The Hawarden Visitors Hand-Book | Page 7

troublous times of our history. All around us the former scenes of rapine and violence are changed to fertility and peace. The Old Castle serves well to illustrate the contrast. Its hugely solid walls, reared 600 years ago with so much pains and skill to repel the invader and to overawe the lawless, have played their part, and are themselves abandoned to solitude and decay. Within the arches which once echoed to the clang of arms the owls have their home; while the rooks from the tree-tops around seem to chant the requiem of the past.
{Ruins of Old Castle: p21.jpg}

The Church.
{The Church: p22.jpg}
Hawarden Church, with its large graveyard attached, finely situated overlooking the estuary of the Dee, is supposed to have been built about A.D. 1275, and has much solidity and dignity of structure. The patron saint is S. Deiniol, founder of the Collegiate monastery at Bangor, and about A.D. 550 made first Bishop of that See. In the old records he is styled one of the three "Gwynvebydd" or holy men of the Isle of Britain. He was buried in Bardsey Island. A place still called "Daniel's Ash"--perhaps a corruption of Deiniol--may be the very spot where he gathered his disciples round him. Two Dedication festivals are observed, the one on S. Deiniol's Day, December 10th, the other on the Sunday after Holy Cross Day, September 14th. The Church has a central tower containing six bells, {23a} a chancel with a south aisle called the Whitley Chancel (after the Whitleys of Aston), and a nave with blind clerestory and two aisles. There is a division in the roof between the chancel and the nave which has the appearance of a transept, but not extended beyond the line of the aisles. The axis of the chancel deviates from that of the nave.
In 1764 the nave and aisles were newly pewed in place of the old benches, and the floor flagged instead of being strewn with rushes. In 1810 a gallery was erected at the west end and an organ placed in it; the gallery was enlarged and a new organ purchased in 1836. {23b}
Great improvements were made about the year 1855 by the Rev. Henry Glynne, Rector: the organ and singers were removed from the west to the east end, the pews converted into open seats, and the cumbrous "three decker" pulpit and reading desk {24a} exchanged for simpler furniture. Unfortunately on the 29th October, 1857, a disastrous fire occurred, almost entirely destroying the roof and fittings of the Church. Its restoration was at once placed in the hands of Sir Gilbert Scott, architect, who improved the occasion by adding the small spire which now with excellent effect crowns the otherwise somewhat stunted tower. An organ chamber was now added on the N. side of the chancel, and on the 14th July, 1859, with Sermons from the late Bishop Wilberforce, Dean Hook and others, the Church was re-opened. The whole expenditure was about 8000 pounds.
The Reredos is a representation of the Last Supper in alabaster, and was erected as a memorial to the Rev. Henry Glynne, Rector of the Parish for 38 years. In the side chancel {24b} under the 'Vine' window, is a recumbent figure of his brother, Sir Stephen Glynne, who died two years later in 1874--a beautiful work by Noble. To his memory also were given by the parishioners the wrought-iron gates at the main entrance to the Churchyard.
Upon the altar table stands a handsome brass cross mounted on rosso antico the gift of the parishioners to the present Rector. The old Communion plate was twice stolen, viz., on April 13th, 1821, when it was recovered, being found beaten flat and buried near the Higher Ferry; and finally in 1859. The Churchyard was enlarged in 1859, by gift of the late Rector. The old Cross which stood in the Churchyard in 1663, has disappeared: possibly the Sun-dial now occupies its place.
The Parish Register dates from the year 1585; and the list of Rectors goes back to 1180.
The Living is what is termed 'a Peculiar,' and was formerly exempt from Episcopal jurisdiction. The Rectors granted marriage licenses, proved wills, and had their own consistorial Courts and Proctors. The Court was held in the Eastern Bay of the Chancel Aisle: the seal, still used, represents Daniel in the Lion's Den, with the legend 'Sigillum peculiaris et exemptae jurisdictionis de Hawarden'. These privileges, originally granted by the Pope, were continued at the Reformation; but in 1849 the Parish was definitely attached to the Diocese of S. Asaph, and the power of granting marriage licenses now alone remains.
The Tithes were in 1093, granted by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, to the Monks of S. Werburgh. In 1288 Pope Nicholas the 3rd, granted them to King Edward the 1st, for six years.