The Welsh name
Llanbadrig means "Church of Saint Patrick". This church, founded in 440
AD, has a direct link to the patron saint of Ireland. The then Bishop
Patrick was sent by Pope Celestine to Ireland to convert the Irish to
Christianity during the 5th Century.
Local legend states that
Patrick was shipwrecked on Ynys Badrig, (Patrick's Island - also known as
Middle Mouse), which can be seen from the stile in the churchyard wall.
He succeeded in crossing
to Anglesey, landing at Rhos Badrig (Patrick's Moor) and finding refuge
in Ogof Badrig (Patrick's Cave).
The cave is situated
below the churchyard and had a freshwater well - Ffynon Badrig (Patrick's
Well). The fresh water allowed Patrick to recover from his ordeal and he
founded the church as thanks to god.
The church is a simple
building, 60ft. long by 14ft wide (18.5m x 4.3m) and has resisted the
elements for centuries. The earlier church would have been smaller and
built of wood. It is probable that this early church, like most native
Celtic churches had no division between the nave and the chancel. The
chancel arch was built later in the 14th century. The earliest stone on
this site is the top of the font, which was made in the 12th century.
The stonework of the
east window dates from the 15th or early 16th centuries - it was probably
around this time that the the church was enlarged to its present size.
In 1812 the church was repaired and the
house, Ty'n Llan, adjacent to the church was built. Further work was
carried out in 1840 and 1884, when the church was fully restored as it is
today. The 3rd. Lord Stanley of Alderly (Cheshire) provided funds for the
extensive restoration on the condition that the new interior included
elements of his own Moslem faith.
Moslem influences within the church included the predominance of blue, red
and white in the stained glass windows, the blue glass of the east window,
the blue tiles around the sanctuary and the Pastor Bonus mosaic. Both the
blue tile in the sanctuary and the mosaic were custom produced by a very
exclusive London firm who have also worked in St. Margaret's, the chapel
of Westminster.