St Beuno’s Church and holy well, Pistyll

A church soaked in medieval tradition and a number of holy water sources make for an interesting diversion on the Lleyn Pilgrims Trail and the North Wales Pilgrims Way‍

Highlights

• Possible grave of St Beuno
• Celtic font, ancient church
• Holy well

Though Clynnog Fawr has a stronger claim, this place is sometimes said to be the last resting place of St Beuno. He certainly came here on retreat, and an ancient church and holy spring both provide continuity back to the great missionary. It is only eight miles along the coast from his monastery at Clynnog Fawr.

The church is one of the rustic, unimproved treasures of North Wales that feels so old as to be out of time. On a factual note, it is mainly 12th century, but an ancient font takes its history right back to Celtic times. The churchyard is circular, another sign of Celtic roots.

Beneath the altar lies the grave of a tall saint, according to the guide, which could be St Beuno himself. The guide’s explanation for why he might lie in anonymity here is perfectly logical: to prevent the theft of his relics.

There is a pool just above the church, a large medieval stone structure said to have been used as a fishpond by the monastery. It is fed by a spring a couple of hundred metres back up the road, which shoots out of the hillside like a broken water main, filling a narrow stream. The historical ‘holy well’ of this site is said to be a small chamber of water located in the churchyard, although if so, it is rather eclipsed by its aquatic neighbours.

Other ancient traditions survive at Pistyll, including an unusual Lammas celebration on the first Sunday in August, when the church floor is strewn with rushes. This early medieval ceremony marks the start of the harvest, when the first grain is ground into a loaf and presented in church as thanksgiving. Lammas is derived from the Anglo-Saxon hlaef-mas, ‘loaf mass’. It is a precursor to the more common Harvest Festival, which takes place at the end of the harvest season when autumn begins, and was first celebrated at Morwenstow.‍

St Beuno’s Church, Pistyll, Pwllheli LL53 6LR

W3W: them.stowing.trips

GPS: 52.9521 N 4.4899W‍

The church is not in Pistyll itself, but down a side road 1/3 mile north-east of the village. The side road runs down towards the sea from the main B4417 coast road and the church is 220m down there. To find the holy water source from the church, walk back up the side road from the church for about 150m to a small parking area on the left. Go through the gate next to the National Trust sign and follow the narrow stream to its source, a few metres away uphill.