A number of historical items have been removed from St David’s Church in Bangor without consent, according to a retrospective planning application to Gwynedd Council.

The Grade II Listed Church was built in 1888 by Sir Arthur Blomfield, an architect of London at an original cost of £8,000 in an early English Gothic style and initially intended as a church for the railway community. The church closed in 2013 due to a falling congregation and increased running costs and has been empty ever since.

A number of items and internal fittings, including the Organ, Railway War Memorial Plaque and the Bells have already been removed with consent, however, a number of internal fittings are no longer present, and it’s understood that these were removed from the church without consent in various phases between 2016 and 2017. Some of the fittings which have been removed, such as the pews and monuments, have left scars on the remaining fabric denoting their original position.

The fittings which are recorded as being present before the Church closed but are now removed include Pews, the Font, Reredos (Carved stone depicting The Last Supper in gothic arcading c.1889) a bronzed figure of St David and numerous wall mounted memorials. Unfortunately, the status and current location of the removed fittings is unknown.

According to a Heritage Impact Statement, the internal fittings have been removed in error following the closure of the building and has caused irreversible damage to the aesthetic and historical value of the building’s interior. However, whilst the fittings contributed to what made the building special, the built fabric is of high enough heritage value that the overall significance still remains high, despite the removal of fittings.

The Church in Wales is responsible for former church following its closure and despite being listed for sale on the open market and by auction, the building remains unsold. The cemetery opposite the church remains under separate ownership and does not form part of the planning application.

The full planning application can be seen here: https://bit.ly/3qNJ32g