Bydd clychau eglwys yn canu am y tro cyntaf mewn gwasanaeth Pasg ym Metws-y-Coed
Bydd clychau Eglwys y Santes Fair ym Metws-y-Coed yn canu am y tro cyntaf mewn gwasanaeth eglwys y Pasg hwn, yn dilyn cwblhau prosiect adfer sylweddol.
Er i’r eglwys gael ei hadeiladu gyda chynllun ar gyfer cylch llawn o glychau, ni chwblhawyd y gwaith hwnnw erioed. Fwy na 150 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, bellach mae gan y tŵr set gyflawn.
Daeth wyth o’r clychau o Eglwys Sant Ioan ym Mhorthmadog yn 2024, ar ôl i’r eglwys honno gau, gan greu cysylltiad rhwng y ddwy gymuned. Mae’r gloch arall, a gastiwyd ym 1873 ar gyfer Betws-y-Coed gan John Warner o Lundain, wedi ei hadfer a’i hailosod fel cloch y cloc a’r gloch ganu.
Bydd y clychau’n cael eu canu cyn y gwasaneth Cymun teuluol a bendithio ŵyn am 11:00 ar Ddydd y Pasg.
Dechreuodd y prosiect yn 2019 yn ystod sgwrs yn Eisteddfod Llanrwst, a oedd yn cynnwys aelodau o Gôr Penmachno. Roedd nifer o aelodau’r côr yn glochyddion ond heb dŵr lleol i ymarfer ynddo, a arweiniodd at y syniad ar gyfer y prosiect. Mae aelodau o’r grŵp gwreiddiol hwnnw, ynghyd â phobl leol eraill, wedi ymgymryd â dyletswyddau allweddol. Nigel Thomas yw Capten y Tŵr erbyn hyn, gyda phobl eraill yn gwasanaethu fel ysgrifennydd, trysorydd a gofalwyr y tŵr.
Castiwyd yr wyth cloch o Borthmadog gan John Warner & Sons, gyda chwech yn dyddio o 1900 a dwy wedi’u hychwanegu ym 1902. Cawsant eu haildiwnio a’u paratoi ar gyfer eu gosod gan Ffowndri Clychau Taylor cyn cael eu hongian yn y tŵr.
Roedd y gwaith gosod yn cynnwys glanhau a thiwnio’r clychau, tynnu’r hen osodiadau a gosod penstociau newydd. Dyluniwyd ffrâm sylfaen newydd gan ddefnyddio rhannau o’r gosodiad ym Mhorthmadog, wedi’i chefnogi gan drawstiau gwreiddiol y tŵr. Mae mecanwaith cloc yr eglwys hefyd wedi’i ddisodli fel ei fod bellach yn gallu canu’r awr.
Mae’r prosiect wedi costio tua £100,000, wedi’i ariannu’n bennaf drwy grantiau, gan gynnwys cefnogaeth gan Ymddiriedolaeth Keltek, Ymddiriedolaeth Hobart ac Ymddiriedolaeth Bernard Piggott.
Yn ystod y gwaith, canfuwyd papurau newydd yn dyddio o Hydref 1874 mewn rhan o’r tŵr, gan gynnwys copi o’r Caernarvon and Denbigh Herald sy’n cyfeirio at Fetws-y-Coed.
Mae’r clychau wedi’u cysegru i wyth o bobl leol, gan gynnwys cyn-wardeniaid eglwys. Mae tri o’r rhai a enwir yn dal yn fyw a disgwylir iddynt fod yn bresennol yn y gwasanaeth Pasg.
Dywedodd y Parchg Stuart Elliott, offeiriad lleol ac Arweinydd Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Gwydyr: “Roedd hi’n foment hyfryd ac emosiynol i glywed y clychau yn ystod caniad prawf. Bydd yn arbennig iawn eu clywed yn canu am y tro cyntaf mewn gwasanaeth eglwys ar Sul y Pasg, fel y gall y gymuned gyfan glywed yr alwad maent yn ei chyhoeddi. Mae’n drawsnewidiad sylweddol i’r pentref.
“Er bod y prosiect hwn yn un ymarferol yn ei hanfod, yn ymwneud ag adeiladau a strwythur, mae ei galon yn y gymuned newydd o glochyddion a fydd yn ffurfio o amgylch yr eglwys. Ni fyddai’r prosiect wedi bod yn bosibl heb ymroddiad y grŵp lleol a weithiodd yn galed i godi arian ac i helpu gyda’r gwaith corfforol o osod y clychau. Rhaid hefyd cydnabod y rhoddion niferus gan bobl a busnesau lleol, ynghyd ag Ymddiriedolaeth Keltek, Ymddiriedolaeth Hobart ac Ymddiriedolaeth Bernard Piggott am eu haelioni a wnaeth y prosiect hwn yn bosibl.”
