Heritage, tourism and community plans in Llanrwst given a boost with a new appointment

New heritage, tourism and community projects for Llanrwst have been given a boost with the appointment of a new business development officer for St Grwst Church in Llanrwst, as part of its £1m refurbishment.

Jon Richmond, who lives in Dolwyddelan and has a background in tourism and church restoration, started work for St Grwst last month (November). He will be responsible for developing a programme of events, activities and clubs for the newly refurbished medieval church. His first event, this weekend (Saturday 7 December from 11am – 2pm), will see the church open for one-day-only, to show visitors the restoration and re-ordering work so far.

Jon, who worked for North Wales Tourism for more than 11 years, will also coordinate volunteers for the heritage site. His three year post has been funded by the National Lottery which awarded St Grwst more than £700,000 for refurbishment and community/tourism development.

Jon, who is married with two children said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this role, which combines my professional skills with my passion for tourism, heritage and faith.

“I have been involved with several churches in the area over the last 30 years, I love old buildings and have worked in tourism in North Wales since the mid-1990s.

“This is a really exciting, interesting and creative opportunity for Llanrwst which has so much history and heritage to offer visitors and I’m looking forward to working with local people to showcase the heritage of which they are rightly very proud.”

Jon is a member of St Mary’s Church in Betws y Coed and a founder member of the Friends of St Michael’s Church, the original 14^th century church in the village, which is now cared for by a Charitable Trust after being declared redundant. St Michael’s Old Church is open from Easter to October and attracts a substantial number of visitors.

Jon, who is from Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands originally, moved to Porthmadog in 1987 to open a branch of Freeman Hardy Willis, a national shoe retailer. He has also been an active volunteer for 37 years on the Talyllyn Railway at Tywyn in mid-Wales where he can sometimes be found guarding trains!

Jon added: “Drawing on my past business experience, my priority will be raising the profile of St Grwst, making it visible through good signage and clear communication. There is so much scope to offer a wide variety of activities, events and meetings in the newly developed space. I’ll be looking to encourage people to volunteer to support St Grwst as the hub of the local community.”

St Grwst Church temporarily closed over the summer for work to create a flexible and welcoming space for both the local community and visitors. The 17^th century Gwydir Chapel, which is built on the side of the ancient church and houses the coffin of Llywelyn the Great, will be fully restored and series of interpretation panels developed to highlight the building’s historical significance. In addition, a new kitchen, toilets, disabled access and underfloor heating system will be installed. The church is due to re-open next Spring.

St Grwst was built originally in 1170 and is reported to be the only known church dedicated to the saint. After being partially destroyed during Owain Glyndwr’s uprising in the 1400s it was fully demolished during the War of the Roses in 1468. The current building was constructed in 1470, with further alterations and additions made over the following centuries.

St Grwst is one of 216 churches in the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales, an independent Province of the Anglican Communion. St Grwst is part of the Aberconwy Mission Area which links churches along the Conwy Valley and Llandudno Junction.

You can find out more about plans at St Grwst on Facebook or Twitter @Stgrwstchurch or by emailing Jon.