting, dating from the early 15th century and rediscovered in the late 19th century has a popular medieval morality subject -Works of Mercy- acts to performed in Christian charity for the weak. Originally dedicated to St Collen, by the end of the 13th century the church had been granted to the Cistercian Abbey of Valle Crucis, and the church was re-dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
There is significant surviving medieval detail including the 14th century Cheshire type church tower and sepulchral monuments dating from the first twenty years of the 14th century.
During the 1870 restoration Benjamin Ferry, architect and pupil of the renowned architect and designer Augustus Pugin, uncovered the magnificent 15th century wall painting depicting the works of mercy. Elis Eyton fought in the battle of Bosworth in 1485 on the victorious side of Henry Tudor and was rewarded with large estates in Ruabon.