St Catherine's Church, Old Colwyn
St Catherine's Church, Old Colwyn
This church was built in 1837 as a Chapel of Ease to Llandrillo Church, in Rhos-on-Sea. Seven years later, it became the centre of a seperate parish in its own right. The land was given to the church by John Lloyd Wynne of Coed Coch, who also gave his name to Wynne Avenue which runs across his old Estate.
As the inscriptions on the gravestones suggest, St Catherine’s catered for the Welsh-speaking residents. As more people settled in the area who could not speak Welsh, St John the Baptist Church was opened in 1903 to provide services in English.
The east window at St Catherine’s was given to the church by the widow of Richard Butler Clough. The clock in the tower was installed in 1890, in memory of a former Vicar, the Rev JD Jones (1866-1887). The large house across the road, which has now been split up into flats for elderly people, was built at a cost of £500, in 1871, as the vicarage.
In 2012, St Catherine’s Church closed for worship. Services continue to be held at St John the Baptist Church, in Station Road.
With thanks to Graham Roberts, of Colwyn Bay Civic Society