Ar ôl y gwasanaeth, bydd Chwarter Pêl yn cael ei ganu, fydd yn para tua 45 munud. Mae hwn yn ffurf ar ganu newidiadau gan ddefnyddio dilyniant penodol o’r enw Plain Bob Triples. Roedd pedwar o’r clochyddion sy’n cymryd rhan hefyd wedi canu’r Chwarter Pêl olaf yn Eglwys Sant Ioan ym Mhorthmadog cyn iddi gau.
Mae’r gloch drymaf yn pwyso dros 10 cantpwys, ac mae’r clychau gyda’i gilydd wedi’u tiwnio yng nghyweirnod G.
Bydd Dydd y Pasg yn nodi’r tro cyntaf i’r cylch llawn gael ei ddefnyddio fel y bwriadwyd yn wreiddiol pan adeiladwyd yr eglwys yn y 19eg ganrif.
Nodiadau i olygyddion
Mae croeso i newyddiadurwyr fynychu’r digwyddiad hwn. Mae mwy o luniau ar gael ar gais. Cysylltwch â Matt Batten ar 07586 469 556 neu'y Parchg Stuart Elliott ar stuartelliott@churchinwales.org.uk
Church bells to ring for first time at Easter service in Betws-y-Coed
Bells at St Mary’s Church in Betws-y-Coed will rung for the first time at a church service this Easter, following the completion of a major restoration project.
Although the church was built with plans for a full ring of bells, that work was never completed. More than 150 years later, the tower now has a full set in place.
Eight of the bells were brought from St John’s Church in Porthmadog in 2024, after the church closed, linking the two communities. The remaining bell, cast in 1873 for Betws-y-Coed by John Warner of London, has been restored and rehung as the clock and chiming bell.
The bells will be rung before a family Eucharist and blessing of lambs at 11:00 on Easter Day.
The project began in 2019 during a conversation at the Llanrwst Eisteddfod involving members of Côr Penmachno. Several choir members were bell ringers but had no local tower to practise in, which led to the idea for the project. Members of that original group plus other local peoplehave taken on key roles. Nigel Thomas is now the Tower Captain, with others serving as secretary, treasurer and steeple keepers.
The eight bells from Porthmadog were cast by John Warner & Sons, with six dating from 1900 and two added in 1902. They were retuned and prepared for installation by Taylor’s Bell Foundry before being hung in the tower.
Work on the installation included cleaning and tuning the bells, removing original fittings and installing new headstocks. A new base frame was designed using sections from the Porthmadog installation, supported by the original beams in the tower. The church clock mechanism has also been replaced so it can now chime the hour.
The project has cost around £100,000, funded mainly through grants, including support from the Keltek Trust, Hobart Trust and Bernard Piggott Trust.
During the work, newspapers dating from October 1874 were found in part of the tower, including a copy of the Caernarvon and Denbigh Herald which mentions Betws-y-coed.
The bells have been dedicated to eight local people, including former church wardens. Three of those named are still living and are expected to attend the Easter service.
Revd Stuart Elliott, local priest and Ministry Area Leader of Bro Gwydyr said, “It was a wonderful and emotional moment to hear the bells during a test ring. It will be extraordinary to hear them rung for the first time at a church service on Easter Sunday, so that the whole community can hear the invitation they proclaim. It is quite a transformation for the village
“Whilst this project was essentially a practical one of buildings and structure, at its heart is the new community of ringers that will be able to be created around the church. The project would not have been possible without the dedication of the local group who worked hard fundraising and helping with the physical work fitting the bells. We must also acknowledge the many local donations from people and businesses together with Keltek Trust, Hobart Trust and Bernard Piggott Trust for their generosity which made this project happen.”
After the service, a Quarter Peal will be rung, lasting about 45 minutes. This is a form of change ringing using a set sequence known as Plain Bob Triples. Four of the ringers taking part also rang the final Quarter Peal at St John’s Church in Porthmadog before it closed.
The heaviest bell in the ring weighs more than 10 hundredweight, and together the bells are tuned in the key of G.
Easter Day will mark the first time the full ring is used as originally intended when the church was built in the 19th Century.
Notes for editors
Journalists are welcome to attend this event. More photos are available on request. Contact Matt Batten on 07586 469 556 or Revd Stuart Elliott at stuartelliott@churchinwales.org.uk