Penmon, Anglesey, North Wales

Penmon, on the south-east corner of Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey) is one of the special holy places of Wales. It is associated with Seiriol, a sixth-century saint and abbot who, with the support of his brother King Einion, founded a monastery there around which a community developed. Seiriol is also associated with nearby Ynys Seiriol (Puffin Island) where he set up a cell. It is also believed that he established a cell on the mainland at Penmaenmawr.

Monastery Destroyed and Rebuilt

The monastery thrived until the 10th century when it was partly destroyed by the Vikings, although some kind of monastic community remained there. In the 12th century, the monastery was rebuilt in stone and the abbey church and the priory date from that time. Also, a small tower exists on Puffin Island which is through to be part of a 12th-century monastic building. By the 16th century the monastery was in decline and it was dissolved in 1538. At that time the land was bought by the Buckley family, a prominent local family, who set up the Baron Hill Estate which owns much of the land around the Priory (including Puffin Island) to this day.

Penmon Today

Penmon is a quiet and peaceful location, and the area around the abbey church, unlike many other pilgrimage sites, is not crowded or spoilt by large numbers of people. A toll road leads from the abbey to the headland from where there is a stunning view of Puffin Island, the lighthouse, and the coast and mountains. The area around the headland can get busy in summer, so it is best visited out of the holiday season. Penmon has a unique spiritual atmosphere which many people can sense. There is much to see at Penmon and a walk around the holy places of the site helps to take in the spiritual atmosphere.

The Abbey Church

The abbey church is now the parish church and is still in use today. Parts of it date from the 12th century, which makes it one of the earliest Christian buildings in Wales. Within the church are two 10th-century crosses and a font, also dating from that period. A house is attached to the church.

The Well

The well, which is said to have healing properties, is a short walk from the church. Although the walls around the well were rebuilt in the 18th century, it is thought that part of the 6th-century wall remains.

The Priory

The ruins of the priory are next to the church, and date from the 12th/13th century when the monastery was expanding.

The Dovecot

The dovecot is of a later date than the priory and was built by the Buckley family in the 16th century when they bought the land after the monastery was dissolved.

Who was St Seiriol?

When the Romans left the British Isles in the 5th century and the Roman Empire began to collapse, the period between the 5th and 7th centuries was known in Europe as the Dark Ages. However, in Wales, Ireland and northern Britain (Celtic lands) it was known as The Age of Saints. These saints abandoned materialism and lived a simple monastic life. Communities grew around the monasteries. Such a community was known as a ‘llan’ , hence many place names in Wales begin with ‘Llan-, such as Llandudno (Church of St Tudno), Llanelli (Church of St Elli). There were many hundreds of these Celtic saints in Wales of which Seiriol was one.

Little is known of many of these Celtic saints, sometimes no more than their names, while there are many stories about some of them. Many of them were related to each other and also related to kings and princes.

As previously mentioned, Seiriol founded a monastery at Penmon in the 6th century, while another Celtic saint Cybi founded a monastery on what became known as Holy Island in the north-west of Anglesey. This is where the town of Holyhead (Welsh Caergybi) now stands. There is a story that Seiriol and Cybi used to meet each other at Clorach Well in the centre of Anglesey (near Llanerchymedd). Seiriol would be walking from east to west in the morning and Cybi from west to east. So Cybi was facing the sun and Seiriol had the sun at his back. In the evening when they returned home, Cybi was facing the setting sun and Seiriol again had the sun at his back, so the saints were known as Seiriol Wyn (meaning bright or light) and Cybi Felyn (yellow or dark). There is a tradition that Seiriol was buried on the island that bears his name, Ynys Seiriol (Puffin Island).

For more information about the Celtic saints of Wales, I would suggest looking in the book ‘The Book of Welsh Saints’ by T.D.Breverton, published by Glyndwr Publishing. It is not a book to read from beginning to end but a useful book to dip into for information. It contains an alphabetical list of over 900 Welsh saints and gives other interesting information.

Penmon