The historically significant Llanycil church in Bala has been rescued from redundancy and is to be converted into a heritage centre. The Llanycil church is linked to key individuals of the eighteenth and nineteenth century Welsh Revival, like Rev. Thomas Charles and John Evans.
Thomas Charles and other significant individuals like Lewis Edwards, Dafydd Cadwaladr, Thomas Charles Edwards and Elisabeth Davies, to name a few, were laid to rest in the church’s yard.
The purchase was made by Bible Society and is linked to the Society’s deep historical associations with the Bala area. It was here that Mary Jones, at the age of 15, walked from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant for 26 miles in 1800 to get a Bible from Thomas Charles. Mary Jones’ walk contributed to the founding of Bible Society as the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804.
The Llanycil church is to be converted to a heritage centre. As a result, it is expected to attract a wide range of visitors, from people who have general interests in old churches and Welsh heritage, to those following the ‘Mary Jones walk’ from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to Bala.
